^{Self-Help employees outside the state Capitol building during 2024 Pride in Sacramento, CA}

Happy LGBTQIA+ Pride Month!

With the new waves of anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiment and the 532 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills that the ACLU is currently tracking, it is more important than ever to show our support for the LGBTQIA+ community.

At Self-Help, we understand that our focus on uplifting underrepresented groups must include queer folks, who are often discriminated against in the housing and financial services industries. In honor of this month, let’s take some time to recognize some of the ways Self-Help has worked to support LGBTQIA+ communities.

For Our Members

Providing inclusive support to meet the needs of underrepresented communities is ingrained into our mission. As a Self-Help member, you will always be a welcome part of the Self-Help family, regardless of how you identify. We understand that there are specific personal and financial challenges for LGBTQIA+ folks, and we are committed to doing what we can to help support you with your financial goals.

We know that one of the issues that can be challenging for our transgender and nonbinary members is regarding preferred vs. legal (dead) names. One of the services we provide to help make things a little more comfortable is the My Name card. This service allows you to display the name that identifies the real you on your Self-Help credit and debit cards without having to go through the tedious process of a legal name change. Learn more about the My Name card and how to request one.

For Our Staff

The LGBTQIA+ Caucus for our staff has been an integral part of Self-Help since the early 2000s. It started off as an informal group of queer friends at Self-Help whom CEO Martin Eakes sought out for their perspectives on various issues. Eventually, the group was formalized, collaborating with human resources (HR) and the benefits administration team to make Self-Help an even better place to work.

Since then, some of the major wins that were made possible by the caucus included the addition of fertility benefits for same-sex couples, the ability for HR to more fully support staff going through gender transitions, and training for all staff to understand the transgender experience.

The Self-Help LGBTQIA+ Caucus continues to work toward creating a supportive environment by meeting regularly, acting on behalf of the LGBTQIA+ employees and members at Self-Help, and organizing Pride events for Self-Help to join in community.

For Our Community

Self-Help and CEO Martin Eakes have worked to support the LGBTQIA+ community throughout the years by advocating for inclusive policies and getting involved in our communities.

Our story began in North Carolina, and we are still headquartered there today, which means that North Carolina policies have been particularly prevalent to many of our members and employees.

In 2011, Amendment 1 to the North Carolina constitution was introduced, which banned same-sex unions. Some of Self-Help's resources were allocated to defeating the effort through a coalition with Equality NC and other business leaders. Unfortunately, the ban passed in 2012, but Eakes was featured as a vocal supporter of same-sex marriage rights. This amendment was luckily found unconstitutional just a couple years later in 2014.

A few years later in 2016, HB2 was enacted in North Carolina, which overturned non-discrimination protections for LGBTQIA+ people and prohibited transgender people from using restrooms consistent with their gender identity. At Self-Help, we believe that discrimination of any kind is wrong, so we joined a group of more than 50 investment management firms in calling for the full repeal of HB2. You can read our full statement on the blog.

With new bills being introduced all too often, Self-Help holds firm in our fight for social justice and opportunity. While advocating is one of the most important things we can do, we also know that finding reasons to celebrate LGBTQIA+ people is a vital act of support.

And what better celebration is there than Pride Month! With Self-Help's growing number of out and proud members, we know there is no one way to celebrate. From attending Pride events to decorating our branches, here are just some of the ways that Self-Help employees have celebrated Pride in the last few years.

^{Self-help employees walking in the 2024 Pride Parade in Sacramento, CA}

^{Self-Help employees with our booth at 2022 Pride in Durham, NC}

^{The Pride corner at one of our Durham, NC, branches in 2023}

Whether you are working for us or with us, we will continue to create safe spaces for every Self-Help member and stand against discrimination of any kind. We hope you have had a wonderful Pride month and continue finding ways to celebrate (or advocate) year-round!