This week, Mainstreet is celebrating Ally Week. Throughout the week, celebrate being an Ally with us as we share different resources and opportunities to show support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Below is a blog post written earlier this year featuring Mainstreet Treasurer Tim Ryan and his inspiration to create a REALTOR® "R" pin that incorporates the pride flag. And be sure and check out our social media pages this week for more resources and information -- we even have a contest for a chance to win one of these pins (Residential or Commercial) on our Facebook page.
What does diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) mean to you? Everyone’s interpretation is a little different. For REALTORS® who spend their time in their communities interacting with people of all walks of life, you can bet DE&I is on their mind.
For Tim Ryan, treasurer of Mainstreet, DE&I is incredibly important. As a gay man, he wanted a physical way to show others that he stood in support of the LGBTQ community.
Inspired by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Fair Housing Pin, he came up with an idea in December to create a pin that displayed both the REALTOR® “R” and the pride flag. He proposed the idea to NAR and by February he was holding the newly minted pin in his hand.
“This really puts a rudder on the ship to 1.5 million national REALTORS®, saying ‘we welcome you and we’re ready to serve you,’” Ryan said.
Ryan believes in the importance of showing support of the causes and communities you care about in public.
“You don’t have to be part of the LGBTQ community to wear this pin,” Ryan said. “You can be an advocate and show solidarity.”
Ryan credits Mainstreet and NAR for their commitment to DE&I.
“It’s one thing to be invited, it’s another thing to be welcomed. This pin shows that,” Ryan said. “I’ve always felt welcomed at Mainstreet and this just goes to show, it’s an elected position, not only did they welcome me, but they were willing to make me one of their leaders.”
If you are interested in purchasing a pin and showing your support for the LGBTQ community, you can purchase one on the NAR website.