Affirming Business Directory Disclaimer
Summary
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Every business in the Affirming Business Directory completed an Affirming Business Institute certification course created by a queer expert in their field and passed its final assessment.
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Businesses retake an assessment every two years to stay listed, so their training is always current and top of mind.
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The Affirming Business Institute doesn’t endorse or assume liability for businesses listed in the Affirming Business Directory, and we don't mediate disputes.
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Vet each business the way you would any other business knowing that they've taken the initiative to educate themselves so you don't have to.
What being listed in the Affirming Business Directory means
Every business in the Affirming Business Directory completed and passed a certification course created by a queer expert in their field. In this course, they learned how to work with LGBTQ+ clients in queer-affirming ways. At a foundational level, our courses cover:
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Foundational queer literacy that goes deeper than inclusive language and Pride marketing
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How to ask better questions and talk with queer clients without assuming roles, pronouns, or traditions
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How to audit their website, intake forms, and marketing through a queer-informed lens
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How to brief their team and advocate for their clients when a team member falls short
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How to prepare to support you in industry-specific ways if you need support
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How to vet the businesses they recommend so their referrals reflect their standards
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How to repair mistakes with accountability without centering themselves
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How to keep learning and keeping their affirming practices current as their business grows
We also have a 2 year listing cycle, and businesses need to re-pass an assessment to be listed again after 2 years. This ensures that all businesses are current on their training and being queer-affirming is always top of mind for them.
Learn more about our certification courses here
The goal of our training is to ensure they're trained on how to treat you fairly and can build a business relationship where you never have to explain yourself. In other words, the goal is to remove the extra step of seeing if they'll treat you well before you even start vetting them for the fun stuff.
In the Affirming Business Directory, you can browse for the style you love, the personality that meshes with yours, and the pricing and location that fits your needs knowing that they've done the work to educate themselves so you don't have to.
How can I choose the best business to work with?
Choose a certified business the way you’d vet any business offering a service you need. Read their reviews, check out their website, look through past work, and if everything checks out, schedule a consultation with them. In your discovery call, ask about anything that matters to you.
We recommend asking questions like these:
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How do you approach working with [LGBTQ+ clients? / clients like you]?
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Listen for signals that they'll support you in the ways that you want to be supported and ask any follow up questions to be sure you'll get the kind of care you're looking for.
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What are your values as a business?
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Listen for similar values to your important ones.
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From there, ask questions that help you get a feel for their personality to see if you would mesh with them on a personal level.
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Finally, ask questions about pricing and any details about the service that you'd need to make an informed decision.
Each business writes its own listing, so a call or consultation is the best way to confirm the details. We don’t visit, monitor, or recommend individual businesses, so the choice is always yours as to who you work with.
A business that took our course should be glad you asked all the questions you need to feel safe and affirmed with them :)
What if I have a negative experience with a vendor?
If you have a bad experience with a business, we highly recommend reaching out to them directly. We aren't able to step in and help resolve conflicts or act as a mediator. If reaching out doesn’t resolve your issue, leave a review on Google or Yelp, or contact the Better Business Bureau if you think you've been the victim of fraud or they did something illegal. We don’t mediate disputes or take part in refunds or settlements between you and a business.
If something happens that goes against queer-affirming best practices, you can let us know at hello@affirmingbusinesses.com. We use what we hear to keep improving our training and raising our standard for affirming care provided by the businesses in our community.
For more information, read our Terms of Service, especially Sections 5 and 6.
We don’t endorse or assume any liability for the businesses listed in the Affirming Business Directory or their work
The directory and everything on this site are provided “as is.” Each business writes its own listing, and we can’t promise every detail is accurate, complete, or up to date.
ABI isn’t a party to any agreement between you and a listed business. To the fullest extent the law allows, we aren’t responsible for any business’s work, products, or conduct, and we aren’t liable for any damages, including incidental or consequential damages, that come from using the directory or hiring a listed business. You’re responsible for how you use the information here and for the choices you make with it.
For more information, read our Terms of Service.