The Connecticut Gay & Lesbian Chamber (CTGLC) was founded in 2007 by New Haven attorney Dena M. Castricone as an alliance of businesses working to fight discrimination in the workplace and marketplace. John Vincent Pica-Sneeden has served as executive director since 2014 and helped to grow the organization and refine its mission. The CTGLC is an affiliate of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and was named its Chamber of the Year in 2011.
Q. How did you become CTGLC executive director?
I’m a business owner; I’ve owned my own business for 33 years in East Windsor called Surroundings Floral. I used to have flower shops, now I just do weddings and big parties. [The CTGLC position] is the perfect job for me, being a business owner myself. In my town I’ve also been chairman of the board of education and president of the East Windsor chamber, also chairman of the East Windsor Economic Development Commission. So I had all of this history of working with this kind of stuff. I kind of fell right into this position.
Q. What is the mission of the CTGLC?
About 2015, the president said, ‘Do we have relevance anymore? Do we actually need an LGBT chamber anymore?’ The answer is yes, because there’s still discrimination out there and we’re still relevant in a way in that we’re giving a safe environment. That is one key component to what we have in the chamber: It’s a safe business environment, safe for networking. We don’t get involved in politics, because we can’t. Also, we’re the only chamber that covers the state, from Putnam to Greenwich, New London to Litchfield and everyone in between.
Q. What kind of events do you sponsor?
We just had our expo. We had about 20 businesses. We had the booths, a caterer, speeches, a history of the CTGLC and a keynote speaker, Chion Wolf of WNPR [radio]. We finished the evening with a comedy show, because I believe everybody should leave anyplace laughing. If you come to any of our meetings, everybody leaves laughing. We’re not the typical white-haired, old-man-in-a-suit kind of meeting. We have fun. We entertain as much as we can, but we’re not a social group — it’s strictly businesses. There’s no reason you can’t have fun in business.
Q. Why should a business join the CTGLC?
Why should you be a member, besides that we’re just plain fabulous? [Laughs.] I think there’s more to us on a personal level. We are small, but we cover the largest area. You can show what you do and who you are and show your expertise, your business, your knowledge, with everybody and anybody at all walks of life. It doesn’t matter whether you’re an LGBT person or a straight person, whether you’re black or you’re white or Jewish or Christian — it doesn’t matter. You can just be yourself and talk about what you do. It opens a door, but you have show up, you have to be visible, you have to be relevant.
Q. Can you join the chamber even if you are not LGBT?
Oh yes. This is LGBT and allies. The majority of our corporations are not gay. Allies are very important because allies are our voice sometimes. They’re the ones that are in the foreground. There are certain places where an ally is going to be the strongest component of what we’re doing. They do great work.
Q. What are some of the issues coming up for the CTGLC? What do you hear members talking about?
Everybody’s just told me they’re praying that the new governor, Gov. [Ned] Lamont, is more business-friendly. That’s really the concern. From what I hear, if we don’t start taking care of our young, and encouraging them to stay here, we’re going to be a very old state. Honestly I don’t see that changing, as a business owner and a business person trying to encourage small business. I would love to sit down and talk to all of the mayors personally and say if you want the state to really progress, start to create ‘gayborhoods.’ If you want to revitalizalize a deprived area in your city, let’s talk. I will give you the insight on how you can market to the LGBT community.
