As I sampled mouthwatering dishes from various Nashville restaurants at Taste, an annual food festival and fundraiser powered by the Tennessee Pride Chamber (an LGBTQ+ workplace equality organization) and Amazon, it was clear that many businesses in Music City support diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
The sheer number of businesses participating in Taste was a rather striking contrast to some of the more controversial political news to come from the state of Tennessee in recent months, specifically related to legislation affecting education, reproductive rights and LGBTQ+ rights.
Boycotting Destinations May Harm the Community
Some travelers — and travel advisors — have even discussed avoiding travel to states where legislation doesn’t represent their values. But local tourism experts say that visitors can find lots of ways to have fun while supporting causes they care about in Nashville, one of the state’s most progressive cities.
“Nashville’s greatest strength is our diversity,” said Marie R. Sueing, the chief diversity officer for the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation (NCVC). “As the first major southern city to desegregate public facilities, Nashville has long been a leader in breaking down walls and building bridges.”
The hospitality industry is encouraging meeting planners, travel agents, tour companies and leisure travelers to resist boycotting destinations, as this may harm the very communities they care about.
“The hospitality industry is encouraging meeting planners, travel agents, tour companies and leisure travelers to resist boycotting destinations, as this may harm the very communities they care about,” Sueing said. “Instead, consider making an impact wherever [clients] may travel. There are many creative ways to support on the ground: research local DBEs [businesses enrolled in the federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program] to patronize, cultural communities to explore and events to attend, [and] nonprofits that address causes of interest — and plan to engage during the visit.”
Nashville is a diverse and progressive city.
Credit: 2023 Nashville Convention & Visitors CorporationBrian Rosman, president of the Tennessee Pride Chamber, agrees about tourism’s positive effects.
“A lot of folks in liberal cities say, ‘We’re not going to send our money there,’ but that actually does more to help the other side than it does to help the LGBTQ+ community,” he said. “If you look at Tennessee, the hospitality industry — in general — over-indexes with LGBTQ+ folks, so a boycott or stopping travel is more likely to directly impact our community first. Second, the places where this legislation is coming from are generally not cities that you’re going to be visiting.”
If you look at Tennessee, the hospitality industry — in general — over-indexes with LGBTQ+ folks, so a boycott or stopping travel is more likely to directly impact our community first. Second, the places where this legislation is coming from are generally not cities that you’re going to be visiting.
The city, in fact, can be surprisingly progressive, according to Rosman, who moved to Nashville from Los Angeles in 2017. “One thing that I found fascinating when I moved here is that Nashville is way more progressive than Los Angeles and New York in a lot of ways,” he said. “First of all, Nashville has an LGBTQ+ caucus in its Metropolitan Council that just elected the first trans person ever in the state’s history to any government office There’s not a trans person on the West Hollywood City Council.”
Another thing that has impressed him since arriving: Two of the city’s largest dance clubs — Tribe, and Play — provide salaries and health benefits for some of their drag performers.
“I’d never heard of this before I came to Nashville,” he said.
Where to Find Supportive and Diverse Businesses in Nashville
To make it easier to find appropriate businesses and attractions, the NCVC maintains a diversity section on its website that lists attractions and businesses within the Black, LGBTQ+, Latino and Asian communities, as well as what is describes as North America’s largest Kurdish population.
Additional resources for finding supportive and diverse businesses include the Tennessee Pride Chamber, which posts a member directory of businesses and organizations that are members or allies of the LGBTQ+ community. An entertainment site called Do615, meanwhile, lists women-owned businesses in Nashville, and an organization called Healthy & Free Tennessee provides information about reproductive rights in the state.
Virgin Hotels Nashville is a member of the Tennessee Pride Chamber.
Credit: 2023 Nashville Convention & Visitors CorporationI experienced several wonderful examples of the city’s diversity during my visit — starting with my accommodations at the hip-and-happening Virgin Hotels Nashville, which is a member of the Tennessee Pride Chamber and continues to host drag brunches, even after anti-drag legislation started making headlines. The stylish hotel also participates in Virgin’s JEDI program, which stands for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion, and aims to create an equitable approach to staff recruitment and training.
With its restaurant, bar and rooftop pool bar, Virgin Hotels is something of an entertainment destination in its own right. But it’s also well-positioned within a mile of several noteworthy attractions that showcase Nashville’s diversity.
Museums, Galleries and More
Among the largest is the National Museum of African American Music, which features fascinating exhibits that trace the story of Black music from African traditions through the civil rights movement and the birth of various musical genres. The venue also hosts educational programs, film screenings and concerts.
Also of note is the Frist Art Museum, one of the city’s pre-eminent cultural institutions. The facility, set within a magnificently reimagined former post office, hosts an array of diverse exhibits, including “Multiplicity: Blackness in Contemporary American Collage” (through Dec. 31, 2023) and “Art and Imagination in Spanish America, 1500-1800: Highlights from LACMA’s Collection" (through Jan. 28, 2024).
The “Multiplicity: Blackness in Contemporary American Collage” exhibit at Frist Art Museum
Credit: 2023 Frist Art MuseumFisk University, one of the nation’s most prominent historically Black universities, also provides opportunities to connect with cultural diversity. The Fisk University Galleries hosts art exhibits in multiple venues, while the Fisk Jubilee Singers, a choral ensemble group with more than 150 years of history, stages inspiring musical performances.
Visitors can also learn about the region’s Indigenous roots at the Tennessee State Museum, where the First Peoples exhibit highlights cultures and communities dating from 13,000 BCE to 1,760 CE.
“The NCVC is intentional about supporting many of the multicultural events and cultural institutions in Nashville financially and through our marketing efforts,” NCVC’s Sueing said. “We build and nurture relationships with community leaders, giving local communities visibility so they can benefit from tourism.”
