To honor Pride Month, which starts today, Yelp has officially launched a new business attribute that highlights LGBTQ+ owned companies. To highlight LGBTQ+ businesses, Yelp is dropping rainbow-colored map pins, making it simpler for customers to support companies that share their values.

The new feature requires companies to self-identify as LGBTQ+-owned and Open to Everyone, an initiative that encourages businesses to promise to be a welcoming environment for all customers, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or other factors. For the entire month of June, these restaurants, food, and nightlife establishments will be highlighted on Yelp with rainbow-colored pins.

In a statement, Yelp’s Chief Diversity Officer Miriam Warren said:

“Yelp is making it easier than ever for consumers to support businesses that align with their values, and find safe and welcoming places to enjoy Pride celebrations all month long. It’s clear that consumers are increasingly looking for businesses that are part of the LGBTQ+ community, as the rate of searches on Yelp for LGBTQ+ owned businesses in the U.S. increased by more than 150 percent in April compared to the same period the year prior.”

Consumers can find the LGBTQ+ attribute in the “more info” section of a business’s page on Yelp’s mobile app or in the “amenities and more” section of a business’s page on the Yelp website for free. Beginning today, customers can use the Yelp homepage to browse for LGBTQ+ businesses or Open to All locations.

On Yelp, over 581,000 companies have confirmed that they are Open to Everyone. According to the organization, it will review pages for hate speech and delete any material that violates community guidelines.

Several attributes have also been released by the organization to advance its goal of inclusivity. In 2017, Yelp added a feature that allowed companies to advertise whether they had gender-neutral bathrooms, and in 2019, Yelp joined the Human Rights Campaign’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act, which offers broad protections for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

We’re thrilled to hear about this new feature that will make it easier for the community to locate and visit Open to Everyone businesses. As summer and Pride Month dawns on us, we need more and more initiatives that are inclusive and allows for the creation of a safe space for the LGBTQI+ community.

In related news, read more here about FOLX, a new healthcare provider for the LGBTQ+ community.

Photo via Yelp