Think We Don’t Need Pride Month? Barbara Stone Has Served LGBTQ Clients For Decades And She Disagrees

Texas is a business-friendly state, and thanks to corporations relocating their headquarters and offices to North Texas, we’ve had an influx of new residents. And while Texas is still firmly a red state, not all of those new residents are all that red. In fact, many of them are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple — a lot like the pride flag.

“When I have LGBTQ clients relocating to Texas, one of the first questions they ask is if about safety and acceptance here in the Lone Star State,” says Barbara Stone, Dallas Chair of the National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals. “I hear this from my relocating clients about 99 percent of the time. There’s a misconception that Texas isn’t as friendly and welcoming as it can be. Our first conversation is around this issue, and it’s my responsibility in helping them understand we have big hearts here.”

While Stone, a Realtor with the Michael Group, and her NAGLREP colleagues work hard to foster a culture of acceptance and understanding in the Dallas-Fort Worth real estate community, Texas does have a ways to go when it comes to celebrating and embracing the diversity in our state. No time is that clearer during June when LGBTQ communities celebrate Pride.

“Pride Month is a celebration of our successes in working for equality in all facets of our lives, to reflect on our past struggles and appreciate those that have gone before us in working toward acceptance,” says Stone, who has more than 25 years of experience as a Realtor in our region. “It’s a time to recognize the positive impact of the LGBT community.”

That impact includes several anti-discrimination laws passed in the D-FW area, as well as NAR standards that prohibit Realtors from using hate speech, harassment, epithets, or slurs against those who identify as LGBTQ, and HUD rules that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The Next Gayborhood

“LBGTQ homeowners no longer feel the need to stay in the gay neighborhoods in urban communities,” Stone emphasized. “Because there is more acceptance, they mostly feel fine about living in other urban and suburban areas.”

While Cedar Springs and Oak Lawn are just one local example, the saying “follow the rainbow” rings true when it comes to real estate. For the longest time, LGBTQ investment in certain neighborhoods has been a bellwether for gentrification. However, it’s not always the luxe, in-town spots that are on their gay-dar.

“Lately, we’ve seen neighborhoods such as Kiestwood and surrounding neighborhoods in Oak Cliff,  several neighborhoods on the east side of White Rock Lake, Far North Dallas around Bent Tree, and other neighborhoods closer to US 75 that are ripe with Midcentury Moderns just begging for renovation, and neighborhoods in Northwest Dallas are getting nice facelifts,” said Stone. “It appears any neighborhood inside and close to the I-635 loop is still ripe for gentrification.”

That’s a far cry from Uptown and Oak Lawn, but there’s a reason for that. Today’s LGBTQ buyer isn’t just looking for a swanky pad to capitalize on. They’re looking for a home for their family.

More and more LGBTQ households in the D-FW area are looking for larger properties for their growing families, and some of them are landing in the suburbs. According to a report from the National Association of Realtors, the LGBTQ community could contribute $1 trillion in buying power in the housing market. However, due to discrimination and other factors, that spending power hasn’t entirely been unlocked.

“The LGBTQ community has higher-end purchasers that have been a good harbinger for economic upswings,” Stone said. “At the same time, we also see individuals and couples with lower household incomes and they target more affordable homes. And because the LGBTQ community becomes more diverse in their wants and needs, it will be harder to determine how their trends will reflect economic upswings.”

A Long Road Ahead

While we’ve made strides in the past several years, Texas does have a ways to go when it comes to equality. Stone points to the recent adoption of the Texas Republican Party’s platform that specifically targets LGBTQ individuals by categorizing them as “abnormal” while also rejecting trans identities.

“LGBTQ clients have a fear of working through the entire purchase or sale process without discrimination from all professionals involved. Thus, it’s important for me to assist in finding the right allies that won’t discriminate,” Stone said. “I’m glad to report I have never had any real estate professional involved in a sale that ever had issues.”

That’s not the only issue that young gay, lesbian, trans, or queer homebuyers encounter, According to Stone.

“I also see many LGBTQ young adults struggle with first-time home ownership because they’ve lost family support and have to make ends meet as best they can. This affects their ability to start off on the right foot in life, so home ownership is a very distant prospect,” she said. “And as rents continue to increase, they find it very difficult to even be able to afford the smallest of condos to lease.”

Rising costs, increasing interest rates, inflation, and slow-to-keep-pace wages are compounding issues. But to contend with discrimination and alienation makes the home buying process for the LGBTQ community that much more arduous.

“Even with non-discrimination policies in place, there are still times the LGBTQ community experiences covert discrimination and suspicious bias,” Stone said. “Now with the Fair Housing Act in place, we’ll hope to see these stories disappear.” 

So what can you do as an ally to those in the LGBTQ community? Stone is glad you asked:

• Be supportive of any changes to making housing equal for all and without discrimination.
• Understand the plight of LGBTQ young adults with their struggles to become financially secure. Work with the community in developing loans and programs that will help them to attain the American dream of home ownership. 
• All professionals in our industry treat the LGBTQ community with the respect and without prejudice throughout the home purchasing/selling process.