Credit unions that don't consider their gay, lesbian and transgendered members are missing out on a huge opportunity. So said Thomas Bowen, operations project coordinator at the $100 million Money One Federal Credit Union.
Credit unions don't have to "put a feather boa on every employee and paint all the lines in the parking lot pink" to attract gay members, he said. However, cooperatives should at least provide sensitivity training for employees and make sure "partner" is included on membership and loan applications.
The Largo, Md.-based credit union doesn't specifically market to the gay community, but Bowen said because gay marriage is legal in nearby Washington, D.C., it presents a great opportunity for membership growth. Both The Washington Post and The Washington Times have been publishing gay wedding announcement for years, he said.
Complete your profile to continue reading and get FREE access to CUTimes.com, part of your ALM digital membership.
Your access to unlimited CUTimes.com content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking credit union news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Weekly Shared Accounts podcast featuring exclusive interviews with industry leaders
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical coverage of the commercial real estate and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, GlobeSt.com and ThinkAdvisor.com
Already have an account? Sign In Now
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
