DEI in Action: Jeff Crowe Advocates for Welcoming and Inclusive Tourism
A member of Louisville Tourism’s LGBTQ Hospitality Task Force since it began in July 2014, Heaven Hill Director of Kentucky Experiences Jeff Crowe has long advocated for regional attractions to become more welcoming and inclusive – including our own visitor centers.
Passionate about creating safe spaces for members of the LGBTQ community, he says his involvement on the LGBTQ Hospitality Task Force continues to inform some of Heaven Hill’s work, in terms of our partnerships, engagement and community outreach.
Creating Safe Spaces
A small task force of just four members when Jeff joined in 2014, Louisville Tourism’s LGBTQ Hospitality Task Force was charged with how to help Louisville hospitality businesses more attractive to LGBTQ tourists.
“In the beginning, I don’t think the average manager or travel attraction director understood who LGBTQ people are,” he said. “We’ve had to work hard to overcome a lot of the common stereotypes.”The biggest piece of this work for the task force has been training and education, addressing valid concerns hospitality workers have about how to engage with LGBTQ individuals and how to address them.Education sessions offered by the task force are open to all hospitality businesses, including hotels and attractions.
As a result of Jeff’s work and partnerships through the task force, Heaven Hill is bringing similar training to visitor center staff in 2022 through the Kentucky Fairness Campaign. The Fairness Campaign is an LGBTQ advocacy organization founded in Louisville in 1991. Originally planned in 2020, the training was delayed due to COVID.
The task force has also brought in an outside company to perform site visits at hospitality venues, to assess how LGBTQ friendly they are, as well as LGBTQ media writers, who review Louisville destinations. And, each year Louisville Tourism hosts I Do in Lou, a giveaway of a free wedding to LGBTQ couples.In the time Jeff has been part of the task force, it has more than doubled in size, working to be proactive and stay ahead of the curve on LGBTQ issues.
Another outgrowth of Jeff’s involvement has been the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience’s recent involvement in Pride Month, with window displays and diversity t-shirts and swag.“This year we did a challenge for all the businesses around us to be forward thinking with their window displays,” he said. “A lot of businesses want to put a rainbow in their windows, but they don’t know what it means. It’s about making people feel like you want them inside their businesses.”
Louisville Accolades
Long term the LGBTQ Hospitality Task Force continues to inform and advise work in regard to all aspects of business, with specific focuses on leisure tourist, advocacy for helping maintain a welcome and inclusive city and destinations and marketing.
Louisville Tourism maintains ongoing partnerships with Kentuckiana Pride and Louisville Pride, the Fairness Campaign, University of Louisville’s LGBTQ Center, Community Marketing Insights and International LGBTQ! Travel Association (IGLTA) – where Heaven Hill exhibited this past weekend.
For the sixth year in a row, Louisville has earned a perfect 100 on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). The ranking – called the Municipal Equality Index (MEI) – reflects the city’s support of the LGBTQ community and the commitment of all Louisville Metro Government agencies to ensure the city is welcoming and inclusive.
In 2011, Louisville Mayor Greg Fisher signed a resolution committing to a Compassionate Louisville campaign. This designates Louisville as an international compassionate city and makes Louisville the largest city in America with this distinction.Among other accolades and mentions the city has received during Jeff’s tenure on the task force are:
- “One of the Friendliest Cities in America”—Travel + Leisure
- “One of 10 Hottest Gay Destinations for 2016”—Orbitz
- “One of Six Underrated Cities for LGBT Travelers”—Conde Nast Traveler
- “One of Nine Perfect Places for Your LGBT Destination Wedding”—Travel + Leisure Curated Travel Experiences
A Supportive Environment at Heaven Hill
Jeff said his involvement in the Task Force has inspired his work at Heaven Hill in helping our visitor centers become more welcoming and inclusive to LGBTQ individuals. He also said he feels supported at Heaven Hill to be open with his staff about his own life and lifestyle as an openly-gay man and to encourage LGBTQ team members.
“In my previous work, I was not allowed to be who I am,” he said. “Heaven Hill stands behind all diversity. It’s been good for all of us to be able to learn from each other and to grow.”
The EWBE sponsors the Bluegrass Classic Bowling Tournament each year. The tournament is hosted by the Bluegrass Classic League, formed in 1983 as an LGBT bowling league – one of the first LGBT leagues formed in the United States and Canada.Jeff has also been part of Heaven Hill community outreach efforts, helping to identify partnerships and funding opportunities where the company can make a difference in the lives of LGBTQ individuals.
Jeff’s involvement with the LGBTQ Hospitality Task Force is one small way Heaven Hill and our employees are working to foster a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. Learn more about our corporate efforts here.
