The Alliance newsletter for July 2026 is here. We're recapping a powerful Housing Policy Symposium, unpacking the data in our brand-new 2026 LGBTQ+ Real Estate Report, celebrating a record-breaking month of Pride chapter events, and looking ahead to two new Future Forward speakers — plus a warm welcome to two new faces on our board.

Here's what's in this month's newsletter:

• A note from President Tommie Wehrle
• Recap: The LGBTQ+ Housing Policy Symposium in Washington, D.C.
• The 2026 LGBTQ+ Real Estate Report has arrived
• Pride Month recap: a record-breaking month for chapter events
• Future Forward 2026: two new speakers announced
• Welcome two new faces to the Alliance Board
• Welcome new Alliance members
• Chapter events across the country
• And More!

Hello Ya'll 

As Pride Month comes to a close and our nation prepares to celebrate 250 years of the America “experiment”. Know our Founding Fathers knew then, they were creating something on paper that hadn’t yet been tested, in fact during President George Washington’s first inaugural address, he said this is “an experiment entrusted in the hands of the American People.” They weren’t certain of the success we will have, however they did know their purpose was to create a Country founded on freedoms for all those who lived here, then and now.

Since I wasn’t there then, I found myself reflecting on what freedom means to me today. This 250th celebration is especially personal, July 4th is also my birthday. And as long as I can remember, I've loved fireworks, not simply because growing my parents told me they were all for me, but as I got older they also symbolized hope, possibility, patriotism, plus the promise that America belongs to all of us.

As we all know, that promise is now being threatened. For many in the LGBTQ+ community, and for so many others who simply want to live their lives with dignity and equality, the past year has brought uncertainty, fear, and questions about whether that promise still holds true. Yet I refuse to believe that the ideals our nation was founded upon are reserved for only a few, as much as they would like us to think. Liberty, equality, and justice are not partisan values, they are American values.

It can feel overwhelming when our attention is constantly pulled from one headline to the next, leaving little room to notice the quieter ways our institutions, our public trust, and our sense of one another can erode. At times, it seems as though division has become easier than dialogue, outrage louder than understanding, and power more important than principle. But our Constitution was never intended to be self-sustaining. It depends on ordinary people, like you and I, choosing courage over complacency, truth over convenience, and respect over resentment. Democracy has always required citizens willing to protect it—not because it is perfect, but because it gives every generation the opportunity to make it better.

This weekend at our local Milford Pride, I saw young people in their early teens, wearing their pride gear, while gathering in a safe space. I heard someone bisexual ask for the flag that represents her, I spoke to parents whose LGBTQ+ kids live in other Cities, yet they just wanted to be a part of this community here, allies who were there to be supportive, wanted to be included as well. We heard from local politicians, advocates on issues of healthcare, and housing……I heard people entrusted with what one might call the American experiment, coming together to empower, be supportive, generate awareness and bond us, as they did 250 years ago, to the possibility of freedom for all.

As we gather beneath the fireworks this Independence Day, please remember the flag belongs to every American, not just those who look alike, love alike, worship alike, or vote alike. Patriotism is not measured by who we exclude, but by how faithfully we uphold the rights and dignity of one another. My wish, both for my birthday and for our nation's 250th year, is that we rediscover the strength that comes from compassion, the courage that comes from standing up for those whose voices are being diminished, and the hope that comes from believing in each other again. The America worth celebrating is one where freedom is not something we defend only for ourselves, but something we fiercely protect for every person. That is the democracy I believe in. That is the country I still believe we can be.

Happy Birthday America

This Pride Month, our chapters across the country showed up in a big way — this month had the most chapter events of the past year. From parade marches to mixers to community fundraisers, Alliance chapters turned out in force to celebrate, connect, and represent the Alliance in their communities. Take a look at a few moments from the month:

The lineup for Future Forward 2026 — the LGBTQ+ real estate conference happening October 13–14 at the voco Chicago, Downtown Riverwalk — keeps getting stronger. In case you missed it, here's who just joined the stage: