BUSINESS

Barilla makes amends for past anti-LGBT comments.

The pasta company Barilla is opening a restaurant on the campus of the University of Southern California – and there hasn’t been a backlash from the LGBT community. Why not? The school finished work on its $700 million “USC Village,” a commercial area open to the public during the day. Many big retail chains are moving into the space, including Trader Joe’s, Target, and now Barilla.

BUSINESS

LGBT is good business for Illinois.

The streets of downtown Champaign were closed off for the 8th annual C-U Pride and Parade, but it’s more than just costumes and colors. The Illinois director of tourism says LGBTQ events are a major part of tourism in the state. The streets of Champaign were flooded with people, and the colors of the rainbow.

5 THINGS TO KNOW

Connecting LGBT suicides with depression and debt.

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. LGBTQ suicide and suicide attempts occur disproportionally more than the general population, and people who die by suicide are eight times more likely to have debt. On this Queer Money, we partner with Melanie Lockert of Dear Debt.

5 THINGS TO KNOW

To earn more money, become part of a same-sex couple.

If you’re in a same-sex relationship there’s a good chance you’ve got more bills to rub together than your straight neighbours, census data from Statistics Canada showed Wednesday. Same-sex households continue to have a higher median income than heterosexual ones. The median income for same-sex male couples was $100,707, with female couples making $92,857.

BUSINESS

Rainbow Camp welcomes LGBT youth.

On a cold late August morning, 14-year-old Max Yemelyanov huddles into a circle of groggy teens, some still wrapped in their blankets. A homemade rainbow flag flaps in the brisk wind as more young people trickle out of their cabins and gather around. There’s a welcome practicality to the morning ritual. “Everyone rub their hands together, let’s create some warm vibes,” shouts a cheery counsellor.