AFFA to Lead Diversity and Inclusion Workshop at Frothy Beard Brewing Company

The Alliance For Full Acceptance (AFFA) will be partnering with the Frothy Beard Brewing Company to host a diversity and inclusion workshop at the brewery on Thursday, May 30th, 2019.

The announcement comes less than a week after Wesley Donehue, one of Frothy Beard’s partners, drew the ire of some local residents following his controversial comments about women, abortion, and the transgender community on his personal Facebook and Twitter accounts.

In a statement posted to the company Facebook page last Friday, the brewing company the other partners “do not share the opinion of the arguments found and shared on Facebook.” By Monday, Donehue confirmed he would be leaving Frothy Beard.

Last weekend, AFFA used a Facebook post to offer their services to lead an LGBTQ cultural competency training for Frothy Beard’s staff and owners, to help increase awareness and understanding about the LGBTQ community.

“Almost immediately, we were contacted by Michael Biondi, one of Frothy Beard’s owners, asking how we could partner together,” AFFA Executive Director Chase Glenn said. “We talked at length and Michael really wanted to use this moment to show the culture they’ve tried to create at Frothy, and that they are serious about wanting to help create welcoming and affirming spaces in breweries across the city. With that in mind, Michael began reaching out to other breweries and inviting them to attend the workshop we’ll be leading. I was impressed with his initiative to take this to the next level and potentially affect change not only at his brewery, but beyond.”

The workshop, “Understanding the LGBTQ+ Community and Building Inclusive Spaces,” will cover basic terminology, include discussion on the concepts of heterosexual and cisgender privilege, and emphasize the importance of allyship with the LGBTQ community. The training will also incorporate data points from AFFA’s recently published Tri-County LGBTQ Community Needs Assessment report, which quantifies the experiences of LGBTQ people in our area.

“This is a great opportunity to learn more about the diverse members of our community here in the Lowcountry and see how we can make an effort to make everyone feel welcome at our brewery,” Biondi said. “We are hosting the workshop to increase the knowledge of our team on the different backgrounds many people come from and how we as a group can be an example of a place for all to enjoy.”

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