Discover Newport: Building Community and Belonging Through the Newport Pride Center

Social Impact Framework: Welcoming and Belonging

What was the issue you were trying to address?

Our destination didn’t have a brick and motor location or business for the LGBTQ+ community. In 2024, Discover Newport supported the efforts of Newport Out to help launch The Newport Pride Center. Now, The Newport Pride Center serves as a hub for locals and visitors alike, spearheading partnerships on local events and activities that bring the LGTBQ+ presence into the community.  

What were the stated objectives of this initiative?

Our initiative is to support the LGBTQ+ community for locals and visitors alike in our destination through financial and resource partnership with Newport Out and the Newport Pride Center.  

As we continue to grow this partnership, our objectives are to strengthen this presence beyond Newport to all our municipalities, and to continue to educate our hospitality partners on welcoming the LGTBQ+ community to our beautiful destination.  

What were the specific metrics you used to measure the success of your efforts?

Events and programming: The Newport Pride Parade has become an annual event that has grown from a weekend to a week-long of events. Discover Newport partners with Newport Out to build financial support via grants and build year-round programming.  

Visibility: Our rainbow crosswalks in partnership with Newport Out and the Newport Pride Center are one of a kind in Rhode Island. They garner social media and media attention throughout the year.  

What were the specific outcomes and results of your efforts?

We’ve seen this community grow over the years. Having The Newport Pride Center has been an anchor for visitors to have a location within our destination. We now see visitors throughout the year who use the Pride Center as a place to learn more about LGBTQ+ owned businesses, area events, history, and more. The Newport Pride Center website has also become the go-to for inclusion experiences in Newport.

What other best practices or key lessons can you share?

As we see the LGBTQ+ community grow in our destination, we continue to look for ways to help foster the most welcoming environment for our visitors. We have hosted a hospitality partner industry event with guest speakers who specialize in LGBTQ+ travel to help bring this topic to the forefront of our hotels, restaurants and attractions.