People you can let into your home without explaining anything.
Updated October 2026
Letting someone into your apartment, or handing them the keys to a move, is a trust exercise. Many of us would rather hire people who are queer-owned or at least queer-friendly. For more on queer life across the city, see our guide to queer community in NYC.
Below: how to tell the difference between queer-owned and queer-friendly, where to look for each trade, and a few businesses worth a call. We have not verified every owner's identity, so we say what each business says about itself and suggest you ask.
The best source is often other people. 10th Muses, a community for Queer & Lesbian Women, Trans & NB Folks, 30+, has a Referrals, Recommendations & Resources group and a Housing group on WhatsApp, and our community directory collects member recommendations, from movers to designers. Joining is free.
Queer-owned means LGBTQ+ people own and run the business. Queer-friendly means the business welcomes you, which is real but not the same thing. Ask directly: who owns the company, and what is their experience with couples and families like yours?
The most reliable check is NGLCC certification. The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce certifies businesses that are at least 51 percent owned, operated and controlled by LGBTQ+ people, after a documentation review and a site visit. Certification is not a guarantee of quality, so read reviews as well.
We have not yet confirmed a queer-owned mover to list here. Ask for recommendations in community groups, use the NGLCC question above, check any mover's license, insurance and reviews, and get written quotes.
Sí Se Puede! Women's Cooperative describes itself as a women-run, women-owned, eco-friendly housecleaning cooperative. It was founded in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, in 2006 and works with the Center for Family Life there. Ask about ownership and values the way you would with any business.
Urban Clarity is a New York home organizing and move-management company that describes itself as 100 percent women-owned. It offers home organizing, staging and move management, and its site shows a Best of New York award for home organizers from New York Magazine.
Right Meets Left Interior Design is a Manhattan studio founded by Courtney McLeod after a career in financial services. Its site lists the ELLE DECOR A-List and the 1stDibs 50 among her recognition. Ask any designer the questions above, including about their experience with the kind of home you are making.
For buying or renting, NAGLREP, the National Association of LGBTQ Real Estate Professionals, has a Find a Professional search for agents, lenders and inspectors. Ask any agent about experience with the situations you care about, such as co-op boards and joint purchases.
If you are planning a second home in the Hudson Valley, Big Gay Hudson Valley's local guides list LGBTQ+ owned and allied businesses. For contractors and handypeople in the city, ask in community groups and use the NGLCC certification question above.
Inside 10th Muses, the Barter & Skill Exchange and Buy Nothing! groups help with small jobs and hand-me-down furniture, and the Referrals group is the place to ask other WLW and nonbinary members for a handyperson they trust.
Each card links to the listing in our community directory. A listing is not a certification of ownership; ask each business directly.
Look for NGLCC certification, which requires a business to be at least 51 percent owned, operated and controlled by LGBTQ+ people. nglccNY is the chamber's New York affiliate, and you can also ask in local community groups. Always ask the business directly.
Queer-owned means LGBTQ+ people own and run the business. Queer-friendly means the business welcomes LGBTQ+ customers, which can be true of any company. Ask about both ownership and experience.
Ask for recommendations in community groups, ask movers directly about their experience, and check any mover's license, insurance and reviews before you book. Get written quotes.
NAGLREP, the National Association of LGBTQ Real Estate Professionals, has a Find a Professional search. Ask any agent about their experience with couples, co-ops and joint purchases.
Queer Community in NYC · All 10th Muses guides · Join 10th Muses
10th Muses — Social Club for Queer & Lesbian Women, Trans & NB Folks, 30+ in NYC. Founded in September 2025 by Andrea Himmel.