HB Lozito, the Executive Director of Out in the Open and Representative Taylor Small, the Pride Center of Vermont’s Director of Health & Wellness speak with Vermont Commission on Women (VCW) Commissioner Sarah Mell in this third podcast in the Vermont Commission on Women’s Equal Pay Day series. This episode explores equity and the economic impacts of COVID-19 in our LGBTQ + community. It also considers additional impacts to those community members living with disabilities and BIPOC members. The conversation touched on rising costs, lack of internet access, and lack of transportation, concerns shared with so many Vermonters during this time. Solutions explored included wage transparency and workplaces that support self-care practices, uplift, and value their employees cultivating an environment of connection and trust.