Pride as an Upper Arlington, Ohio Business
- Tabi (they/them)
- May 15
- 5 min read
May 2025 - Organization Pending Newsroom - Upper Arlington, Ohio
Welcome to Organization Pending's Newsroom, May 2025: Pride as an Upper Arlington, Ohio Business. This month, Organization Pending's Owner/Operator Tabi (they/them) sits down for an in depth talk: What Does Being Queer Have to Do With Home Organizing? And don't miss Upper Arlington Updates for ways to celebrate Pride and gather with an inclusive UA community.
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If you have an upcoming event, resource, or professional the community should know about, contact Organization Pending.
What Does Being Queer Have To Do With Home Organizing?
Before I started Organization Pending, I had a lot of branding choices to make, and a big one was: how open should I be in my business, as a queer nonbinary person, and how much will that inform the brand of Organization Pending? I knew that being openly queer would alienate some potential clients, and I knew there would be a chance I would receive unkind responses. However, I also knew how terrible I am at being inauthentic, and coming from customer service positions, I knew how emotionally and mentally wearing it is to be misgendered for hours at a time. Making the choice to be authentic in my brand, and incorporate my humanity within my brand was the first step, and the rest fell into place.
I've always sought to support local businesses, and have actively searched for LGBTQIA+ - friendly spaces and services since I was teenager. When I realized how vital it was for my clients to have easy access to common donation, recycling, and disposal resources, including a section on the Community Recommendations page for local LGBTQIA+ Resources and Community was another important part of my commitment to supporting fellow queer and minority-owned businesses, providing resources and chances for the community to connect by listing Social and Community Groups. As a Board Member and Sponsor of Rainbow UA, I'm looking forward to connecting further with the queer and allied Upper Arlington community, including being a founding member of the new Rainbow UA Business Group (reach out at tabi@rainbowua.org to be put on the mailing list for our next event).
Another branch of living as an authentic brand was choosing to celebrate a handful of Pride days that are relevant to me: International Transgender Day of Visibility, International Family Equality Day, LGBTQIA+ Pride Month and LGBTQIA+ Families Day, International Nonbinary People's Day, LGBTQIA+ History Month, International Pronouns Day, and Transgender Awareness Week that closes with the Transgender Day of Remembrance. At a recent business meeting, I was talking about some of the comments and reactions I've received on these types of posts.
"Being openly queer in business is a double-edged sword. Sure, you get the haters. But the haters are also choosing to react and/or comment on those posts, helping my engagement. And then the algorithm believes this is content they want to see, increasing the likelihood they see and interact with my next Pride post - it's happened before, and it helps more people see my posts who interact with it positively. The haters are helping the right clients find me, and while the first couple of negative comments did bewilder me, noticing the overall positive effect hate had on my business makes it easier to laugh them off." - Tabi Berkey (they/them), Owner/Operator Organization Pending
I'm not the right home organizer for everyone. But no home organizer is - there are many niches in the field, and each client and home has specific needs and wants from their home's home organizer. As Organization Pending, I specialize in Training Sessions and Kid Organization Sessions, with an emphasis on sustainable living that includes a partnership with Columbus Fashion Academy, offering free donation takeaway with in-person services of items the Academy uses to support kids' self-confidence and creativity through their sustainable fashion education programs. Many clients, especially crafty clients and kids, find that this makes decluttering easier, knowing their donations and "just in case" arts and crafts items are going to support a cause that aligns with their values. And I know firsthand how gratifying and fun it can be to see our family's donations show up on the runway!
When it comes to Training Sessions and Kid Organization Sessions - I think most people don't fully realize how emotionally intimate home organizing can be, whether the client is working with the organizer or not. Often there's vital paperwork with personal information, dresser drawers are being sorted through and organized, prescriptions are being looked at for expirations - and most often there are sentimental items that are found and we need to hold space for the emotions these items evoke. When you're working with someone one-on-one, making those harder decluttering decisions, or you need to trust someone to come in and work with your child - your home is your safe space. You need to have a level of trust and comfort with the home organizer you're reaching out to. Nearly 70% of U.S. adults know a queer person (Trevor Project), and UCLA's Williams Institute estimates almost 10% of youth 13-17 identifies as LGBT+. I've been honored to work with several local LGBTQIA+ youth, and Organization Pending has been several clients' choice because they value supporting inclusive and minority-owned businesses - committing to an authentic brand lets the right clients know I'm here for them.
So - what does being queer have to do with home organizing? It's a question I've been asked before. For me and Organization Pending, it's everything to live honestly, showing a vulnerability many of my clients experience when they first reach out for services. I'm able to connect more easily with clients as fellow humans who are all struggling in one way or another at various points in our lives, supporting them with the same compassion and respect they have for me, wherever they are in their journey.
Thank you for reading,
Tabi Berkey (they/them)
Owner/Operator
Organization Pending
Upper Arlington Updates
Head down to the fourth annual Pride Month Flag Raising Ceremony on Monday, June 2 at 6pm, at the Municipal Services Center, 3600 Tremont Road.
Subscribe to keep updated with Rainbow UA as upcoming Rainbow UA Pride events are announced. As a Rainbow UA Board Member, Tabi (they/them), Owner/Operator of Organization Pending, offers free donation takeaway of items they're able to resell at Half Price Books, donating those funds to Rainbow UA to support ongoing community outreach efforts.
Did you miss The Reel Gay Movie Show's Pride Episode last year? Take a look at this Columbus duo's favorite queer characters in film, and make sure to subscribe and follow along to see what they discuss for Pride 2025!
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