NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF/AP) — Nashville Mayor David Briley signed an executive order to help LGBT-owned businesses.

Briley was joined on Monday by officials from the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce, Comcast and the Good Neighbors Festival in announcing the initiative.

“It’s my job as Mayor to make sure that everyone in our city, regardless of who they are or where they come from, has equal access to economic opportunities,” said Mayor Briley. “Today, we’ve taken an important step towards better equity for LGBT-owned businesses in Nashville. I am proud to sign this executive order and look forward to seeing these Nashville businesses flourish.”

The mayor's office says the order allows for self-identification as an LGBT-owned business in registration documents related to procurement. It also develops a process to acknowledge LGBT certification and allows the monitoring and tracking of LGBT-owned businesses contracted by Nashville's government.

Additionally, the order provides LGBT-owned businesses with similar programs and services to those offered to minority, service-disabled and women-owned businesses to ensure they're familiar with how to contract with the local government and what opportunities are available.

The order makes Nashville the first city in the South to recognize LGBT-owned businesses.