Happy Anniversary UK Civil Partnerships

TOPICS: UK. Gay marketing. 2006. UK lesbian and gay civil partnerships. pogoplum. Gay and lesbian market. UK gay market. TV coverage of the 2006 anniversary of UK Civil Partnerships. Gay marriage in UK turns one today.

You are at the Out Now Gay Marketing 101 gay market updates site. To reach our main site on lesbian and gay market research, gay advertising and gay marketing strategies, visit OutNowConsulting.com. To contact us, email info@outnowconsulting.com
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One of our clients, pogoplum was featured on this morning's CNN International Today program.

Liz and Christina Harrison-Flynn, founders of pogoplum, were on-air discussing the one year anniversary taking place this week of the advent of UK civil partnerships. You can download a media release about this UK Civil Partnerships anniversary online.

Here is more media coverage about this important milestone.

Happy Anniversary: UK Gay Marriage One Year On -- Business Gets on Board
Wed Dec 20, 7:00 AM ET (Yahoo! News)

London, UK (PRWeb) December 20, 2006 -- For the past year, lesbians and gay men have been flocking to the altar in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

According to newly released government figures, a total of 14,084 partnerships took place in England, a further 537 in Wales, 942 in Scotland and 109 in Northern Ireland. The first day that most couples could form a civil partnership was 19 December 2005 in Northern Ireland, 20 December 2005 in Scotland and 21 December 2005 in England and Wales.

In fact, more than 30,000 people have walked down the aisle -- far outstripping the original government estimates of only 22,000 being in civil partnerships by 2010.

As of September 2006, a total of 15,672 civil partnerships have now taken place across the UK.

This has led to the rise of new specialised businesses to cater for what is a multi-million pound new gay weddings industry centered on gay marriages.

One of these is pogoplum (www.pogoplum.com), a lesbian-run business that provides a one-stop shop for lesbians and gay men wanting to navigate their way into civil partnerships.

pogoplum Managing Director Christina Harrison-Flynn believes that the UK is set to see many thousands of more lesbian and gay couples entering into wedded bliss as Civil Partnership laws enter into their second year.

"Official estimates initially suggested that the numbers of gay weddings would be far lower," said Harrison-Flynn. "What we are seeing is that every single day in the UK, an average of 57 couples register their civil partnerships. That is a huge new lesbian and gay weddings segment that just didn't exist a year ago."

Research by gay marketing specialist Out Now Consulting suggests that the UK needs to get used to same sex marriage rites. According to the 2005 Out Now Diva and Gay Times Readers Survey, up to 274,000 couples in the UK say they intend to take the plunge and get hitched over coming years.

"We think the past year is just the start of it," according to Harrison-Flynn. "With many lesbians and gay men across the UK about to celebrate their first wedding anniversary, many thousands more are sizing up taking the plunge and getting hitched. It really is great that the UK has taken a step like this to give gay and lesbian people this right, which most others in our society just take for granted. It is excellent to see so many people in love benefiting from the change in the UK laws. We think that's just wonderful."

The UK is home to an estimated 3 million lesbians and gay men, who last year earned more than £70 billion annual income (Source: 2005 Out Now Diva and Gay Times Readers Survey).

pogoplum is a gay weddings business that provides lesbians and gay men with the information they need to enter into their Civil Partnerships. Providing a range of services and information, from practical matters to legal issues, while also addressing the romantic and fun aspects of gay marriage, pogoplum has quickly established a reputation as a leading UK source of knowledge and assistance with Civil Partnerships for gays and lesbians.

Citation of '2005 Out Now Diva and Gay Times Readers Survey' required if that data is used in reporting

Six percent of the UK adult population is estimated to be lesbian or gay. Source: Official Whitehall figure, Nov 2006

For further information, please contact:

Christina Harrison-Flynn, Managing Director
pogoplum
http://www.pogoplum.com
Telephone: +44-(0)7748 94 1111

Ian Johnson, Managing Director
Out Now Consulting
http://www.OutNowConsulting.com
Telephone: +32-(0)4737 60886

###

OUT NOW on behalf of pogoplum
IAN JOHNSON
+32-473760886

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For further gay marketing information, or to seek gay market advice, please contact:

Ian Johnson, Managing Director, Out Now Consulting
UK landline: +44-20-8123 5288
BE landline: +32-2-514 6443
mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: OutNowConsulting.com
updates: Gay Marketing 101 - Gay Market Updates by Out Now

Global gay marketing, strategy, PR, training, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.

gay market gay advertising gay marketing gay tourism gay travel pink dollar pink pound gay agency advertising marketing travel tourism gay lesbian gay and lesbian market research

2006 TV - Gay Times Diva Research

TOPICS: UK. Gay marketing. 2006. UK gay research. Lesbian and gay market research. Gay and lesbian market. UK gay market. TV coverage of the 2006 reports on Diva and Gay Times research by Out Now Consulting.

You are at the Out Now Gay Marketing 101 gay market updates site. To reach our main site on lesbian and gay market research, gay advertising and gay marketing strategies, visit OutNowConsulting.com. To contact us, email info@outnowconsulting.com
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This is an information report on our UK gay market research, and discusses the importance of education in understanding gay consumers. It also makes the point very strongly that diversity is the key to understanding the lesbian and gay consumer market.



You may watch the gay market tv information here, and the Intro is here.
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For further gay marketing information, or to seek gay market advice, please contact:

Ian Johnson, Managing Director, Out Now Consulting
UK landline: +44-20-8123 5288
BE landline: +32-2-514 6443
mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: OutNowConsulting.com
updates: Gay Marketing 101 - Gay Market Updates by Out Now

Global gay marketing, strategy, PR, training, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.

gay market gay advertising gay marketing gay tourism gay travel pink dollar pink pound gay agency advertising marketing travel tourism gay lesbian gay and lesbian market research

German Gay Tourism Promotion

TOPICS: Germany. Gay Tourism. 2006. German gay travel. Lesbian and gay market. Gay and lesbian market. UK gay market. German National Tourist Office - GNTO. Out Now launches voting stage for latest GNTO gay travel campaign for Germany in UK and Ireland gay travel markets.

You are at the Out Now Gay Marketing 101 gay market updates site. To reach our main site on lesbian and gay market research, gay advertising and gay marketing strategies, visit OutNowConsulting.com. To contact us, email info@outnowconsulting.com
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We have created and have been coordinating the latest UK and Eire gay marketing campaign to attract travelers to Germany in 2007 for the German National Tourist Office- GNTO by Out Now Consulting.

Details appear below, and the campaign can be viewed online at www.MyGayGermany.com

Voting Begins for Gay Germany - 'We Hope to See You in 2007'

In the German National Tourist Office's third major travel promotion especially for the lesbian and gay community, travelers from Ireland and the UK have begun voting to discover the most popular images of gay travel and Germany.

London, UK (PRWeb) December 10, 2006 -- For the past month, lesbians and gay men have been nominating their favorite images of gay travel and Germany in the MyGayGermany online promotion.

The moment of truth has arrived in the campaign - as gay and lesbian travelers from across Ireland and the UK must now decide which of the nominated images are truly the most popular.

Everyone voting successfully online is automatically entered into a draw for the opportunity to win free flights to Germany, courtesy of Air Berlin and the German National Tourist Office.

Visitors to www.GayGermany.co.uk vote to choose their favorite photo from a wide range of images showing many of the reasons why Germany is today one of the global gay travel hotspots.

For the people who nominated the images for voting the excitement has now begun to build as voting on the favorite photographs is underway. The nominees of the three most popular photos each receive two free return tickets to fly from the UK to one of Air Berlin's eight great Gay German city destinations.

Director, UK and Ireland for the German National Tourist Office, Mr Udo Grebe, said that the GNTO were excited to see what most appeals about Germany to the gay community.

"Germany has so much that can appeal to gay and lesbian travelers," said Grebe. "From festivals to nightlife to all the many reasons to visit Germany like food, wines, museums, galleries, architecture and truly breathtaking scenery."

"We enjoy very much working to welcome the gay and lesbian communities from the UK and Ireland to see for themselves just how much Germany has to offer."

"It is getting quite exciting as we get closer to January 15 - seeing which photos are the most popular. There are many great images that show how much Germany has to offer to lesbian and gay travelers, and we can't wait to see who the lucky winners will be. We wish all the nominees, and everyone voting, the best of luck in the MyGayGermany campaign. We hope to see all of you in Germany in 2007."

Voting continues online at www.GayGermany.co.uk until midnight on January 15, and details of the promotion's conditions are on the campaign website.

For further information, please contact:

Jeanette Schuchmann
Marketing Manager
German National Tourist Office
Telephone: +44-(0)20-7317 0903

Ian Johnson
Managing Director
Out Now Consulting
http://www.OutNowConsulting.com
Telephone: +44-(0)20-8123 5288

###
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For further gay marketing information, or to seek gay market advice, please contact:

Ian Johnson, Managing Director, Out Now Consulting
UK landline: +44-20-8123 5288
BE landline: +32-2-514 6443
mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: OutNowConsulting.com
updates: Gay Marketing 101 - Gay Market Updates by Out Now

Global gay marketing, strategy, PR, training, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.

gay market gay advertising gay marketing gay tourism gay travel pink dollar pink pound gay agency advertising marketing travel tourism gay lesbian gay and lesbian market research

Canada Gay Marriage Here To Stay

TOPICS: Canada. Gay Marriage. 2006. Canadian Gay Marriage. Lesbian and gay market. Gay and lesbian market. Canada gay market. Gay marriage is set to remain for good in Canada. Joining other countries such as Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, South Africa allowing equal lesbian and gay marriage.

You are at the Out Now Gay Marketing 101 gay market updates site. To reach our main site on lesbian and gay market research, gay advertising and gay marketing strategies, visit OutNowConsulting.com. To contact us, email info@outnowconsulting.com
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There had been concern expressed in recent months that Canada's new right wing government may set out to reverse the advent of gay marriage in that North American country. In a momentous vote last week, it seems that gay marriage is set to remain for good in Canada.

Out Now believes the onset of legal recognition of gay and lesbian relationships is now irreversible.

Here is an extract from a media report on the Canadian vote to keep gay marriage in Canada.

Canadian Parliament affirms 'gay marriage,' votes to allows current law to stand
Dec 8, 2006
By Staff
Baptist Press
OTTAWA, Ontario (BP)--Canada's Parliament affirmed the nation's "gay marriage" law Dec. 7, easily voting down a motion by the Conservative government that would have reopened debate on the issue and likely ended up reversing the law.

The motion lost, 175-123, with most of the Conservatives supporting the motion and nearly all the Liberal and Bloc Quebecois members voting against it. The motion, although unsuccessful, fulfilled a campaign promise by Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Canada legalized "gay marriage" in 2005 when the Liberals and then-Prime Minister Paul Martin controlled Parliament. But they lost in January to the Conservatives, who took a plurality of seats to form a minority government. But because the Conservative government doesn't have a majority of seats, they must rely on the other two parties to pass any legislation. Both the Liberals and the Bloc are significantly more liberal on social issues.

The motion's defeat means "gay marriage" may be legal in Canada permanently.

"We made a promise to have a free vote on this issue, we kept that promise, and obviously the vote was decisive and obviously we’ll accept the democratic result of the people’s representatives,” Harper said, according to Canadian Press, referring to the fact that members of Parliament could vote "freely" according to their conscience and not be forced to follow the party lead.

“I don’t see reopening this question in the future,” Harper said.

The vote showed that support in Parliament for "gay marriage" actually increased by 17 votes, despite the fact that Conservatives had picked up seats. The law to legalize "gay marriage" passed in the summer of 2005 by a vote of 158-133. Back then, 32 Liberals voted against legalization while only three Conservatives voted for it.

Although some media outlets had reported in previous weeks that the Conservative government wanted to pass legislation protecting public officials who opposed "gay marriage" from being forced to perform such ceremonies, Harper said there in fact were no plans to do that.

"If there were any time in the future when fundamental freedoms were threatened, of course the government would respond to protect them," he said. "The government has no plans at this time."

Conservative MP Bill Casey voted against the motion to reopen debate. The motion asked if MPs wanted "to call on government to introduce legislation to restore the traditional definition of marriage without affecting civil unions and while respecting existing same-sex marriages."

“If the vote had gone the other way, we would have spent the next several years with this as the main motivator here … so I just voted to move on,” Casey said.

Christian groups expressed disappointment. The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada released a statement affirming the natural definition of marriage and requesting tolerance from Canadians for those holding traditional views.

Canada is a good example of how the "gay marriage" movement has advanced worldwide. In 1999, Parliament passed a motion affirming marriage as between one man and one woman, 216-55. But in 2003 a similar motion failed, 137-132. Then-Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chretien voted for the 1999 motion but against the 2003 one. Asked to explain his reversal, Chretien said society "has evolved."
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For further gay marketing information, or to seek gay market advice, please contact:

Ian Johnson, Managing Director, Out Now Consulting
UK landline: +44-20-8123 5288
BE landline: +32-2-514 6443
mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: OutNowConsulting.com
updates: Gay Marketing 101 - Gay Market Updates by Out Now

Global gay marketing, strategy, PR, training, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.

gay market gay advertising gay marketing gay tourism gay travel pink dollar pink pound gay agency advertising marketing travel tourism gay lesbian gay and lesbian market research

Gay games - financial mistakes

TOPICS: OutGames. Montreal, 2006. Chicago Gay Games. Lesbian and gay market. Gay and lesbian market. US gay market. Canadian gay market. Following audit by Quebec, Canadian OutGames declares bankruptcy.

You are at the Out Now Gay Marketing 101 gay market updates site. To reach our main site on lesbian and gay market research, gay advertising and gay marketing strategies, visit OutNowConsulting.com. To contact us, email info@outnowconsulting.com
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The long history of gay games events worldwide being badly managed continues this week with the Canadian OutGames event declaring bankruptcy following last Summer's Montreal games.

OutGames was born of a dispute founded in another true gay community tradition - an ugly side of gay community organisations where often personal aspiration manages to split good community ideas through community politics.

Montreal had originally been awarded the Gay Games but lost these when organising body, the Federation of Gay Games, lost confidence in the Canadian organisers and awarded their 2006 Gay Games to US city Chicago. The Montreal event continued undeterred and originally looked like the financial best bet of the two. That is until an audit by Quebec government auditors, one of the financial backers of the event, revealed that OutGames had debts in the millions.

All of this follows financial planning mistakes made by organisers at previous Gay Games events including Sydney in 2002 and Amsterdam in 1998.

It is not the events themselves that is at fault - as many thousands of lesbians and gay men attend such gay games events - and many corporations enjoy good value in sponsorship and gay market exposure.

The fault for these financial problems stands squarely at the feet of the organisers and the many associated distractions offered by gay community politics and egos clashing.

Here's hoping the people behind such events manage to find a financial model that works - free of community politics - rather than the tried, and failed, community politics model that has caused so much financial grief over the years.
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For further gay marketing information, or to seek gay market advice, please contact:

Ian Johnson, Managing Director, Out Now Consulting
UK landline: +44-20-8123 5288
BE landline: +32-2-514 6443
mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: OutNowConsulting.com
updates: Gay Marketing 101 - Gay Market Updates by Out Now

Global gay marketing, strategy, PR, training, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.

gay market gay advertising gay marketing gay tourism gay travel pink dollar pink pound gay agency advertising marketing travel tourism gay lesbian gay and lesbian market research

UK Civil Partnerships Data

TOPICS: Lesbian and gay market. Gay and lesbian market. UK gay market. Civil Partnerships in UK dramatically exceed official estimates.

You are at the Out Now Gay Marketing 101 gay market updates site. To reach our main site on lesbian and gay market research, gay advertising and gay marketing strategies, visit OutNowConsulting.com. To contact us, email info@outnowconsulting.com
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You may recall that last month, with the assistance of Pogoplum, Out Now suggested that UK lesbian and gay Civil Partnerships uptake levels now far exceed UK government official estimates.

New data released today shows that 15,672 couples have already registered their partnerships between December 2005 and September 2006 - far in excess of official government estimates.

Here is a link to Pogoplum's new coverage of this and also to the just released official government statistics.

We are not surprised as this confirms earlier research Out Now released showing that official government estimates seemed far too low based on our research work with Diva and Gay Times magazines in the UK.
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For further gay marketing information, or to seek gay market advice, please contact:

Ian Johnson, Managing Director, Out Now Consulting
UK landline: +44-20-8123 5288
BE landline: +32-2-514 6443
mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: OutNowConsulting.com
updates: Gay Marketing 101 - Gay Market Updates by Out Now

Global gay marketing, strategy, PR, training, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.

gay market gay advertising gay marketing gay tourism gay travel pink dollar pink pound gay agency advertising marketing travel tourism gay lesbian gay and lesbian market research

Lesbian and Gay Housing Market

TOPICS: Lesbian and gay market. Gay and lesbian market. UK gay market. New reports that in the UK lesbians and gay men are key market drivers for the real estate market.

You are at the Out Now Gay Marketing 101 gay market updates site. To reach our main site on lesbian and gay market research, gay advertising and gay marketing strategies, visit OutNowConsulting.com. To contact us, email info@outnowconsulting.com
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Pink News in the UK is reporting on new research confirming the importance of lesbian and gay consumers in the real estate market.

04-December-2006
Marc Shoffman

Same sex couples are one of the main forces pushing the UK housing market, according to a new report.

One in ten people (13%) are planning on buying a new home in the next 12 months, and it’s twenty-something’s (22%), same sex couples (21%) and singletons (17%) – not the traditional 2.4 child families that are driving the UK’s housing market, according to new research from mortgage lender Birmingham Midshires ‘Not so Average Joe’ campaign.

The study found that as many as 41 per cent of same sex couples and single people see their next purchase as a good way to make money on house price rises, compared with just 24 per cent of average 2.4 child families buying their next property as an investment.

At a time when house prices are rising at their fastest rate for two years, the latest findings show that as many as 28 per cent of homebuyers plan to purchase a new property within the next 12 months as an investment. More than one in ten (12%) homebuyers will be downsizing and buying something more modest.

As part of an ongoing study of the specialist mortgage market, Birmingham Midshires asked a representative sample of 2,000 people in the UK whether they were intending to buy a house in the next 12 months and the reason for the purchase.

Tim Hague, managing director of mortgages at Birmingham Midshires said: “There is no such thing as an ‘average’ borrower in modern Britain, yet many financial services companies continue to target mortgage products that respond to an outdated picture of British life – a picture that may include two parents, two children a golden Labrador and a mid range family car.

“The ‘Not so average Joe’ campaign looks in detail at how demographic and social changes in Britain today are creating an environment where being outside the mainstream – the average 2.4 child family – is in fact the driver for today's mortgage needs.”
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For further gay marketing information, or to seek gay market advice, please contact:

Ian Johnson, Managing Director, Out Now Consulting
UK landline: +44-20-8123 5288
BE landline: +32-2-514 6443
mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: OutNowConsulting.com
updates: Gay Marketing 101 - Gay Market Updates by Out Now

Global gay marketing, strategy, PR, training, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.

gay market gay advertising gay marketing gay tourism gay travel pink dollar pink pound gay agency advertising marketing travel tourism gay lesbian gay and lesbian market research

Gay Market Video on Google

TOPICS: Lesbian and gay market. Gay and lesbian market. Australian gay market. Information video from 1994 on gay and lesbian marketing and advertising in Australia. Pre-empts development of UK, US and EU gay and lesbian Pink Dollar, Pink Pound and Pink Euro markets.

You are at the Out Now Gay Marketing 101 gay market updates site. To reach our main site on lesbian and gay market research, gay advertising and gay marketing strategies, visit OutNowConsulting.com. To contact us, email info@outnowconsulting.com
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This is the Google link for a 1994 information video on the gay market and its development in the US and Europe, as foreshadowed by events in Australia.
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For further gay marketing information, or to seek gay market advice, please contact:

Ian Johnson, Managing Director, Out Now Consulting
UK landline: +44-20-8123 5288
BE landline: +32-2-514 6443
mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: OutNowConsulting.com
updates: Gay Marketing 101 - Gay Market Updates by Out Now

Global gay marketing, strategy, PR, training, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.

gay market gay advertising gay marketing gay tourism gay travel pink dollar pink pound gay agency advertising marketing travel tourism gay lesbian gay and lesbian market research

CNN on WalMart and Gay Marketing

TOPICS: Lesbian and gay market. Gay and lesbian retail market. US gay market. WalMart. CNN. CNNMoney reports on WalMart and its support of various lesbian and gay community groups as part of its increasing emphasis on niche market opportunities, including US lesbian and gay consumers.

You are at the Out Now Gay Marketing 101 gay market updates site. To reach our main site on lesbian and gay market research, gay advertising and gay marketing strategies, visit OutNowConsulting.com. To contact us, email info@outnowconsulting.com
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Walmart has been involved for a while in pursuing a gay marketing retail strategy in its core US market.

CNNMoney today reports on Fortune magazine's latest coverage of some of the issues around WalMart's support of gay and lesbian community groups as a result of pursuing this market broadening strategy. There has been the usual predictable threats made by conservative groups against brands targeting gay and lesbian consumers.

Here is an extract of the CNN report on WalMart and its gay market strategies.

Wal-Mart becomes gay-friendly

The retail giant has been walking a thin line between gay rights groups and Christian conservative groups. But there's no backing out of the issue now, says Fortune's Marc Gunther.

NEW YORK (Fortune) -- No big company wants to get caught in the culture wars. But staying on the sidelines isn't easy when it comes to gay rights.

Does that mean Wal-Mart's pulling back its support of gay groups? Probably not. Mona Williams, a company spokeswoman, told me that Wal-Mart intends to be "more thoughtful" and "more selective" when it makes contributions, directing them to "specific projects" rather than to supporting "an organization across the board." But she also said the company would remain "100 percent supportive" of its own, newly-organized group of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) employees, called Wal-Mart Pride.

Here's some history: Since Wal-Mart Pride was sanctioned in 2005, Wal-Mart has supported several gay causes. Wal-Mart donated $60,000 to Out & Equal, a nonprofit group that brings together gay-employee networks from companies across America, and this fall it sent about 40 Pride members to Out & Equal's annual convention.

Wal-Mart also joined the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, an organization of about 24,000 gay and lesbian-owned businesses, and several Wal-Mart execs bought tickets to the annual dinner of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay-advocacy group.

Belying its Bible belt roots, Wal-Mart has since opened discussions with such gay rights leaders as Joe Solmonese and Daryl Herrshaft of the Human Rights Campaign and Selisse Berry, executive director of Out & Equal. The company hired Witeck-Combs, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm that specializes in marketing to gay consumers.

After visits to Bentonville, most came away impressed with Wal-Mart's sincerity. Selisse Berry of Out & Equal says: "The GLBT group is very committed and passionate, and they seem to be gathering more and more executive support."

This year, Wal-Mart donated three scholarships to the Point Foundation, which supports students who are marginalized - often, cast off by their families - because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. It also sponsored a panel at the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association convention.
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For further gay marketing information, or to seek gay market advice, please contact:

Ian Johnson, Managing Director, Out Now Consulting
UK landline: +44-20-8123 5288
BE landline: +32-2-514 6443
mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: OutNowConsulting.com
updates: Gay Marketing 101 - Gay Market Updates by Out Now

Global gay marketing, strategy, PR, training, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.

gay market gay advertising gay marketing gay tourism gay travel pink dollar pink pound gay agency advertising marketing travel tourism gay lesbian gay and lesbian market research