$640 million in homo buying power -- and the big boys want it ....
by
Sue
on Tue 27 Jun 2006 08:11 AM EDT
I caught this on PageOneQ this morning about the increase in lbgt specific marketing from corporate America.
Last year marked the first time that advertising with gay-specific content comprised more than half of all ads in the U.S. gay and lesbian press, according to an annual report by Rivendell and New York's Prime Access Inc. that reviews 151 individual gay and lesbian titles. Only three years before, gay-specific content comprised just 9.9 percent of all ads in gay and lesbian publications.
Gay-specific content means the ad includes something very gay, like same sex couple walking toward their high-end car rather than just the car itself.
The article goes on, however, to explore the next "walk the walk, talk the talk" issue -- are these companies who want our $$ offering domestic partnership benefits, including sexual orientation and gender identity in their non-discrim clauses and sponsoring LGBT events much like they sponsor hetero events?
So we are in the midst of a watershed moment in LGBT history ... our government is working overtime to restrict our civil liberties while coporate America is desperate for our consumer dollars. So what I ask is whether the mighty whites in charge of these companies are making campaign contributions to the very people elected officials who are deadset on driving us into reeducation camps?
Let's take a look at the Red/Blue spectrum of the corporate sponsors of San Francisco's PrideFest as listed in this article ... courtesy of Buy Blue.org
Bud Light 64% of political contributions went to Republicans, 36% to Democrats
Delta Airlines 57% Republicans, 43% Democrats
Travelocity no data
Comcast 47% Republican, 53% Democrats
Wells Fargo 42% Republican, 58% Democrats
Toyota no contributions
Bank of America 61% Republican, 39% Democrats
MasterCard no contributions
Diet Pepsi 68% Republican, 32 % Democrats
Showtime no data
The answer is yes. To some degree all of the companies who make contributions are supporting the Pro-Corporate American party that wants to kick us to the curb. But that's just business?
My point is that as we become an increasingly consumerized demographic, we have to keep our eyes on the larger prize and refuse to allow them to merely pander to us. Its easy to be seduced by the fact that say Bank of America sponsors your PrideFest to justify our consumer decisions. But look at Coors Brewing -- they hired a LGBT outreach person ... Mary Cheney. All the while their founder was running on a very right wing Republican platform. Should we really buy their beer when they are so obviously pandering to us?
These companies can have their cake and eat it too. The desperate little boycott of Ford led by the American Family Association is having no impact whatsoever according to industry ananlysts who can trace Ford's declining sales to other more significant factors. In fact, Ford recently sponsored the GLAAD Media Awards. Their response to the boycott has been to increase their advertising in Christian oriented magazines --- the AFA isn't having any of that, but I bet all the sheep reading the magazines don't realize it.
Does anyone know if Giant Eagle offers domestic partner benefits?
