American Airlines Urges Veto of Arizona Discrimination Bill

Doug Parker, CEO of the New American Airlines, just sent this letter to Arizona governor Jan Brewer:

Fortune Best Companies List Hits LGBT Milestone

For the first time in history, all companies on Fortune's best 100 companies to work for list have sexual orientation nondiscrimination policies. Google tops the list. 

NYC Anticipates Same-Sex Wedding Boom

Same-Sex marriages will begin in New York state on july 24th, and nowhere is the resulting economic boom expected to be larger than in NYC. One report estimates 66,000 same-sex couples will wed in New York over the next three years, bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars to the city's $31 billion tourism industry. Read more here at NPR. 

The Business Case for LGBT Inclusion

Thought this was a nice article by Mark Kaplan from Diversity Executive that would be worth sharing to my readers:

The driving force behind the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) civil rights movement is fair and equitable treatment. For companies, a key driver is a compelling business case. There are four elements to the business case for LGBT inclusion:

Legal: The legal environment is evolving. More and more countries are establishing legal protections for LGBT employees. In the United States, while there is no federal law in place, 21 states and several municipalities have laws against workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation, covering more than 150 million Americans.

Most of the nations of Western Europe, as well as South Africa, ban discrimination based on sexual orientation. In Hong Kong, a similar ban on workplace discrimination has been discussed but not yet passed, and India recently decriminalized same-sex sexual behavior. While laws don’t necessarily create the most compelling business case — with the exception of avoiding discrimination claims — a legal framework is often the starting point for inclusion.

Recruitment and retention: Successful global companies are continually working to attract and retain the best staff. Given that LGBT employees are 5 to 10 percent of the working population, it has become increasingly important to be able to show both a favorable reputation and a solid track record of inclusive practices to attract this increasingly visible segment of the workforce. LGBT visibility is rising in most major business centers across the world, even in places traditionally hostile to the notion of equality based on sexual orientation.

The millennial generation has grown up with positive images of LGBT people; thus their attitudes are far more inclusive. As organizations compete for these highly skilled newer entrants to the workforce, it will be important to demonstrate inclusive policies.

LGBT employees are more likely to stay with employers who practice inclusion. Stonewall Institute in the U.K., a counseling and research firm, found that LGBT employees who are able to be “out” at work are less likely to leave. In a 2009 study by nonprofit inclusion association Catalyst, researchers found LGBT employees working in organizations with effective and inclusive diversity practices believed they had better workplace relationships, as well as greater organizational commitment and career satisfaction, than LGBT employees working in organizations without them.

Productivity and performance: Productivity suffers when LGBT employees are on guard, worrying about the consequences of exposing such basic parts of their lives as family and personal relationships. When an organization is clear and proactive about having an inclusive environment, LGBT employees can put all of their energy into work tasks.

A recent study conducted by Stonewall Institute revealed that LGBT employees who are able to be out at work are 20 to 30 percent more productive. Moreover, the Catalyst study found that LGBT employees who work in organizations with employee networks, resource groups or mentoring programs are anywhere from 7 to 16 percent higher in their workplace experience scores. Feeling safe to be out at work is critical to being able to build important workplace relationships.

Marketplace: Numerous studies have documented the financial opportunity presented by the LGBT market. For instance, LGBT buying power is expected to reach $845 billion in 2011, according to research by public relations firm Witeck‐Combs and consultancy Harris Interactive. Moreover, 89 percent of LGBT respondents to a 2006 poll by Harris Interactive said it’s important for employers to have nondiscrimination practices.

Mark Kaplan is president of MGK Consulting LLC, an international consulting practice headquartered in the U.S. He can be reached at editor@diversity-executive.com.

LGBT Workers Show Loyalty Toward Supportive Businesses

Via Michelle Garcia at The Advocate:

Seventy-eight percent of gay American employees say they make their work-based purchase decisions based on a company's "LGBT friendliness," according to a new survey.

The survey of 1,400 focused on the business-to-business trade where gay people are making purchasing decisions on behalf of their employers. Results show that these decision-makers often refer to their nonwork consumer loyalties to do business with gay-friendly companies.

"We call this the 'trickle up' or multiplier effect, where a lesbian consumer might choose a gay-friendly hotel for her personal stays, but also could make a booking for 100 rooms at a similarly known gay-friendly hotel for a company meeting, because of that same loyalty," Community Marketing Inc. president Thomas Roth said in a press release about the survey his company conducted.

Nearly the same amount of respondents, 76%, said they would cease doing business with a company once its revealed it is antigay or not supportive of gay people.

The survey was done in conjunction with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

Blue Moon Resort Files for Chapter 11

The latest LGBT victim of what appears to be the recovery coming to a halt is Las Vegas' Blue Moon Resort. The hotel, which catered to the gay market, filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday. The hotel listed assets of about $85,500 and liabilities of about $937,000 in its filing. But for now, the 43-room property near Sahara Avenue and Interstate 15 will continue operating and believes it has a bright future once the economy turns around, manager John Hessling said Wednesday.

Gay and Lesbian Buying Power Continues to Grow

Gay and lesbian consumers are more optimistic than many Americans about the overall direction of the country, its future economic growth, the job market and their own personal financial condition, according to survey results published by market research publisher Packaged Facts. Armed with this confidence and $743 billion in estimated 2010 buying power, the U.S. population of LGBT adults is expected to amp up discretionary spending on products and services in the wake of the recession and emerging recovery.

Based on conservative assumptions, Packaged Facts also estimates that the U.S. gay and lesbian population likely exceeded 15 million adults in 2009. The gay and lesbian population is projected to increase to more than 16 million adults by 2014. The cohort's buying power, visibility and influence on America's marketing landscape are also expected to increase over the next five years.

The U.S. and even global trends towards marriage equality and other forms of legal recognition over the past decade have triggered an increase in the visible presence of gay and lesbian households and, consequently expanded the measurable market space for consumer goods and services of all kinds. This market space today just as likely will include children's products and apparel, as an increasing proportion of the gay and lesbian population is choosing to become parents. Both trends offer expanded opportunities for marketers to include same-sex couples and LGBT family households just as they do among other cross-sections of the American consumer market.

"A sustained, focused marketing campaign dedicated to earning trust and building brand loyalty among gay and lesbian consumers is a vital component of a successful strategy in the LGBT market," says Don Montuori, publisher of Packaged Facts. "We've seen a high response measured in the LGBT community supporting gay-themed print ads with images of gay and lesbian people and featuring tailored wording. Likewise, investing in microsites specifically geared toward gay and lesbian consumers can generate a substantial return because many indicate that they would use or prefer to use LGBT-tailored websites as opposed to a company's general website. Even appropriately themed advertisements that appear on blogs have greater potential to attract members of the LGBT community than other consumers as a whole."

LGBT Consumers More Optimistic About the Economy

Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs recently released the results of a study, and the results aren't surprising to those familiar with the LGBT consumer market. One in four LGBT adults believe the US job market will improve within the next six months, compared with just one in 10 heterosexual adults. Also, just 20% of LGBT adults say they expect their household's financial condition to worsen in the next six months, compared with 32% of heterosexual households. The study was conducted among 2,509 adults in the US, 336 of which identified as LGBT. The full results and methodology of the study can be found here.

Keeping Up With Gay and Lesbian Consumers

Recession or no recession, LGBT consumers continue to spend. A new report (conducted between July and September 2009) from San Francisco based Community Marketing showed that within the previous 12 months, 29% of gay and lesbian consumers purchased a laptop computer, 28% purchased PDA's or smart phones, and 17% purchased cars. More findings from the report can be found in this AdWeek article. 

POLL: Should fueling the economy be used as a reason to promote marriage equality?

Analysts: Gay Marriage Will Bring Money

December 16, 2009 - By Sabri Ben-Achour (WAMU)

D.C.'s Office of the Chief Financial Officer crunched some numbers based on census data and what's happened in other places that have legalized gay marriage. Analysts predict as many as 20,000 gay couples might come to D.C. to get married over the next three years. That could bring as much as $33 million to the district, including $3 million in taxes.

A study by the Williams Institute at UCLA's Law School puts the numbers even higher: $52 million in spending and $5 million.

The estimates differ for several reasons. The Williams Institute used a higher tax rate, and the OCFO estimate assumed a lot of wedding money would be spent outside the district, and that wedding spending might crowd out other spending.

"The fact is that both studies agree that tens of millions of dollars will be spent in the district that wouldn't be spent otherwise," says Lee Badgett, who directs the Williams Institute.

Massachussetts was the first state to legalize gay marriage. "We have absolutely seen benefits; Massachusetts tourism is doing very well and we think this is one reason," says Betsy Wall, head of the state's tourism bureau.

Marriage equality, as she puts it, gives the state a progressive image that draws people of all stripes.

D.C. Tourism officials say they would consider incorporating gay marriage into their LGBT marketing campaigns.

What do you think? Should fueling the economy be used as a reason to promote marriage equality? VOTE by commenting below.

Gay consumers to spend more this Christmas

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender consumers are more likely than their heterosexual peers to increase their spending on holiday gifts in the final months of 2009 compared to last year, according to a survey conducted in November by Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs.


Overall, 29% of LGBT consumers surveyed said they would increase their holiday spending, versus 26% who said they planned to spend less; the balance said they would keep spending around the same. These numbers differ markedly from the heterosexual consumers surveyed, with 9% saying they will spend more in 2009 and 47% saying they will spend less. Forty-five percent of LGBT consumers said they will spend more on close family members, compared to 18% of heterosexual respondents.
Furthermore, 65% of heterosexual respondents said getting the best value for their dollar was their highest priority, compared to 35% of LGBT consumers. These figures reflect the generally more optimistic view of LGBT consumers regarding their personal financial situation for the near term, with 34% expecting improvement versus 17% of heterosexual consumers.


The Harris survey did not address the underlying reasons for this greater confidence among LBGT consumers, but previous studies by other research outfits have indicated that LGBT households generally have a higher median income than the U.S. population at large. Specifically, a 2008 study by Community Marketing found that lesbian and gay households have a median household income of about $80,000 per year, compared to a median U.S. household income of $52,029.
The community marketing survey also found that LGBT consumers were significantly more likely to make purchases with major credit cards, including e-commerce purchases online. (Mediapost)

Cast Your Vote to Help Houston Make History NOW!

Early voting has now begun in the Houston mayoral runoff election. Please tell every Houstonian you know to get out and vote for Annise Parker NOW! If elected, Annise would be the first gay mayor of a major U.S. city. Not to mention, she's far and away the most qualified candidate for the job. You can find your early voting location by clicking here.

Chicago considers set asides for LGBT businesses

Chicago considers set asides for LGBT businesses

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Webinar: 2009 Media and Communications Trends - Ways to Win in Today's Challenging Economy

Webinar: 2009 Media and Communications Trends - Ways to Win in Today's Challenging Economy

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