Some Retailers Courting Gay Buying Power

Recently, gay themed advertisements have been cropping up.  J.C. Penney’s has hired open lesbian Ellen DeGeneres as a spokesperson, and featured two dads and their kids in a Father’s Day ad.  Target started selling same sex wedding cards (Hello!) in June and sold out of their gay pride shirts  (I got mine!)  Corporations made statements celebrating gay pride this year.

It seems that retailers are willing to go out on a limb to get our business.  That, and maybe they don’t see it as all that risky.  The majority of Americans, if not pro gay, are indifferent.  Of course, the religious right is in an uproar and threatening new boycotts every week.  Maybe the gay buying power is worth it.  One estimate puts the average income of gays double that of average Americans.

I wonder if we are going to see gay couples in television commercials soon?  If we do, it would be so fun to be sitting with a right-wing bigot… I’ve always wanted to watch someones head explode!

read the full article here.