More than half of
all ads in gay media now "gay-specific"

More than half of all ads placed in gay media were of a "gay-specific" content, an enormous increase from just three years ago, according to the 2005 "Gay Press Report."

The report, released Thursday, noted that over 50% of advertising in gay and lesbian publications such as The Advocate featured content of a "gay-specific" nature. Three years ago, only 9.9% of ads in gay publications were "LGBT-specific." The report also found that in 2005 overall advertising in gay media totaled $212.2 million, an increase of 2.5% from the year before.

"Like all consumer segments, gays and lesbians value and tend to purchase brands that advertise directly to them," said Howard Buford, president of Prime Access Inc., an advertising agency that puts together the report with gay media firm Rivendell Media. "Since the gay community tends to exhibit much higher brand loyalty than their straight counterparts, it's not surprising that brands are becoming increasingly open and unambiguous when reaching out to them."

Since the first "Gay Press Report" was released 12 years ago, the number of ads in the LGBT press have risen 189%. (The Advocate)