Gay Workers Loyal to Supportive Businesses

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.