LGBT Lifestyles - US - April 2008

Table of Contents

• Scope and Themes
• What you need to know
• Definition
• Data sources
• Consumer survey data
• Abbreviations and terms
• Executive Summary
• Segment size and demographics
• Decision-making drivers
• Spending patterns
• Online behavior
• Travel patterns
• Attitudes about sexual identity
• Advertising and promotion
• Segment Size and Demographics
• Key points
• The LGBT segment represents about 3.4% of the U.S. population
  • Figure 1: Estimated size of the LGBT population, by age, 2001-2011
• LGBTs have high household incomes
• Most LGBTs are college educated
  • Figure 2: Educational attainment of LGBTs, 2001
• Most LGBTs are in a relationship and living with their partner
  • Figure 3: Growth in gay households in the U.S., 1990-2000
• Hispanic and black LGBTs more comfortable with identity
• Most LGBTs do not live in "gay neighborhoods"
  • Figure 4: Type of community LGBTs live in, by community type, 2008
• Certain cities have high concentrations of gay couples
  • Figure 5: Cities with high concentrations of gay couples, by city, 2008
• Decision-making Drivers
• Key points
• Availability, convenience and cost often have most influence on purchasing
  • Figure 6: Decision-making drivers among LGBTs, by gender, 2008
• Health and wellness is important to most LGBTs
• There is high demand for green products in the LGBT segment
• LGBTs reject or even boycott gay-unfriendly companies
  • Figure 7: Importance of relationship with the LGBT community, by gender, 2008
• Decision-making styles of LGBT age segments differ
  • Figure 8: Importance of decision-making drivers among LGBTs, by age, 2008
• Spending Patterns
• Key points
• Of all LGBTs, gay men are the heaviest users of gourmet foods
  • Figure 9: Use of food and health/wellness products, by sexual orientation, 2008
• Young LGBTs are the heaviest users of household appliances and dishware/cookware
  • Figure 10: Use of household appliances and cookware/dishware among LGBTs, by age, 2008
• Young LGBTs have a greater interest in audio/stereo equipment and music
  • Figure 11: Purchase of music and audio/stereo equipment LGBTs, by age, 2008
• Bisexual/transgendered respondents make more clothing purchases than gay men and lesbians
  • Figure 12: Purchase of clothing/footwear and sports/athletic products among LGBTs, by sexual orientation, 2008
  • Figure 13: Purchase of clothing/footwear and sports/athletic products among LGBTs, by age, 2008
• Among LGBTs, women are heavier users of books, green products and technology
  • Figure 14: Purchase of books/educational materials, green products and technology among LGBTs, by gender, 2008
• Online Behavior
• Key points
• Many LGBTs are heavy Internet users
  • Figure 15: Hours per week spent online by gay/lesbian vs. heterosexual population, by usage, 2006
• LGBTs are heavy users of social networking and social media sites
  • Figure 16: Incidence of online social networking use, by sexuality, 2006
  • Figure 17: Average time LGBTs spend on YouTube.com, 2006
• Blogs are very popular among LGBTs
  • Figure 18: Frequency of blog use, by sexuality, 2006
  • Figure 19: Types of blogs that LGBTs visit, by blog type, 2006
• Online purchase patterns
  • Figure 20: Incidence of Internet purchases among LGBTs, by gender and category, 2008
  • Figure 21: Incidence of Internet purchases among LGBTs, by age and category, 2008
• Travel Patterns
• Key points
• LGBT annual travel expenditures currently exceed $77 billion
  • Figure 22: Total U.S. LGBT travel expenditures, at current and constant prices, by year, 2005-10
• Couples are the highest value segment for most travel companies
  • Figure 23: Incidence of travel in past two years, by relationship status, 2008
  • Figure 24: Mean number of trips taken in the past two years, by leisure/business, by relationship status, 2008
• Friends and the Internet are the most important sources of travel-related information for LGBTs
  • Figure 25: Use of selected gay-specific sources of information on leisure travel destinations, March 2005
  • Figure 26: Most popular mainstream travel sites used, by sexuality, March 2005
• Create travel packages to states that allow same sex marriage or civil unions
• Attitudes About Sexual Identity
• Key points
• LGBTs under age 35 are somewhat more likely to struggle with their sexual identity
  • Figure 27: Agreement with coming out as a personal journey that happens over the course of a lifetime, by age, 2008
  • Figure 28: Struggle with internalized homophobia, by age, 2008
• LGBT women are more comfortable with the effect of aging on their appearance
  • Figure 29: Extent of feeling pressure to look younger, by sexuality, 2008
• Most gay/bisexual men feel that advertising directed toward
• LGBTs is too focused on youth and beauty
  • Figure 30: Feel gay advertising is too focused on youth and beauty, by gender, 2008
• Most LGBTs are "out" to their co-workers
  • Figure 31: Are "out" to co-workers, by gender, 2008
• LGBTs heavily favor gay-friendly employers
  • Figure 32: Would prefer to work for a company that provides benefits to domestic partners, by age, 2008
  • Figure 33: Incidence of working for a company that is gay friendly, by relationship status, 2008
  • Figure 34: Incidence of prefering to work for a company/organization that donates money to HIV/AIDS research, by gender, 2008
• Advertising and Promotion
• Key points
• Desirable brand attributes
• The symbol of gay pride and solidarity--flying the rainbow flag
• Most LGBTs buy at least some products from companies that are gay friendly
  • Figure 35: Share of products and services purchased based on LGBT friendliness, by gender, 2008
• A company' s relationship with the gay community and loyalty
  • Figure 36: Willingness to remain brand loyal for being friendly, by sexuality, 2007
  • Figure 37: Willingness to switch brands to support the gay community, by sexuality, 2007
  • Figure 38: Incidence of switching brands after finding out a company was harmful to the gay community, by sexuality, 2007
• Appendix: Gay Press Data
  • Figure 39: Trends in gay press advertising expenditures, 1997-2006
  • Figure 40: Number of ads in non-sexually explicit LGBT publications, by subject category, 2005-2006
  • Figure 41: Number of ads in non-sexually explicit LGBT publicatons, by publication type and subject category, 2005-06