ABSTRACT
The past 10 years have been witness to an increasing number of mainstream marketers who direct various elements of their promotional efforts at the gay and lesbian consumer market, often referred to as the “dream market” (Lukenbill, 1995). Because it is characterized as an over $500 billion market comprising approximately 18 million consumers (Johnson & Levin, 1993), mainstream marketers have found it increasingly difficult to ignore such a consumer group. The lucrative nature of this market segment has fueled significant growth in the advertising revenue generated by gay and lesbian print media, making it the fastest growing category in the advertising print market industry. Advertising revenue in the gay and lesbian press increased from $74 million in 1996 to $100 million in 1997 to $110 million in 1998. In addition, there are now over 152 gay and lesbian magazines and newspapers across the country reaching over 5 million consumers (Nicholson, 1999). Such growth rates underscore the movement of mainstream marketers to attract and retain a portion of the gay and lesbian consumer dollar.
