Homosexuals Lead Social Network Usage and Acceptance

From ClickZ and MarketingVox comes a report from Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs Communications that the Lesbian/ Gay/ Bi-Sexual individuals consume social media more than their straight counterparts.

Lets look at some of the data:

YouTube:
visits for an hour or less per week
27% of the GLBT population
22% of the heterosexual population

Craigslist.org:
Visits for an hour or less per week
20% of the GLBT population
13% of the heterosexual population

Friendster.com:
Visits for an hour or less per week
11% of the GLBT population
4% of the heterosexual population

MySpace.com:
Visits for an hour or less per week
33% of the GLBT population
28% of the heterosexual population

75% of the GLBT population classify themselves as heavy internet users
59% of the heterosexual population classify themselves as heavy internet users.

What does this imply for marketers and people who want to use interactive media, social networking and other aspects of social media to get their point across?

One of the things I think that may play a part in this is that because there is still a stigma associated with homosexuality, there are still many people in mainstream culture who continue to tread out the myths about homosexuals, there are still many gay people who are finding the social needs in a safe environment through social media. They're expressing themselves and finding an outlet for contact, friendship, support and fun.

Does this mean that marketers are going to have to "gay it up"? Firstly, to do so would be condescending and pandering. Secondly, marketers will have to realize that it's not the sexual preference that dictates most consumption, it's the willingness to explore alternative areas other than just the traditional media, that makes this population unique and on the cutting edge of social media exploration.

I think that Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs have given all of us some insight into a group of people who are brave, explorative, creative and keep finding new ways to turn culture's pressure on them into innovation.