#LoveWins, But What About Gay-Friendly Domain Names?
While a new ruling that makes same-sex marriages legal across the US means that couples’ identities will be guaranteed in the real world, where is the LGBT community in the digital world? What options do both couples and individuals have when it comes to their digital domain – specifically – (inclusive) domain names?
In a landmark ruling, the US Supreme Court ruled last week, June 26th, that same-sex marriages are legal across the US for which we can congratulate same-sex couples that now enjoy the same rights as everybody else.
For couples or individuals who want to show their identity through a website or blog, a classic domain name intended for .com-panies or .org-anisations might just not cut it. And why should it? Through ICANN’s (the governing organisation responsible for domain names) new gTLD program, hundreds of new domains have been put into operations. So if someone who wants to brand themselves as .sexy or say that they like their .guitar can, why shouldn’t they be able to express that they are .gay or .lgbt – or that they are a strong individual – .me? These kinds of choices seem obvious and while some of the mentioned domains are available – some are not – but we’ll get into that a bit later.
A Matter of (Digital) Identity
Sceptics might still argue that some of this is just not good cause to have a top level domain for. With a lot of top level domains becoming both too saturated and not relevant enough, here are just some of the uses for a gay-friendly domain name:
1. Individuals
It’s their choice and it doesn’t hurt anyone. An obvious use.
2. Organisations, Companies and Publications
Organisations that cater to the LGBT community want to brand themselves so obviously that their target customers can both see their commitment and recognise it. Publications PinkNews and Boom both started using .lgbt domain names because they make the majority of their readership. Philadelphia layer for products and services that have a similar market, why wouldn’t a company have a specialised landing page. Vertu, for example, uses a Vertu.Me as a home for designated part of their brand that caters to their community members.
3. Wedding, Couple and Family Websites
With the new ruling on same-sex marriages, a lot of couples will use the opportunity to get married. And every marriage after 2010 needs a wedding website, doesn’t it? Just look at all the WordPress themes that you could use to build yours! A gay couple should then be able to have a wedding website that states not only how they love each other, but also how they can finally marry legally.
4. Haters
Unfortunately, it’s quite possible that hate groups could use such domains with ulterior motives. Thankfully, domain names take care of this problem through an Acceptable-Use Policy. PGN columnist Angela Giampolo explained:
The AUP is a strict policy enacted to protect the community from possible misuse of the space — i.e., homophobic people or companies with anti-LGBT agendas buying up domains to spread their messages of hate.
The dotgay initiative that has been working on getting the .gay domain name, want to take it a step further, working with “authenticating parters” that would vouch for the reality of a .gay domain owner’s connection to the LGBT community.
From .Gay to .LGBT to… a Choice?
Well, you can’t use .gay since ICANN refused the dotgay initiative’s application for a .gay domain name under a “community priority evaluation”. This specific process is used to protect a certain domain name that serves the interest of a particular community. ICANN said that the reason was because dotgay couldn’t prove that they were an organisation representing the whole gay (LGBT) community.
The dotgay initiative is still working towards getting the .gay domain name in competition with 3 other commercial entities that Slate’s Marc Naimark fears will look toward the domain from exclusively a money-making angle, which would mean no oversight in who would be able to register such a domain name. Naimark remarked that this would mean legitimate individuals, businesses and organisations being drowned “in a sea of sex”, since he expects many of the domain names to be bought up by porn website.
On the other side, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), a supporter of the dotgay initiative, filed an objection to another domain application: that of the .lgbt applicatint Afilias. ILGA argued that their operation of the domain would damage the gay community. The .lgbt application passed.
Here Are 3 Inclusive Domain Choices!
Since now you can choose who to marry in the US, here are a couple of choices you can choose from to create a website for yourself, your community or your customers:
– .Gay (Not active) – Still not active, with dotgay and three more commercial competitors battling for the right to use this domain name.
– .LGBT (Active) – The domain name that targets businesses and organisations that target the LGBT community as customers is active!
– .ME (Active) – The domain that is all about YOU and shows how personal your business or organisation is – used by influential individuals, as well as brands such as Visa (V.me) and Indiegogo (Igg.Me)!
