Dot Gays

New York City-based LGBT marketing executive Scott Seitz is spearheading a group working to win the right to administer the proposed top-level internet domain (dot)gay. What's most interesting about this effort is that Seitz' group has pledged to donate two-thirds of the potentially considerable .gay domain registration profit back to the LGBT community. That promise has earned Seitz the endorsements of major national LGBT rights groups. From an interview with Press Pass Q's Chuck Colbert:

The dot-gay initiative, Seitz explained during a telephone interview, is all about community building and networking, with two-thirds (67 percent) of the profits from the sale of dot-gay domains going back to the community via a nonprofit foundation. Seitz realizes that buy-in from the community, including LGBT media, is key to dot-gay's success. To that end, he is working closely with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and others to ensure wide stakeholder support among LGBT businesses and organizations. Additionally, he is creating town hall meetings at community centers across the country. Already, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Human Rights Campaign, National Center for Lesbian Rights and International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association, among others, have endorsed the dot-gay initiative. At least six LGBT publications are also onboard. Management from the Northampton, Mass.-based Rainbow Times and Echelon Magazine, serving the LGBT business community, have sent letters of support to ICANN urging approval of the dot-gay gTLD.

DotGay's website explains how it would all work.

If approved, .gay would exist as a so-called “Top-Level Domain” (TLD), the most well-known example of which is .com, and individuals, businesses and organizations would be able to register domain names ending in .gay. In addition to .gay, the governing body of Internet domain space, ICANN, is considering TLD proposals for .eco, .berlin, .sports, .shop and more. TLD applicants must demonstrate to ICANN broadly based support from the targeted community. Once ICANN determines there is a viable “market” for a new TLD, it evaluates applicants seeking to operate the TLD. To prevail in the selection process, an applicant must establish its bona fides and present a credible plan for developing and marketing the newly created domain space.

Seitz predicts that anti-gay governments such as the Vatican will petition ICANN to deny applications to create the .gay domain. Religious and conservative groups have voiced similar opposition to the creation of a .XXX domain.