Introduction to the dotGAY Initiative
The .gay initiative is the equivalent of planting a global communal flag on the Internet.
If approved by the governing body of Internet domain space, ICANN, .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.
Our mission is to make .gay an exemplary beacon of social entrepreneurship and an empowering resource for helping people live their lives based on their own conscience. The .gay domain space requires conscientious stewardship and cannot be operated as just a “marketing platform” or a piece of real estate to be subdivided based solely on economic imperatives.
Why .gay? Expanding the Internet domain name space promotes greater innovation and choice, and .gay can serve as a common platform for enhancing the resources, visibility and solidarity of the LGBT community. Think of .gay as a banner or umbrella for bringing together the growing diversity of this worldwide community. With specialized inclusive subdomains like lesbian.gay, trans.gay, bi.gay, peopleofcolor.gay and intersex.gay, .gay will gather each of our groups in a way that solidifies our footstep and demonstrates our presence as one larger global community. In a sense, we are one community because we have a mutual interest in rights and protections that others take for granted. As a community whose presence can be aggregated and quantified, we will all be in a better position to be understood and to create real change.
The dotGAY team combines experience in the technical and policy nuances of Internet domains; software engineering and interactive media expertise; and a proven track record in serving both nonprofit LGBT client organizations and major corporations seeking affinity with LGBT consumers. As for supporting good causes within the global LGBT community with funds generated by the operation dotGAY, we’re committed to a transparent, verifiable process to be vetted by a board of directors presiding over a separate nonprofit beneficiary foundation.
As the success of .gay will depend on garnering broad support from the many diverse constituencies that comprise the worldwide LGBT community, we seek endorsement and invite comments from all interested parties. We look forward to being held accountable for “giving back” to the community, by administering .gay in a way that ensures innovation, fairness and long-term success.
dotGAY LLC is business entity formed to garner support for a .gay TLD and advance a mandate for delivering tangible financial and strategic benefits to the community that will inhabit the .gay space. dotGAY’s proposal is based on
1) channeling two-thirds of the profits from the sale of .gay domain names to nonprofit LGBT client organizations, and
2) safeguarding key community domains based on important generic keywords—e.g., hotel.gay, PalmSprings.gay, sports.gay, health.gay, marriage.gay and pride.gay—as communal portals to be operated for the mutual benefit of LGBT constituents: the service and non-profit community, business community, advertisers and media, plus a diverse range of individuals and emerging community groups. Developing the commercial potential of these domains, specifically with regard to advertising and sponsorship, will be secondary to ensuring their usefulness and relevance to the communities they serve. This is critical to establishing .gay as a vibrant hub and keeping important property out of the hands of opportunistic squatters and speculators.
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