UK SURVEY: GAYS EARN MORE

A new UK survey has revealed that gays and lesbians in full time employment are paid more than their heterosexual male and female counterparts.

The survey, undertaken by Out Now Consulting, on behalf of Gay Times and Diva magazines, shows that UK gay men earn on average £34,168 (£9,000 more than straight men), while lesbians earn on average £24,783 (£6,000 more than straight women).

The survey gives added credence to the commonly held belief that lesbians and gays, mainly in first world countries, are more financially successful and have more spending power than their straight counterparts. The study also claims that gay and lesbian consumer spent £3 billion on tourism, £800million on CDs and £843million on DVDs in the last year. They have also been shown to be quick to take up new technologies and products.

The Pink market is thus becoming increasingly attractive to big business according to Ian Johnson, a spokesperson for Out Now Consulting, who said that, “Now that the market is able to be accurately measured, more companies are developing marketing plans to better position their brands to attract gay and lesbian customers.”

Johnson cites examples of companies such as Barclays Bank, British Telecom, HMV and British Airways who specifically market their wares and services to the gay and lesbian market.

“These companies are assessing their products, their communications and their distribution strategies to improve their gay market positioning,” he added.