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I hear "Cracker Barrel" isn't black friendly - whoda guessed?

Alright! I am the first to post and glad to read about this!
now you know gay friendly products are the best products to buy.

May 14, 08 - 07:12 pm Comment from: MikeK

This same topic has generated about 300 and counting (heated) posts over at AppleInsider with lots of bigotry surfacing within the Apple community..

And I always thought that Mac users were supposed to be more educated than PC users.. Hopefully this discussion here at MDN will prove to be more mature.

Yay!!!

Because who I choose to have sex with dictastes, oops i mean dictates what computer i bi, er buy.

Is "gay friendly" "we treat everyone the same" or "we give you special treatment"?

I am asking seriously.
I'm not sure what this really means?

May 14, 08 - 07:28 pm Comment from: CYxodus

Who cares what sex people are, I see them for who they are.

I guess I'll have to suggest to my Gay friends to get a Mac while they drink their Absolut drinks, while watching Showtime Queer as Folk DVD's. Plus, because of the Macs low profile in the virus world, it is a superior computer to surf porn on

You are obviously not a liberal...

I've known this for years. Macs are so pervasive in the gay community, any time I meet a gay guy who isn't using a one, I wonder what is wrong with him.

May 14, 08 - 07:32 pm Comment from: Sixvodkas

That survey is so gay.

May 14, 08 - 07:35 pm Comment from: Jimbo von Winskinheimer

@Me in LA - I believe it means non-discriminatory.

Fascinating. How do they measure that?
Do the computers make it easier for them to be Gay?
That the company encourages sexual orientation?
what a strange idea.
It'd be almost as strange to say Apple is terrorist friendly.
Why? well because the computer is so secure the authorities will never be able to get into the files that they don't want the authorities (or their parents) to see...
What a very very strange survey.
Actually I think Apple is among the top 5 Christian Friendly companies in the world:
why? Because the ease of use of the machines helps them to not get frustrated at work and therefore they will swear less!!!
That's ok right?
Oh oops no. Spoke to soon - they are connected to the internet and there's every possibility that the computer will lead them into pornography!
Apple is Christian unfriendly!!! Oh No!

This has to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard - how can a company or product be friendly towards a moral decision of any sort?
I for one have never felt lead in any direction by my mouse- have you?

@ Jimbo...

Thank you.

Interesting that Bravo, Showtime and HBO are media/entertainment outlets - rather then products. Levi's, Absolut and Apple all have very similar advertising, speak to their audience as smart, have high quality, along with being consistent in their messaging and approach. This is how you create a Brand. Apple has nailed it. Go Apple!

May 14, 08 - 07:38 pm Comment from: Timbo

I don't get it. How does the gay community decide collectively that a company like Exxon Mobil is not gay-friendly?

I can understand Wal-Mart. I don't know anybody - gay or straight - that enjoys an outing to Wal-Mart.

Maybe I need to read the article again.

May 14, 08 - 07:40 pm Comment from: Timbo

Oh wait - the survey was based on responses from 2200 people. Insignificant. What a weird article.

Six pages. Fish in a barrel. And I do mean fish.

May 14, 08 - 07:42 pm Comment from: Eric

@Me in LA,

You should click the link to the source article... it explains it with

"According to the study, more than two-thirds (68 per cent) of gay and lesbian consumers said they are more likely to buy from a company they considered to be gay-friendly, a perception they base largely on a company's advertising, followed by input from friends and the media."

Eric

What? Does anyone actually care?

If you're well dressed and mention that you like show tunes, the Apple Genius is commanded to compliment your choice of hair gel. It's all in the handbook.

May 14, 08 - 07:44 pm Comment from: MikeK

@michael Dickson.

As the article says, It was measured by the " 2008 Prime Access/PlanetOut Gay and Lesbian Consumer Study released... A total of 2,259 adults aged 18-64 took part.""

And there is nothing strange about the idea at all... Apple is also known to be a very gay-friendly employer which provides partner benefits for it's gay and lesbian employees..

May 14, 08 - 07:45 pm Comment from: Eric

@Fitz,

It's "gay-friendly brands," not products. Details, details.

Eric

May 14, 08 - 07:47 pm Comment from: MikeK

Apple's COO Tim Cook also happens to be gay.

"followed by input from friends"

Typo. It should be girlfriends. Everyone is a girlfriend.

May 14, 08 - 07:48 pm Comment from: Buster

Not meaning to be obtuse but what in hell does gay-friendly means?
Do Dell computers give gay people electric shocks when they type?
Do Levi's run up the crotch of gay people?
They get fined if gays dunk their donuts?

gay people r so gay

May 14, 08 - 07:50 pm Comment from: HazMatt

I thought Apple was a gay company up until early 1998 when they stopped using the rainbow colored logo.

...

Honestly, these stories annoy me, but I only seem to comment on the ones that do.

I cant believe this article. Its so totally stupid. Come on, how does a company get the title of being gay friendly or not. Its not like you can ask them if they like gays or not. Total waste of time for reading this trash.

May 14, 08 - 07:58 pm Comment from: studentrights

I'm not surprised. Creativity goes hand-in-hand with an open mind. Where as the most bigoted places are poor and depressed, just look at West Virginia.

"On CNN's In the Money, Richard Florida, author of "The Rise of the Creative Class" argued that educated kids are generally moving to the most "gay-friendly" cities after graduating from college because those cities tend to have the best job markets."

Study: 'Gay-friendly' cities enjoy more economic prosperity
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Study_Gayfriendly_cities_enjoy_more_economic_0623.html

Moral decisions? Explain.

Gay people are generally smarter than the population (non-lemmings as they are) so they tend to buy a Mac. Apple's products look great too so naturally any gay who is fashion-conscious will simply gravitate towards their line of product.

May 14, 08 - 08:08 pm Comment from: Me In LA

I actually hate this kind of thing too.
Not in the since that I don't like this group or that, I just hate how it appears that liberals are the ones always screaming about being treated equally, but it almost always equates to being treated special.
I hate that.
I've got friends from all walks, and those folks are the ones that would look at this "study" and say "gimme a break"

When lib's can stop looking at color/race/religion/sexual orientation/economic status as a variable, we'll all move on and be better off.

May 14, 08 - 08:09 pm Comment from: Harvey

How does a company get the title of being gay friendly? Several ways. Get the answers to these questions: does the company extend the same benefits to gay couples as heterosexual couples, such as sick leave, bereavement leave, and child care? Does the company fire people for being gay or give undue preference to heterosexuals in hiring and promotions? Do gay people feel free to bring their partners to company events? Does the company target advertising to the gay community (as VW did some time ago)? Does the company advertise in the gay media? Do gay people have a positive view of the company?

An employee of my company drilled me about my attitudes on gay rights. He wasn't gay. He figured if the company treats gays fairly, they will keep their nose out of his business too. Many high-tech employees feel that way, so anti-gay policies can reduce the quality of the staff, both gay and heterosexual.

A Virginia college had a lesbian professor who was renowned in her field, but she had a stay-at-home partner who cared for the children. When the state passed the amendment suspending the 14th amendment in Virginia to discriminate against gays, the college was no longer able to extend health insurance to the professor's partner. The professor could not afford the insurance. The college did everything they could to retain her, but they were prohibited by law from treating her equally. The professor easily got a position in another less medieval state and relocated. Though if I had been her, I would have gone to Canada, which has the dangerously radical idea that all citizens should have equal rights and protections under the law.

It's really easy to measure "gay friendly." And no, that does not mean that gays get special preference. Gays are a minority. Giving a minority a special preference is bad for business. GIving a minority equal treatment is good for business.

May 14, 08 - 08:11 pm Comment from: Predrag

Looks like MDN's audience ain't much better than AppleInsider's, after all. Let's see, what are people here complaining about.

A gay/lesbian publication conducted a consumer perception survey. Much like some 'mainstream' outlets do, in order to find out what consumers think of today's brands, which they like, which they dislike. More specifically, they asked which brands do they think look appealing to them as a group. When the question asked: 'Which brand do you think is most gay-friendly?', the meaning was, 'Which brand appeals the most to you?'; not just through products/services it offers (either in general, or specifically, to the gay community), but as a brand that is sensitive to the issues of gay community. Keep in mind, this was a survey, asking for opinions, in other words, for perception. It is perfectly valid method of assessing certain qualities, especially if this information matters to this particular group. What they do with this data is up to them. Obviously, there are many in this audience here who don't think there is any use for this information. To anyone with half a brain, it is obvious that any type of survey, regardless of the target group, should be useful for at least some group of either people, or companies surveyed. If I were Samsung, I would probably think about what this means for the brand. I am not in sales, marketing, branding or anything even remotely related. I wouldn't know how to treat this data. There are highly paid people out there, though, who should know what to do with it.

And for the bigots around here assuming from the start, I'm a (very) happily married man with two children (not that it in any way matters here, or should I use the Seinfeld line, "not that there's anything wrong with it").

May 14, 08 - 08:14 pm Comment from: studentrights

But despite that and to West Virginia's credit Obama is a ahead to of McCain in the polls there.

"Racially motivated voting appeared to be running higher than usual: Two in 10 whites said the race of the candidate was a factor in their vote, second only to Mississippi."

EXIT POLLS: The Race Factor in West Virginia
http://abcnews.go.com/PollingUnit/Politics/story?id=4844868&page=1

Me and my Boy Toy, love sticking our floppy discs in our Big Macs

May 14, 08 - 08:18 pm Comment from: Timbo

Look out - this thread is turning into an Obama campaign ad.

"When lib's can stop looking . . ."

When people stop making idiotic labels and generalizations . . .


Go on and finish it. You can do it.

I thought it had something to do with social programs and hiring practices, which would actually matter. It's just a perception poll.

May 14, 08 - 08:21 pm Comment from: Timbo

Between the stupid comments posed by studentsrights and Boy George, I agree that this thread is on its way to the state of the one on AppleInsider. I'm outta here.

"Me and my Boy Toy, love sticking our floppy discs in our Big Macs"

That's why everyone says Macs are such great performas in bed.

May 14, 08 - 08:22 pm Comment from: Harvey

I might add, the Great White Liberal type is just as annoying to any minority group as the conservatives who choose to live in an alternative universe where facts don't count. It would be nice if "gay" didn't matter, but in the United States, it matters big time. It's not liberals who are making it an issue; it's the people who are passing discriminatory laws and constitutional amendments that make it hard for people just to live their lives.

In other words, it's not a matter of liberals bringing up the issue, it's a matter of conservatives creating the issue by instituting inequality, mandating discrimination, and making bigotry a religious sacrament. If they would just shut up and mind their own business, there would be no gay rights movement.

May 14, 08 - 08:26 pm Comment from: Olmecmystic

Gay people are cool people. They're very fashion-conscious, stylish people (for the most part). Aesthetics and ambience matter to them in a way that it doesn't for a lot of the public at large.

Macs flow with that. It makes perfect sense.

Peace.
Olmecmystic

May 14, 08 - 08:29 pm Comment from: Predrag

A comment here was allowed to just pass by almost unnoticed (except for a single 'Huh?').

"...how can a company or product be friendly towards a moral decision of any sort? (by Michael Dickinson)

The quoted statement implies that sexual orientation is a decision, and a moral one (suggesting that a non-mainstream one is amoral). As someone already said a few posts back, this is quickly turning into the 'AppleInsider'-type bigotry...

To Predrag : So, do we get to see you post-drag? (j/k)

No Offense, Go to Apple Store 5th Avenue & see for yourselves, or in every Apple Store.

THis is True, it should actually say Apple as a gay friendly company or brand to work for.

May 14, 08 - 08:35 pm Comment from: ChrisW357

I'm so happy to be here :D

Does that mean it is homosexual friendly?

May 14, 08 - 08:40 pm Comment from: freefromdesign

Is Exxon Mobile anyone friendly?

May 14, 08 - 08:41 pm Comment from: ChrissyOne

I am also friendly with teh gays.