Photo: #An estimated 400,000 attended the 2007 Twin Cities Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual-Transgender Pride Celebration. Hundreds of advertisers also attended the event in an attempt to reach out to the GLBT community.
Photo: #One of the most popular items of advertising at this year's festival was the Target temporary tattoo. Still, it wasn't long ago that businesses thought twice about flying their logos alongside the rainbow flag.
Photo: #Best Buy was one of the corporate sponsors of this year's Pride festival. The company ranks at the very top of the Corporate Equality Index. The index rates corporate America's treatment of GLBT employees.
Photo: #Market research shows that, as a group, gays and lesbians have more purchasing power than both Asian-Americans and Hispanic-Americans. And because they are less likely than heterosexuals to have children, members of the GLBT community have more disposable income to spend on things like stereos and sofas and SUVs.
Photo: #At least 350 of the Fortune 500 now market themselves to the gay community.
Larger view
At least 350 of the Fortune 500 now market themselves to the gay community. (MPR Photo / Nikki Tundel)
View full slideshow (5 total images)

Audio

Resources

MPR News
Radio

Listen Now

On Air

BBC Newshour

Schedule

Shortcuts
Hourly Newscast
Hosts
Station Map

Other Radio Streams from MPR

Classical MPR
Radio Heartland

Services

Pride is brought to you by...

by Nikki Tundel, Minnesota Public Radio
Listen to feature audio

These days everyone from Anheuser-Busch to Delta Airlines is reaching out to gay and lesbian consumers. But it wasn't long ago that businesses thought twice about flying their logos alongside the rainbow flag.

St. Paul, Minn. — The 2007 Twin Cities Pride Festival was a mish-mash of music and mini-donuts, rainbow-print clothing and a seemingly endless array of advertisers.

The annual celebration brought out hundreds of businesses -- all hoping to attract gay and lesbian consumers.

Reporter Nikki Tundel looks at why advertisers are now flocking to a demographic they once ignored.

Your Voice




Related Topics



Become a sponsor

Most Shared

  1. Temple Grandin explores the autistic brain
  2. Meet 'Big Honza,' Montgomery, Minnesota's 12-foot Czech folk hero
  3. Let's learn the lessons of education reform at last, author says
  4. Anti-bullying bill will return next year, supporters say
  5. On a desert island, first find a source of water; then, a light to read by

Latest News & Features


News Cut

with Bob Collins