Marketing Power of the Lesbian Community

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at two articles dealing with the growing economic, political and marketing power of the lesbian/gay community: "Advertising and the Political Economy of Lesbian/Gay Identity" and "Commodity Lesbianism". The writer explains that the gay and lesbian communities are finding themselves more recognized in society because marketers and advertisers have seen the importance of the demographic for marketing campaigns. The writer suggests that this new-found attention from the marketing community has produced some interesting social and political effects. In conclusion the article suggests that capitalism is creating a new identity for the the lesbian/gay community and that this identity is built on the recognition of the lesbian community as a viable and important market that can be exploited.

From the Paper:

"In "Advertising and the Political Economy of Lesbian/Gay Identity" Fred Fejes examines the complicated relationship that gays and lesbians have developed between political agency and economic power. In fact, the interesting point that Fejes makes is that it may be that gays and lesbians are gaining political equality and clout not through traditional economic means. Other minority and disenfranchised groups have, in the past, developed political equality because they have controlled some aspect of economic production and/or capital. This is not the case with the gay and lesbian communities, Fejes argues. Instead, this group is gaining political ground because mainstream society is beginning to recognize the important market position of these individuals as consumers."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Clark, Danae. "Commodity Lesbianism." Chapter 12 in Gender, Race, and Class in Media: A Text-Reader. Eds. Dines and Humez. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2003. 186-201.
• Fejes, Fred. "Advertising and the Political Economy of Lesbian/Gay Identity." Chapter 22 in Gender, Race, and Class in Media: A Text-Reader. Eds. Dines and Humez. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2003. 212-220.

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