Global GLBT study need you
The largest ever international survey of its kind for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans community (LGBT) has been launched involving magazines and newspapers throughout most of the world including North America, Europe and Australia.
Specialist independent gay marketing company Out Now is conducting this comprehensive survey that will cover information on LGBT lifestyle, travel habits, income, and social issues like racist and homophobic behaviour.
The results of the research could be used not just to learn where the hotties are travelling to next summer, but also to learn about LGBT lifestyles, demographics, workplace issues, causes of concern, discrimination and many more important topics.
It takes just 15 minutes to complete the survey at http://www.CommunityValues2010.com — and you may also get lucky and win one of their giveaway prizes including airline flights, Amazon gift cards and iTunes voucher s.
You can also follow the links to the survey from our website at www.starobserver.com.au
Like Michael, I thought it was a marketing survey. Looks like someone has obtained the html code for the standard survey that we often see on the internet and just padded it out with some gay stuff. And the choices were in parts awfully stereotypical – take the list of television shows for example. Talk about low IQ choices! What about the educational documentaries, current affairs (ACA is not current affairs!) or the special interest programs on Ch31?
As for the ‘lifestyle’ element of the survey, that was purely determined by how much of a consumer one is. As I’m not one that has been brainwashed into being a good little pliable consumer by big business, the survey certainly didn’t obtain any idea of my ‘lifestyle’.
Thanks for the comments – Out Now takes all feedback, and especially criticisms, very seriously and will assess them in our review process of the survey questions used this year.
Some specific background points:
– Michael, the survey has a number of purposes. As an gay-owned LGBT marketing agency we do include questions that companies seeking to appeal to LGBT customers want to learn to try to understand and meet the needs of LGBT people better when they make their decisions. In addition though there are many questions unrelated to any of our marketing work at all. Questions about violence, harassment, discrimination, workplace matters, aging and more are questions we think are important to understand to holistically strengthen our communities’ position in ‘the system’ globally. This study is funded by the commercial aspects (as is the Star Observer) but it is intended to fulfil a much broader role. The research is now underway in 23 countries worldwide in 10 languages. We hope that a new global benchmark measure, country-by-country – will result on some of the key social issues we face.
Gal – Question 12 was written and specifically requested for inclusion by a trans activist in the UK. There, there has been an ongoing debate (by the Stonewall organisation, and others) about whether we are the LGBT or the LGB communities. The purpose of the question was to read individual comments (from trans and non-trans respondents) about whether people think that trans people benefit from being included – or not. No intent to be rude was meant.
Ren – I sent you a personal email to respond to your email to us. As I mentioned there, the survey’s first question specifically includes intersex as an option, and the terms male and female were changed to ‘man’ and ‘woman’ at the suggestion of an intersex representation group.
We take all your comments as important, and we will review questions for 2011 to assess ways that inclusion can be expanded.
Ian Johnson
CEO, Out Now
This survey is impossible to fill out as an Intersex person. Apparantly we don’t exist in their world! I even had to lie about my gender in order to send them an email.
This survey is *terrible!* Way to be rude to transpeople. Question 12 is incredibly offensive and othering, and there are many other questions that are borderline offensive at least. Always so depressing when it’s so obvious that the writer of a survey is speaking from a position of privilege.
I went to fill out this survey, until I quickly realized thats its not so much a survey providing any benefit to the GLBT community as it is a marketing exercise in how to advertise to them. As a newspaper I realize that Star Observer has a vested interest in advertising to the gay community, but trying to push this as any great valid GLBT surveys is just wrong. I expected better.