Gaybar domain name auctioned to fund advocacy groups
A web marketing company is collaborating with two major gay and lesbian equality organisations to raise money for programmes in the US and Canada.
Defining Presence Marketing Group (DPMG) will auction a major web property with enormous development potential to help benefit two non-profit organizations and contribute to their work as advocates for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
Canadian-based DPMG will auction the website Gaybar.com on eBay in May 2006, with net proceeds going to the Canadian Gay Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and Philadelphia-based Equality Forum.
DPMG, which currently owns the domain, has had it appraised by several third party domain valuation companies which indicate a potential market value in excess of $175,000USD (£98,000).
Kevin Michaluk, VP Operations and Strategic Planning of DPMG said “We decided that rather than simply selling the domain, DPMG would work with GLBT community groups to promote the auction and, in turn, we will donate a significant portion of the auction proceeds to two major advocacy organisations.”
R. Bruce McDonald, co-founder of the Canadian Gay Lesbian Chamber of Commerce stated “We are excited at this opportunity and the generosity of DPMG. With a reported average 1.6 million online searches for ‘gay bar’ each month, development of a website under this domain offers up huge potential for the right organisation.”
The auction will begin on May 1, 2006 on eBay.com with an opening bid of $125,000 USD. It will be closed on May 14 with the winner announced on May 17, 2006 to coincide with IDAHO, the International Day Against Homophobia.
The dates for the start of the auction will coincide with the Equality Forum 2006 conference, which will be held in Philadelphia, May 1 to May 7.
Malcolm Lazin, executive director of Equality Forum said “Equality Forum is pleased to be selected by DPMG as a recipient with the Canadian Gay Lesbian Chamber of Commerce of a significant contribution from the sale of Gaybar.com. We commend DPMG for benefiting two North American organizations serving the GLBT community in the sale of this valuable web property.”
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