Online Policy Group

The boards of directors for Online Partners/Gay.com and PlanetOut have agreed to a merger that creates a multifaceted global media and services company to serve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) customers and their friends and family. Both PlanetOut.com and Gay.com will continue to benefit customers as distinct and separate brands under one company called PlanetOut Partners, Inc.

This historic merger is important in a number of ways:

Corporate citizenship. PlanetOut Partners will be dedicated to being a good corporate citizen. As a company, we are committed to continuing to support events that enrich our customers’ lives and nonprofit organizations that work tirelessly to improve the communities our customers live in. Our leaders will continue to serve on community Boards and to actively participate and volunteer in local, national and global causes.

Diverse voices. Our customers demand a diverse slate of content, community and commerce choices. They tell us they need multiple opinions and viewpoints, a place to share how they feel about current news and world events, and a way to connect to the global LGBT world. The new company’s success hinges on our ability to meet those needs through distinct choices; diverse product lines, content offerings; varied means to interact with one another; and multiple brands. With our leveraged resources, PlanetOut Partners will be able to better serve often-overlooked groups within the broad and diverse LGBT community.

Strength in numbers. The partnership gives our community unprecedented economic clout and global connectivity. Never before have we been able to gather this many people to demand better discounts and services from a variety of businesses. Never before have millions of LGBT people, from Mainland China to San Francisco, been able to meet and share ideas in one place. We are confident that Gay.com and PlanetOut as a part of PlanetOut Partners will have a positive impact on the lives of LGBT people globally. With a strong international presence and strategic partnerships with portals like Yahoo, Microsoft and AOL, PlanetOut Partners can play a key role in making sure the Internet is a welcoming place for LGBT people.

Local media benefits. The new company will continue to build on its many current relationships and will seek to build new relationships with community-based gay media in productive, innovative and mutually beneficial ways. These relationships will provide broader exposure to audiences that otherwise may not have been reached.

Both of us are looking forward to speaking with you personally in the next few days, should you wish to schedule an interview. Our public relations manager Bryce Eberhart will be coordinating our schedules. Please feel free to contact him at 415-486-2551, or by email at bryce@planetout.com.

Sincerely,

Lowell Selvin	Megan Smith
CEO	President
PlanetOut Partners, Inc.	PlanetOut Partners, Inc.

Back to the Turing Program page.