.gay tld
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Internationally, Saudi Arabia's Communications and Information Technology Commission filed an objection in August 2012, deeming .gay "offensive to societies that consider homosexuality a sin" and contrary to moral and public order standards in conservative nations.[11] Within LGBTQ circles, internal debates questioned .gay's inclusivity compared to alternatives like .lgbt, with critics arguing that "gay" evoked a narrower, gay-male-centric identity that marginalized bisexual, transgender, and other subgroups, potentially fragmenting representation efforts.[10] Proponents of .gay countered that it offered a concise, recognizable label for broad queer visibility, but these discussions underscored challenges in defining a unified "community" amid diverse stakeholder interests.[12]
ICANN Evaluation and Approval Process (2015–2019)
dotgay LLC's application for .gay as a community-sponsored top-level domain underwent a Community Priority Evaluation (CPE) by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), scoring 10 out of 16 points in the initial assessment completed on October 6, 2014, falling short of the 14-point threshold required for priority due to weaknesses in demonstrating a clear nexus to the LGBTQ community and established institutional support.[13][14] On January 20, 2015, ICANN's Board Governance Committee (BGC) granted a request for reconsideration, overturning the initial CPE denial after determining that 54 letters of support from community organizations had been inadvertently excluded from the EIU's review, and ordered a re-evaluation to ensure procedural integrity.[15][16]The re-evaluation, published on October 8, 2015, again resulted in failure for dotgay LLC, with the EIU upholding the prior scoring on criteria such as community endorsement and opposition levels, prompting dotgay to file another Request for Reconsideration alleging evaluator bias and flawed application of nexus standards to a decentralized community lacking a singular representative body.[17][18] On February 2, 2016, the BGC denied this appeal, affirming the EIU's independence and adherence to the Applicant Guidebook's objective criteria, rejecting claims of inconsistency by noting that CPE outcomes varied based on applicant-specific evidence rather than uniform bias.[19] Without CPE priority, dotgay LLC's application entered commercial contention alongside three non-community bids—Top Level Design LLC, United TLD Holdco Ltd., and Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd.—which faced no such evaluative hurdle, highlighting procedural disparities where commercial applicants advanced based solely on financial and technical qualifications.[15]Resolution of the .gay contention set faced extended delays from 2016 to 2019, exacerbated by ICANN's broader auction backlog for over 1,000 unresolved strings, ongoing applicant challenges including dotgay LLC's independent review filings, and Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) reviews of sensitive social strings that prompted additional scrutiny without formal objections to .gay specifically.[20] In March 2019, Top Level Design prevailed in a private auction among the applicants, securing the rights without public disclosure of bid details.[21] ICANN executed the registry agreement with Top Level Design on May 23, 2019, following verification of its operational capabilities, with delegation to the DNS root zone occurring on August 9, 2019, marking the end of the evaluation phase.[22][23] Critics, including dotgay LLC representatives, argued the process exemplified inconsistent CPE standards that disadvantaged emergent or diffuse communities, though ICANN maintained decisions rested on verifiable evidence against fixed benchmarks.[24]Launch and Initial Operations (2020)
The .gay top-level domain commenced its initial sunrise period on February 10, 2020, enabling trademark holders to register domains until March 31, 2020, followed by a trademark claims period from May 11 to December 7, 2020.[25] A secondary sunrise phase for qualified applicants began on April 6, 2020, amid preparations for broader access.[26] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the planned early access and general availability phases were delayed, with public registrations opening on September 16, 2020, under the management of registry operator Top Level Design.[27][28]Top Level Design marketed .gay as a dedicated digital space for LGBTQ individuals, allies, businesses, and nonprofits, emphasizing online safety and community support through mechanisms like mandatory verification to exclude hate groups from registration.[29] The launch included commitments to donate 20 percent of revenue from new registrations to LGBTQ-focused nonprofits, with initial pre-launch sales generating $34,400 in contributions by April 2020.[27][30] Awareness efforts involved announcements highlighting the TLD's role in creating welcoming online environments, though as a niche extension, it faced challenges in achieving widespread registrar adoption and public recognition relative to established generic TLDs.[31]Early operations post-launch focused on processing registrations while upholding anti-harassment policies from inception, with the first charitable disbursements announced by December 2020 based on sales since September.[32] These initial phases established .gay's framework for restricted yet inclusive access, prioritizing community verification over unrestricted availability to mitigate risks of misuse.[29]Registry and Technical Details
Registry Operators and Transitions
Top Level Design, LLC served as the initial registry operator for the .gay top-level domain (TLD) following its delegation by ICANN on August 5, 2020.[22] In this capacity, Top Level Design managed core backend functions, including the maintenance of the TLD's zone file, authoritative name server operations, and distribution of domain name system (DNS) data to parent zones and root servers, in accordance with the ICANN Registry Agreement specifications for generic TLDs.Nonprofits benefiting from .gay revenue donations, totaling over $181,000 by 2022 to groups like GLAAD and CenterLink, have reported utilizing funds for community programs, including digital outreach that amplifies advocacy efforts and local center partnerships exceeding 250 entities.[70][71]However, empirical evidence for substantive improvements in overall LGBTQIA+ digital presence remains limited, as .gay sites constitute a negligible share of global web traffic compared to established generic top-level domains like .com, which dominate search engine results and user navigation.
Make history and spread love with this new and celebrated domain.
.gay Price
| Register | $45.00/yr |
| Renew | $45.00/yr |
| Transfer | $45.00/yr |
.gay Registry Information
- TLD Type: New gTLDs
- Registry: eNom
.gay Domain Information
| TLD Type | nTLD |
| Minimum Length | 2 characters |
| Maximum Length | 63 characters |
| Minimum Registration Period | 0 year(s) |
| Maximum Registration Period | 0 year(s) |
| IDN Supported | No |
| WHOIS Privacy Available | Yes |
| DNSSEC Supported | Yes |
| Realtime Registration | Yes |
| Registration Restrictions | None |
| Proof of Document Required | No |
| Trustee Service Available | No |
Notable Registrations and Legal Disputes
In 2020, Pink Media launched ilove.gay as one of the first operational sites under the .gay TLD, positioning it as a social media platform focused on LGBTQ+ content and community engagement.[54]The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) prevailed in a Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP) case against registrant Malte Brigge for mit.gay in 2023.[7][55] The panel found the domain identical to MIT's longstanding trademark, with no evidence of respondent's rights or legitimate interests, and bad faith registration evidenced by the site's redirection to MIT's mathematics department page shortly after .gay's availability.[56] The domain was transferred to MIT on October 3, 2023.[7]UDRP filings for .gay domains have been infrequent, with the MIT case cited as one of the few to date, contrasting with higher dispute volumes in unrestricted gTLDs like .com.[57] This scarcity aligns with the TLD's mandatory verification processes, which screen for anti-LGBTQ+ intent and may reduce cybersquatting opportunities by limiting broad access.[57] No widespread patterns of brand allyship registrations—such as dedicated .gay subdomains for corporate Pride campaigns—have emerged prominently, potentially due to the TLD's niche focus and modest overall adoption rates.Controversies and Criticisms
International Governmental Opposition
Saudi Arabia's Communications and Information Technology Commission formally objected to the .gay generic top-level domain (gTLD) application in August 2012, describing it as "offensive to societies and religions that consider homosexuality a crime" and requesting that ICANN refuse delegation.[11] The objection invoked cultural and religious sensitivities, arguing that the TLD contravened values in countries where same-sex relations are criminalized under Islamic law.[58] Similar concerns were raised by officials from other conservative Arab states during pre-application discussions in 2011, highlighting potential conflicts with national sovereignty and public morality standards.[59]These objections were lodged amid the 2012 new gTLD application window and subsequent Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) reviews through 2015, where proponents advocated for non-delegation or conditional safeguards to prevent perceived promotion of behaviors deemed immoral in their jurisdictions.[22] Governments emphasized the TLD's potential to undermine domestic laws prohibiting homosexuality, with arguments centered on preserving cultural integrity and avoiding endorsement of lifestyles conflicting with religious doctrines.[60] No GAC consensus emerged to block .gay, as required for binding advice under ICANN's applicant guidebook, allowing the board to prioritize technical and global operational criteria over individual governmental input.[61]Post-delegation in March 2020, some objecting nations signaled intentions to enforce blocks via national firewalls, citing ongoing commitments to public order and morality; for instance, Saudi Arabia's prior stance on filtering objectionable content, as seen with other TLDs, suggested similar measures for .gay to restrict access within borders.[62]ICANN proceeded despite such threats, maintaining that DNS universality should not yield to unilateral national vetoes absent consensus, though this raised risks of root fragmentation where governments opt for selective resolution.[63]Community Designation Debates and ICANN Rulings
In October 2014, ICANN's Community Priority Evaluation (CPE) panel rejected dotgay LLC's application for .gay as a community-designated top-level domain (TLD), awarding it 10 out of 16 points and falling short of the 14-point threshold required for priority status over competing bids.A string seemed to have been deemed "controversial" by Mr. Pellet if it received a substantial amount of objections during the public comment period. This resolution favored applicants demonstrating operational readiness for broad registration over those reliant on philanthropic models tied to unproven community exclusivity, prompting debates on whether ICANN's empirical standards inadvertently prioritize profit-driven scalability.[22][20]
Free Speech and Censorship Concerns
Critics from conservative and libertarian perspectives have contended that the .gay TLD's anti-hate policies facilitate viewpoint discrimination, as the registry's acceptable use terms prohibit content deemed homophobic or anti-LGBTQ+, potentially barring registrations or leading to suspensions for expressions aligned with traditionalist views on sexuality or marriage.[67][29] Such policies, enforced by Top Level Design as the TLD operator, require registrants to adhere to restrictions against harassment and hate speech, which opponents argue subjectively target dissenting opinions rather than neutral conduct, diverging from the principle of TLD neutrality under ICANN's framework where operators maintain broad discretion but risk selective enforcement.These responsibilities encompassed ensuring DNS stability, implementing DNSSEC for security, and handling wholesale pricing to accredited registrars without retail-level consumer interactions.On June 23, 2023, following ICANN approval of the change in control, Top Level Design transferred operational management of .gay to GoDaddy Registry, a subsidiary of GoDaddy known formally as Registry Services, LLC.[33] This transition aimed to leverage GoDaddy's infrastructure for improved scalability, including enhanced shared registry services for zone file distribution and DNS resolution across multiple TLDs.[34]GoDaddy Registry assumed full backend responsibilities, continuing compliance with ICANN's requirements for performance metrics such as query response times under 400 milliseconds for 95% of requests and zone file access protocols.As a commercial TLD operator, GoDaddy Registry operates under a revenue model driven by registration fees and renewals, with wholesale pricing set at approximately $30–$35 per domain annually, prioritizing expansion over non-commercial mandates.[35] Unlike community-designated bids that proposed structured profit allocations to specific causes, .gay's framework includes voluntary donations—currently a percentage of new registration revenue directed to LGBTQIA+ charities—but lacks enforceable requirements tying operations to such distributions.[36] This structure aligns with standard gTLD economics, where operator revenues fund technical upkeep and contractual obligations rather than predefined beneficiary commitments.
Domain Registration Mechanics and Availability
The registration of .gay domains adheres to the standard launch phases mandated by ICANN for new generic top-level domains (gTLDs).He notes that LGBTQ rights have been spreading and becoming more of a understood and respected subject as time passes. Our financial responses in questions #45 through #50 go into detail on our funding, cost and revenue projections. The primary purpose is to foster a sense of shared identity and trust among individuals, businesses and organizations who identify with this distinction.
If not, they will file formal objections against a new gTLD application.
There are at least 30 million people in the U.S. alone who self-identify as participating in the LGBT lifestyle, as well as the businesses and organizations that serve their needs (http:⁄⁄www.gaylawreport.com⁄gay-facts-statistics-2011⁄).
The Sunrise period, reserved for trademark holders to preregister exact matches or variations of their registered marks via the Trademark Clearinghouse, ran from February 10, 2020, to March 31, 2020.[25] This was followed by an extended Trademark Claims period from May 11, 2020, to December 7, 2020, during which notices were sent to potential infringers, and limited early access phases allowing priority registrations at premium prices before general availability.[25] General availability (GA) commenced on September 16, 2020, enabling open registration on a first-come, first-served basis without eligibility restrictions.[22].gay domains are globally accessible through any ICANN-accredited registrar, such as GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Gandi, with no inherent geographic limitations, though registrants must comply with applicable local laws in their jurisdiction.[37][38] Pricing for first-year registrations often starts as low as $2.98 during promotions but typically ranges from $29 to $47 annually for renewals, exceeding standard .com rates due to the TLD's specialized market positioning and operational costs.[38][39] Registrations are handled via standard protocols, including EPP (Extensible Provisioning Protocol) for registrar-registry interactions, ensuring compatibility with common DNS configurations, WHOIS queries, and web technologies like HTTPS certificates.[40]To maintain operational integrity and deter fraudulent or abusive initial claims, .gay employs a post-submission validation process whereby domains are placed on hold pending registrant confirmation of details, typically via email or registrar verification, before activation.[41] This step focuses on procedural legitimacy rather than ongoing content oversight, aligning with ICANN's baseline requirements for gTLD stability while supporting seamless delegation to nameservers.[42]
Policies and Safeguards
Anti-Harassment Verification Requirements
Registrants seeking a .gay domain must comply with eligibility criteria outlined in the TLD's Community Protection Policy, which prohibits registrations by parties that are, or are associated with, recognized hate groups inciting or promoting violence against LGBTQ+ persons.[5][43] This restriction aims to align domain usage with the TLD's ethos of fostering an LGBTQ+-friendly online environment, excluding entities demonstrably hostile to the community.[44] The policy explicitly bars such applicants from the outset, with the registry operator empowered to deny or suspend registrations upon identification of prohibited affiliations.[5]Implementation of these requirements began with the .gay TLD's general availability launch on September 16, 2020, following ICANN delegation earlier that year.[45] Registrars are instructed to inform potential registrants of the .gay Rights Protections during the checkout process, emphasizing that misuse for anti-LGBTQ+ purposes, including by hate-linked parties, results in immediate server-hold or cancellation.[43] While the policy does not detail a universal identity verification mandate for all applicants, it mandates proactive screening to enforce the hate group prohibition, leveraging registrar cooperation and abuse reporting channels to [email protected].[46]The underlying rationale centers on establishing .gay as a protected digital space, distinct from unrestricted TLDs, by preempting registrations that could enable harassment or maligning of LGBTQ+ individuals or groups.[35] This preemptive approach supplements post-registration enforcement against prohibited content, such as bullying or violenceincitement, to minimize risks inherent in open internet domains.[5] No public empirical studies quantify harassment reductions specific to .gay compared to other TLDs, though the policy's design prioritizes causal prevention over reactive moderation.[44]Prohibited Uses and Enforcement
The .gay top-level domain's registry enforces prohibitions on content and activities that contravene its Community Protection Policy and Acceptable Use Policy, which registrants contractually agree to upon registration.This low uptake, mirroring patterns in other vetted TLDs, underscores causal trade-offs: while aiming to enhance targeted utility, such policies often fail to scale, prioritizing symbolic protections over competitive namespace growth and raising questions about subsidizing identity silos at the expense of broadly accessible digital infrastructure.
While intended to mitigate abuse, these mechanisms parallel broader concerns that selective protections erode free expression by enabling de facto censorship under the guise of community stewardship, particularly when applied to culturally contested strings like .gay.[77][78][79]Economically, the .gay TLD's model highlights diminished returns for restrictive niche extensions within ICANN's expanded gTLD program, which has incurred substantial application fees—totaling over $500 million across rounds—yet yielded limited registrations for specialized domains, signaling weak incentives for innovation when offset by enforcement costs and market fragmentation.
This precedent complicates future gTLD evaluations by embedding community veto powers and trademark-like safeguards, as seen in the application's contentious path, potentially deterring neutral innovation while amplifying administrative burdens on ICANN to adjudicate subjective harm claims without clear universal standards.[43][76][14]Such restrictions fuel ongoing debates regarding internet freedom, where niche TLDs risk fragmenting the domain space into segregated enclaves that prioritize group safety over open discourse, causally limiting cross-ideological interactions and fostering echo chambers akin to platform algorithms.
We anticipate capturing a small percentage of those people, organizations and businesses in the first three years who will quickly realize the intrinsic value of the .LGBT TLD and will wish to be early adopters of this opportunity. I'm not even gonna tell people where the dot is when I mention my blog title in person. Initial registrations made in the Sunrise period may have a minimum number of years required.
[3] The position was created by ICANN in accordance with the implementation of the New gTLD Program.
In fact, he notes a number of domestic and international laws that uphold non-discrimination, especially with regards to sexual identity and gender.