Gay-friendly

Gay-friendly refers to places, policies, people or institutions that are open and welcoming to gay people (to include all members of the LGBT community) to create an environment that is supportive of gay people and their relationships, respectful of all people, treat all people equally, and are non-judgmental. This is typically a late 20th century North American term that is the byproduct of both a gradual implementation of gay rights and acceptance of policies supportive of LGBT people in the workplace and in schools, as well as the recognition of gays and lesbians as a distinct consumer group for businesses.

Gay-friendly cities
Cities that are known worldwide as being gay-friendly include San Francisco, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro, Melbourne, Chicago, Brighton, and Berlin amongst others.

The Advocate publishes a list periodically of the gayest cities in America that include cities such as Minneapolis, Albuquerque, San Diego, Austin, and several others based on facts such as their same sex marriage laws, number of same sex couples, and other qualifiers.

Gay-friendly businesses
Many businesses now identify as gay-friendly, allowing for a more diversified employee and customer base. The Human Rights Campaign works to achieve equality for gays, lesbians and other and publishes a list of companies in relation to issues concerning LGBT people. Companies that are noted for gay-friendly work environments include Dell Inc. and Coca-Cola Company. Companies such as R Family Vacations, Manspray, Volkswagen New Beetle convertible, Ginch Gonch and Egotour and numerous others offer niche products and services for gay customers. Studies have shown that LGBT communities tend to favor gay-friendly businesses, even if the cost of a particular product or service is higher.