May 20, 2002

For more information contact:

Will Daley, Zogby International

(315) 624-0200 ext. 256

Jeffrey Garber, OpusComm Group/GLCensus Partners

(315) 422-6250

jeff@opuscommgroup.com

Zogby International /GLCensus Partners Poll:

Gays and Lesbians Overwhelmingly Identify Marital Rights as Top Priority;

Majority Polled Consider “Rosie’s coming out” positive for GLBT Civil Rights;

Most prefer media to use “GLBT” vs. “LGBT”

Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (GLBT) Americans identify the legal recognition of same sex marriage as the top goal of the gay rights movement. This is the key result of the latest Zogby International/ GL Census Partners Poll, drawing on questions solicited from the media.

Nearly half (47%) of gays and lesbians identify marriage rights as the top priority of the gay right movement. Younger respondents (18-24, 51%), those who identified as lesbian (57%) and those who are partnered (56%) are more likely to select marriage rights as the top priority.

Other issues identified as top priorities are equal opportunity employment (16%), hate crimes legislation specifically punishing “gay bashing” (9%) and increased gay representation in government (7%).

The May 2002 Zogby International/ GL Census Partners Poll, conducted April 26-29, 2002, asked a panel of 1456 respondents identifying as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered (GLBT) specific questions posed by members of the media about their involvement with gay rights organizations, what effectiveness they felt these organizations have, and what issues should be at the forefront of their mission.

In addition to identifying the top goal of the gay rights cause, the poll also finds:

Over a third (37%) of panelists say they are members of either national or state gay rights groups, while nearly half (49%) say they have donated money to those organizations.

· An overwhelming majority of respondents considered Rosie O’Donnell’s coming out on-air to be positive in terms of advancing social acceptance of the GLBT community (86%) and advancing the parental rights of this community (90%).

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· When asked what designation they would like the media to use when referring to their community, 28% say “gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered” (28%). A quarter prefers “gay and lesbian” (25%), while a fifth chooses “gay” (20%). “Homosexual” ranks last at 4%.

“What is striking is the importance the GLBT community placed on the goal of legal recognition of same-sex marriage," said Amy Falkner, lead researcher on the 2001 Gay/Lesbian Consumer Online Census. “While this is clearly the hot-button issue, their top five choices all point toward a desire for equal rights and protections guaranteed

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by law. They want a level playing field. The fact that Rosie O’Donnell’s appearance also polled so highly indicates they are seeking to legitimize their relationships and their family structure, and see Rosie as a stepping stone in that process.”

“Sometimes our legislators work best when they understand what the top priority of a sector of their constituency is,” observes Jeff Garber, President of OpusComm Group, a GLBT marketing/advertising agency. “With today’s poll, the GLBT community provides legislators a clear mandate identifying marital rights as the top priority.”

The Zogby International / GL Census Poll is conducted by Zogby International and GL Census Partners (a Syracuse University, OpusComm Group and GSociety Partnership), to focus and present the varied political, social and cultural views of the nation’s Gay/Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender population.

Partners in the Zogby International /GLCensus Partners Poll include:

Zogby International (www.zogby.com) - A leader for over 16 years in the field of public opinion research and world-renowned for offering superior polling, market research and information services based on accuracy and detailed strategic information.

GLCensus Partners (www.glcensus.org) - The world leader in GLBT consumer research, GL Census Partners includes:

· The S.I. Newhouse School at Syracuse University (www.syracuse.edu) - One of the world’s leading academic and research institutions in the field of communications.

· OpusComm Group (www.opuscommgroup.com) - Innovative Advertising, Marketing, Communication and Public Relations experts on the Gay/Lesbian market.

· GSociety, Inc. (www.gsociety.com) - A media/entertainment company whose reach and distribution channels target the millions of gay and lesbian consumers worldwide.

For Immediate Release