.gay

Overview

.gay is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) created as part of ICANN's New gTLD Program. Intended for the LGBTQ community, the string was launched for general public registration in 2020 and has been positioned as a dedicated slice of the web for queer people, causes, creators and organizations.

History

• Applicants and contention:

  • Multiple applicants sought the .gay gTLD, including Top Level Design, dotgay LLC (a community application), Demand Media/United TLD Holdco, and Top Level Domain Holdings.
  • The string drew objections from some governments and groups during the application process; notably the Saudi Communications and Information Technology Commission formally objected on cultural/religious grounds.
  • dotgay LLC filed a Community application and proposed an authentication/closed-registration model; its Community Priority Evaluation was initially denied and subsequent appeals and reconsideration requests were unsuccessful.

• Registry and delegation:

  • Top Level Design was recognized by ICANN as the contracted registry operator on May 23, 2019 after other applicants dropped bids and/or private auction processes concluded.
  • Public launch activity: the Sunrise II phase began on April 6, 2020. Public availability opened on September 16, 2020 (general registration).
  • In 2023 the registry (Registry Services LLC) became part of GoDaddy (GoDaddy Registry acquired the gTLD).

• Launch and community work:

  • The launch included promotional activities and original content (for example, a web series). A share of registration revenue was earmarked for LGBTQ organizations: 20% of registration revenue was designated to benefit CenterLink and GLAAD, with approximately $75,000 raised by late September 2020.
  • Since launch, the .gay initiative has run social and awareness campaigns tied to Pride Month, Trans Day of Visibility, National Coming Out Day and public-health resources during the 2022 mpox outbreak.

Usage and Audience

• Intended audience:

  • The TLD is intended for the LGBTQ community — organizations, creators, businesses and individuals seeking an identifiable queer-branded web presence.

• Examples of registrants and participants:

  • Registered names and public adopters include individuals and organizations such as Roxane Gay, Grindr, Instinct magazine, Billie Jean King, PFLAG and George Takei.
  • The registry and its public-facing site (ohhey.gay) have promoted community spotlights and featured notable LGBTQ figures.

Registration Rules

• Launch phases and availability:

  • Sunrise II began April 6, 2020; public registrations began September 16, 2020.

• Community vs open-registration debate:

  • dotgay LLC proposed a community/closed model using "Authentication Partners" (LGBTQ organizations) to determine eligibility and reserve certain index second-level domains; that community application was evaluated and ultimately denied by ICANN processes.
  • Top Level Design pursued an open-registration model, arguing against mandatory authentication by community organizations.

• Protections and policy features:

  • The gTLD includes harassment protections and a rights/policies framework intended to guide behavior and limit misuse of the extension.
  • The registry committed a revenue-share to designated LGBTQ organizations (20% to CenterLink and GLAAD at launch).

SEO and Brand Impact

• Positioning and trust:

  • .gay is explicitly branded for queer audiences and organizations, which supports discoverability and brand alignment for LGBTQ-focused sites and campaigns.
  • The TLD has been used by recognizable names and groups in the LGBTQ space, helping establish credibility and identity for sites using the extension.

• Search engine perception:

  • Source material does not provide technical details about search ranking behavior; the gTLD is presented primarily as a community- and brand-oriented namespace rather than a technical SEO product.

Notable Cases or Examples

• Government and community objections:

  • Saudi Arabia formally objected to the creation of .gay during the application phase. Other organized public comment campaigns targeted strings such as .gay and .sex.
  • dotgay LLC's Community Priority Evaluation was rejected (the EIU/CPE findings said the defined community and the applied-for string did not sufficiently match), and subsequent appeals and requests for reconsideration did not reverse that outcome.

• Registry milestones and adopters:

  • ICANN recognized Top Level Design as the registry operator on May 23, 2019.
  • General public registration opened September 16, 2020.
  • Notable registrants include Roxane Gay, Grindr, Instinct, Billie Jean King, PFLAG and George Takei.
  • In 2023 the registry was acquired by GoDaddy Registry (Registry Services LLC).

• Community programs:

  • The .gay program has run social campaigns (e.g., Pride, Trans Day of Visibility), public-health resources during the 2022 mpox outbreak, and community spotlights profiling LGBTQ figures.

% IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object

domain:       GAY

organisation: Registry Services, LLC
address:      100 S. Mill Ave, Suite 1600
address:      Tempe AZ 85281
address:      United States of America (the)

contact:      administrative
name:         IANA Contact
organisation: GoDaddy Registry
address:      100 S. Mill Ave, Suite 1600
address:      Tempe AZ 85281
address:      United States of America (the)
phone:        +1 480-505-8800
fax-no:       +1 480-624-2546
e-mail:       iana@registry.godaddy

contact:      technical
name:         IANA Contact
organisation: GoDaddy Registry
address:      100 S. Mill Ave, Suite 1600
address:      Tempe AZ 85281
address:      United States of America (the)
phone:        +1 480-505-8800
fax-no:       +1 480-624-2546
e-mail:       iana@registry.godaddy

nserver:      A.NIC.GAY 2001:dcd:1:0:0:0:0:10 37.209.192.10
nserver:      B.NIC.GAY 2001:dcd:2:0:0:0:0:10 37.209.194.10
nserver:      C.NIC.GAY 2001:dcd:3:0:0:0:0:10 37.209.196.10
nserver:      X.NIC.GAY 156.154.172.82 2610:a1:1074:0:0:0:1:82
nserver:      Y.NIC.GAY 156.154.173.82 2610:a1:1075:0:0:0:1:82
nserver:      Z.NIC.GAY 156.154.174.82 2610:a1:1076:0:0:0:1:82
ds-rdata:     4816 8 2 960f543d3ead5c2e0fd6d1e792265f7c795170d793acd073f84c52a2f72eea85

whois:        whois.nic.gay

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: http://nic.gay

created:      2019-07-19
changed:      2024-04-16
source:       IANA