The .GAY Domain

As mentioned above, the .gay domain did not have it easy. At the same time, there was quite a lot of interest in it. In the end, only three bidders made it to the private auction, of which Top Level Design was the best.

Alain Pellet, a professor of law at the University of Paris, a former member of the UN Commission on International Law and the International Court of Justice, has played a major role in approving the .gay domain. It was in May 2012 that ICANN chose to decide if the .gay domain is in the best interests of Internet users.

Alain Pellet’s December 2012 report stated that most objections to the .gay domain were based on insults based on religious or socio-cultural norms that were not internationally shared or uniform and were not recognized by any international law. On the contrary, he pointed to a number of national and international laws that enforce non-discrimination, especially with regard to sexual identity and gender. He also noted that LGBTQ rights are spreading and over time becoming a more understood and respected topic.

He noted that some parties may continue to oppose or be offended by such identities and behaviors, but believes that the .gay domain will create a clear space where those parties will know that the content will include gay-related material. and therefore can avoid these sites.

Of course, the approval process was accompanied by more and more objections and protests. ICANN, however, already had a clear position to which it could refer. This addressed rather factual comments on the word gay as such.