Gays and lesbians have generally been the trendier group in society, and recent surveys have revealed that when it comes to fashion and style, they are strong and proud leaders. Conducted by Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc., the poll involved 2,637 individuals, with 343 self-identified as gay or lesbian, and the results consistently support the conclusion that gays do have an eye for the latest innovations. 

“The LGBT community has long been known not just for trend-spotting but also trendsetting. They are very savvy consumers and often motivated to spend a little extra on new products and upgrades,” said Wes Combs, President of Witeck-Combs Communications.

While 48 percent of gays and lesbians would chase after the newest gadgets on the market, only 38 percent of heterosexuals would do so. These numbers are a significant increase from the findings of similar survey conducted in January 2007, which revealed that 38 percent of gays and lesbians would follow the latest designs compared to 32 percent of heterosexuals.  

Gay men are chief among this trendsetting movement, with 53 percent of them keeping up with the newest craze, compared to only 30 percent of heterosexual males doing so. In the previous survey, the numbers were 39 percent for gay men and 32 percent for heterosexual males.

Gays and lesbians are also likely to sport the hottest technologies, with 45 percent of them upgrading their products; only 33 percent of heterosexuals would do this. Again, gay men are coming out as leaders, with 49 percent of them performing upgrades compared to 35 percent of heterosexual males.