Lesbian Social-Network War Heats Up

Two days after L Word producer Ilene Chaiken announced the creation of OurChart.com, a new social network for lesbians, Olivia Cruises & Resorts announces “the all new online destination for lesbians . . . the new Olivia.com, where you’ll meet other lesbians online, make connections with friends, share stories, and network with other like-minded lesbian professionals.”

My sense is that OurChart’s announcement caught Olivia off guard. Although Olivia hinted at a new site in previous communications, they really don’t have anything new today except a splash page and a way to sign up to be part of the new site when it launches. (This is as much as OurChart has rolled out at this point as well.)

In reality, I hope this doesn’t turn into a battle for lesbian minds and marketing dollars. I would guess that the two sites will target somewhat different audiences: Olivia, as it indicates, will attract slightly older, professional women, in keeping with its current customer base, and OurChart will skew a bit younger, a la My Space. I also think that two entrants into the lesbian-social-network space legitimizes it even more than a single one would. I hope this attracts advertisers who finally realize not only that the LGBT market is worthwhile ($641 billion worth), but that we gals have different interests, attitudes, and needs than our male counterparts. I wish them both well.