Editor's note: This article appeared in the August 9, 2010, edition of Quirk's e-newsletter.

As media trends accelerate toward citizen-journalism and blogger-created news content, gay and lesbian adults online are among the nation's most loyal and heaviest blog readers and social network users, and many are looking for GLBT-centric material, according to a survey conducted by Rochester, N.Y., research company Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs Communications Inc., Washington, D.C.

A majority of gay and lesbian adults are reading blogs, and more than half (54 percent) of gay men and lesbian respondents report reading some type of blog, compared to only 40 percent of heterosexuals. This represents an incremental increase from March 2008 when 51 percent of gay and lesbian respondents reported reading some type of blog. A similar question was asked in November 2006 and at that time, only 32 percent of gay and lesbian adults reported reading blogs.  

When it comes to the types of blogs popular with Americans, the survey also found 36 percent of gay and lesbian adults read news and current-issue blogs, compared to 25 percent of heterosexual adults. A quarter of gay and lesbian adults also read entertainment and pop culture blogs, compared to 16 percent of heterosexuals. Considering the global and media attention focused on American politics and the Obama presidency, 22 percent of gay and lesbian adults also read political blogs, compared to just 14 percent of heterosexual adults. Confirming their sustained strong connection with travel news and opportunities, 16 percent of gay and lesbian respondents report reading travel blogs versus 8 percent of heterosexual respondents.

Not surprisingly, over one-third of all lesbian and gay male adults report they read blogs specifically tailored for gay and lesbian news and interests. More than half of these readers also say they visit gay and lesbian blogs weekly, and one in five (19 percent) do so daily. Michael Rogers, veteran gay blogger and media activist, reported that these findings mirror his experience: "My own work tells me gay men and lesbians have tremendous need and appetite for authentic gay news and information, and they want it fast."

Apart from avidly reading blogs, gay and lesbian adults also are choosing to connect online through social networking sites more often than their heterosexual counterparts. A remarkable 73 percent of gay and lesbian adults state they are members of Facebook, compared to 65 percent of heterosexual adults. Also, 32 percent of gay and lesbian respondents report being members of MySpace, compared to 22 percent of heterosexual respondents (albeit a shrinking number of both groups from past years). When it comes to LinkedIn, 22 percent of gay and lesbian respondents report being members, while 16 percent of heterosexual adults state they are members. Finally, nearly three out of 10 gay men and lesbians report they use Twitter, while the same can be said of just 15 percent of heterosexual adults.

Significantly, 55 percent of gay men and lesbians say they visit social network sites at least once a day, but only 41 percent of heterosexual adults report that same frequency. Three out of 10 gay men and women also say they visit sites several times a day, while only 17 percent of heterosexuals share that habit.