17 September 2020 (Carlow, Ireland) - Blacknight is proud and excited to announce the availability of .GAY, the most exciting new top-level domain to launch in 2020. Blacknight is offering the new .GAY domain extension for €26.99 and, in recognition of this historic part of internet history, is pledging to donate €1 from each registration to Irish LGBTQ charity BeLonG To Youth Services.
When it comes to internet addresses, there’s more than .COM and .IE available and now there’s another option for Ireland with .GAY.
“Support for the LGBTQ community is baked into the very core of the .GAY top-level domain name,” said Michele Neylon, CEO of Blacknight. “The .GAY registry, Top Level Design, is pledging to donate 20% of their .GAY revenue to LGBTQ charities. We’re topping that up with €1 from each new registration with Blacknight to BeLonG To Youth Services. It seemed only fitting to do our part to help the LGBTQ community in Ireland, which has come a long way in recent years. We’re really excited to be a launch registrar for .GAY. This is the chance for a truly safe space on the internet for LGBTQ people all over the world. “
Since 2012, the internet has seen massive growth in alternative domain extensions that extend beyond .COM and .IE. The .GAY domain is the latest addition to the newTLD space, which gives businesses, charities, and individuals more opportunity to find the perfect domain name. .GAY has been eagerly anticipated for years and has had a tough journey getting to launch - recently delayed again by the Covid-19 Pandemic, but it’s now ready for the general public. Blacknight is thrilled to offer registrations from today and is interested to see how the prohibitions on hate speech and abuse work in practical reality.
"We are extremely excited about our upcoming partnership with Blacknight and the announcement of the .GAY domain. The support of Blacknight will ensure that we can continue to address the needs of those who are most vulnerable in society, creating safe spaces to allow LGBTQ young people to be who they truly are. We are hugely looking forward to being a part of this historic and unique piece of internet history." Moninne Griffith, CEO BeLonG To Youth Services.
In recent years, Ireland has been at the forefront of LGBTQ rights - it was one of the first countries to have a constitutional referendum on gay marriage. Blacknight has been a strong supporter of the movement to change antiquated notions about gender, identity, and sexuality in Ireland. It came out in support of the marriage equality referendum in 2015. Attitudes in Ireland have changed, and Blacknight has taken leadership in declaring that Ireland is an open, modern place, and ready for .GAY.
“The launch of .GAY in Ireland by Blacknight proves how inclusive Ireland has become in recent years,” continued Neylon. “We’re particularly impressed by Top Level Design’s plan to combat hate speech in the .GAY domain space. Implemented correctly, it could become a model for other registries to follow.”
Based in Carlow, Blacknight provides domain names, hosting, email, broadband and cloud services. They employ almost 50 people. Blacknight is the number one Irish web hosting company and domain name registrar, with almost of a third of Irish websites hosted on its servers in Carlow and Dublin. The company recently announced its entry into the broadband market and embarked on a major redevelopment of its offices in Carlow to support its growth.
About Blacknight
Blacknight (http://www.blacknight.com/) are an Irish based, ICANN accredited domain registrar and hosting company. Recipients of several awards for their revolutionary use of social media, Blacknight are one of Europe’s most cutting edge Internet companies. Blacknight constantly seek to lead the way by introducing innovative solutions for its client base and provide dedicated servers and co-location as well as a comprehensive range of Microsoft Windows and Linux based hosting services and domain name registration services to business globally. IP transit services and other solutions for more demanding business and academic customers are offered a la carte. Fibre broadband services for both business and domestic users are also available throughout most of Ireland.