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Extrapolate all you want about why it is or whether it's good, the gay, lesbian, and bisexual community has found a home online in social networks, taking to the new medium like rams to, well, other rams. According to a poll by Harris Interactive, the GLB community is much more active in Web 2.0 than their heterosexual counterparts.

The poll was conducted in conjunction with PR and marketing firm Witeck-Combs Communications, which specializes in the GLBT market.

GLB individuals out-socialize breeders in every way on the Internet, spending more time at video sharing sites, online classifieds, social networking sites and blogs.

Twenty-seven percent said they visit YouTube at least an hour per week, compared to just 22 percent of heterosexuals. While 13 percent of heterosexual respondents said they spent an hour or less per week at Craigslist, 20 percent of GLB respondents said they do so.

One in four GLB respondents (24%) reported visiting personal blogs, compared to just 12 percent of heterosexuals. Over a third (36%) visit a favorite blog daily, compared to 19 percent of straight respondents, and GLB survey participants were twice as likely to have a positive reaction toward blog advertising (22% vs. 9%)

"We have consistently benchmarked strong online usage by the gay community," said Bob Witeck, CEO of Witeck-Combs Communications, in a statement.

"Gays and lesbians have shown their need to build and maintain an early and major presence on the web that translates directly into significant market opportunities. Social networks also appear to be second nature for the gay and lesbian consumer."

Overall the GLB community spends a lot more time online. Excluding email, 32 percent of gays and lesbians say they spend between 24 and 168 hours per week online, compared to 18 percent of heterosexuals.

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