Jeremiah Hall's writings on nonprofits, lifestyles and travel

Appeared in: The Advocate Magazine

 Call it a sign of the times: Vanity isn't just for gay men anymore. With straight guys going to day spas and men's fashion magazines almost as numerous as women's, it's getting harder to tell who's gay these days. Even straight guys want to look good.

That's good news for entrepreneurs such as Eric Roos and Philip Oggero, co-owners of a line of men's grooming products called Nancy Boy. Roos and Oggero joke about how many times they hear "my girlfriend sent me in here" from straight men who visit their retail store in San Francisco's Castro district. The two say that as they noticed more straight men coming in to buy Nancy Boy's line of all-natural shampoos, hair styling products, and skin care items, an idea struck them. "Gay people are lionized as the arbiters of style and fashion-whether or not it's true is beside the point," says Roos. "We've jumped on that [perception] and it's key to our success."

Nancy Boy is one of a handful of other savvy skin care companies, such as Nickel for Men and Anthony Logistics for Men, whose success in selling men's grooming products to gay men has uncovered an unexpected market: straight men.

Industry watchers say the demand for men's only grooming products has exploded over the last two years. Soap and Cosmetics magazine estimates the market for men's grooming products is around $1 billion, and the industry has grown at a rate of 10% a year over the last two years.

But with the exception of a handful of corporations, such as Nivea and Tommy Hilfiger, mainstream companies have been slow to jump on the trend. That's left the market wide open for Nancy Boy, Nickel for Men, and Anthony Logistics for Men, all of which have national distribution. Each company, however, found its success with a different approach.

Nickel for Men, which has dual company headquarters in Paris and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., started with men's-only spas in predominantly gay areas of Paris and New York City. Since 2000, the company has expanded to a full line of skin products available in more than 160 stores around the country. The company's U.S. director, Francois Grenier, says Nickel advertises in both gay and straight men's magazines.

Anthony Logistics for Men, which produces a line of skin creams and hair products available in major stores such as Sephora and Barneys, also markets to straight men with ads in magazines such as GQ. Company founder Anthony Sosnick estimates that gay customers account for 30% of the company's overall sales.

Neither Nickel or Anthony Logistics has quite the flamboyance of Nancy Boy. "We want Nancy Boy to capitalize on this notion that gay men are trensdsetters and become out the first real gay brand. I can't think of any other brand that has said 'We're gay, proud, and you should buy our products.' We [do]."

Nancy Boy started selling its products online in 2000; the following year Roos and Oggero opened their Castro store. A marketing campaign using spokesmodels helped spread the word, first in San Francisco, then in other major cities such as New York and Los Angeles. "We sent out a group of six young men that embodied the Nancy Boy spirit and had them introduce and sample products-to everyone-all across town," says Roos. "The Nancy Boy spirit taps into the notion that gays are the trendsetters, the ones to follow. Our spokesmodels exude confidence and say proudly: 'We're gay.' " It's an approach that has paid off handsomely, they say. While they won't share sales figures, Roos and Oggero say the company is profitable and has plans for expansion domestically and internationally. Next year they will open retail stores in Los Angeles and New York.

Oggero estimates that when Nancy Boy started, about 95% of its customers were gay men. Now gay men account for about 60% of their sales. He sees Nancy Boy's success as proof that gay men and straight men really aren't all that different when it comes to what they want from a grooming product.

"Men's skin care users focus on the product. Give them a product that is easy and works and they'll be loyal. Straight men are sometimes uncomfortable at first," he says, "but when the product works they don't care who it came from."

The success of companies such as Nancy Boy, Anthony, and Nickel has not escaped the notice of major retailers. Sephora and Macys, for example, have both stepped up their men's grooming products line in recent months. Sephora spokeswoman Kathleen McNeill says that Roos and Oggero may be on to something with the notion that gay men lead the men's cosmetic market. "Gay men have helped encourage the growth [of the men's skin care market] by showing how effective the products work," she says. "Now we're seeing straight men coming into our stores all the time and are comfortable asking for help-that's something we didn't see years ago."

For now, Nickel, Nancy Boy, and Anthony are happy to be ahead of the pack. Nancy Boy's Oggero says he hopes major cosmetic lines never realize how important gay men are to the men's skincare industry. "The longer they wait, the more marketshare we'll have," he says. "I'm happy with that."

Posted by Jeremiah Hall at 05:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As published in The Advocate

Kent State University’s Inter-Fraternity Council saddened members of the Delta Lambda Phi fraternity by denying them a seat on the council and putting their survival on campus in question. The council oversees and sets policy for all fraternal organizations and is also responsible for admitting new fraternities. Delta Lambda Phi, a gay fraternity with 24 chapters nationwide, has been lobbying the council for admission for nearly a year.

On April 22, the fraternity fell far short of the 2/3 majority needed for admission with only four of the 12 members voting in favor. University officials then surprised many on campus by directing the council to reconsider its vote, but a week later the group failed to gain the additional votes. Now with its survival at stake, the fraternity plans to doggedly continue their efforts. Eric Van Sant - the 30-year-old fraternity advisor, Kent State Alumnus and gay activist - spoke with the Advocate about the setback and prospects for the fraternity’s future.

What is Kent State’s Delta Lambda Phi?

We’re a fraternity of 18 gay students and alumni of Kent State University. Together we’re a diverse group of young men with a common purpose: making Kent State a welcoming place for gays, bisexuals and progressive men. We came together as a fraternity about 18 months ago and have spent much of that time cultivating relationships with other fraternities in hopes of gaining full fraternal acceptance at the university.

Why is admission to the IFC important?

Well, first, Kent State requires that all fraternities join the council to be a recognized organization. Without the IFC endorsement, the university could pull its recognition of our charter.

But most importantly, we hoped to gain the respect and the recognition of our brothers. We really want to put a human face to gays and make it comfortable for closeted gays in other fraternities to feel better about coming out. It is also an opportunity to help shape how gays are perceived and treated on campus.

Why didn’t the IFC admit Delta Lambda Phi?

Being gay should never have been an issue, but unfortunately it did become one. What it came down to was the IFC has a lot of internalized homophobia and an irrational fear of gays and bisexuals. The other fraternities felt threatened and ultimately didn’t want us to play in their sandbox.

Did the decision surprise you?

The first vote was actually held on April 22, my 30th birthday. I thought for sure I was going to receive the best birthday present of my life. All of us had worked so hard to get the fraternity off the ground. Needless to say, the day ended up being one of the saddest. The decision is really incomprehensible to me. All along the council members gave us the indication that we were a shoe-in. But when it came time to cast their votes the members weakened.

What’s the mood like around campus?

A good number of people have been very vocal in declaring their support. But the board members who voted against us are staying clear of the issue. It’s like their in lockdown and not going to say anything about it. We’ve also received calls from the faculty to express their support. But we’ve also heard talk around campus that admitting the group was the council’s choice and they support the decision. Those comments are hard to hear.

Now that the council has decided, what do you plan to do?

We’ll keep trying. We’ll lobby the university, we’ll keep in front of all the other fraternities until we’re successful. We’re also pushing the university to investigate the IFC. All the guys feel the same way. We’ll keep at it. This means too much to us to let it end.

A lot of universities are embroiled in gay issues – from harassment at Michigan State to antigay violence at the University of Idaho. Why is your work at Kent State so important to gaining acceptance for gays at all universities?

The Greek fraternal system is the last bastion of anti-gay policies. Fraternities are not openly violating gay rights, but it’s definitely an old boys clubs. We’re breaking down barriers and we’re educating. This really is the last frontier for gay acceptance at universities. I hope our efforts will encourage many others to take on [Greek] systems at other universities.

Ultimately, what do you hope the national outcome will be?

I hope that we’ll be present at every university and for all gay brothers to wear their letters proudly. I’d love for Delta Lambda Phi to be just another frat house.

Posted by Jeremiah Hall at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)