Gay Entrepreneur Creates Website Featuring Gay Cards for Every Occasion

News provided by

Jun 26, 2012, 08:25 ET

BOULDER, Colo., June 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Dan McLellan wanted to buy a romantic card for his spouse. He hunted in card shops and online, but nothing filled the bill. There were lots of sharp, funny, edgy, and sexy cards out there, but Dan McLellan is a romantic and he wanted a romantic, tender card to express his deep feelings for his mate. There were none to be had. Dan and his spouse, Michael, are gay.

With the national trend heading toward acceptance of same sex couples, businesses that cater to the specific needs of the gay and lesbian community are booming. These businesses cover the spectrum of products and services, with airlines, retailers, financial firms, automakers, and others targeting the gay dollar in their advertising. With new laws allowing gay marriage on the books, the newest industry to join the trend is the wedding industry.

But Dan McLellan is not consciously a trendsetter. He's just a man who couldn't find a product he wanted. So like many an entrepreneur before him, Dan decided to create the product he couldn't find: gay wedding cards. Mixing a love for quotes and a love for black and white photography, Dan created a collection of romantic gay cards and launched a new website, Homoquotables.com, to showcase his work.

"I was just amazed that there was nothing appropriate out there for the romantic gay relationship," says Dan. "I have only been out for about five years, and I really was not that aware of gay culture. When I fell in love with Michael, I wanted to give him a card that showed him how I felt, and couldn't find anything."

Once Dan created his cards, he took them to a trade show, where the positive response led to the creation of Homoquotables.com. The cards featured on Homoquotables.com are just what Dan was looking for and was unable to find: tender, romantic cards featuring homosexual men in love with their partners. The cards are made of high-quality paper and can be customized to suit the purchaser's needs, by displaying a variety of greetings. Any card can serve as a gay birthday card, a gay wedding card, or a gay card for another occasion in the life of a homosexual friend, family member, or lover.

Click here to see Dan's cards: www.Homoquotables.com.

Dan has big plans for the site. He intends to introduce new cards at the rate of one a month, and wants to create cards for lesbians as well as gay men. He is considering adding e-cards to the site, as well as T-shirts, coffee mugs, and other gift items. Dan hopes eventually to have a selection of over 60 cards. Once ordered, the cards are created and mailed to the customer, a process that takes about a week. Dan also wants to find gay-friendly businesses to keep his cards in stock.

Dan invites gays and lesbians to visit the site not only to purchase cards and gifts, but also to catch up on positive news affecting the gay and lesbian community. Dan's blog, links to news clips, and embedded videos highlight the progress being made for lesbians and gays. Dan believes that a new market is about to explode to meet the needs of engaged and newly married gays and lesbians, and is looking to add links to wedding planners, wedding vendors, honeymoon travel planners, and others who specialize in same-sex weddings.

"I really think the site will fill a niche," explains Dan. "After all, there are so many people who need cards for same-sex couples and gay relatives and friends. Gays get married, travel, have birthdays, graduate from college, get promotions, and need get well wishes just like everyone else. There is a real need for tasteful and loving gay birthday cards and gay cards of all kinds."

About Dan McLellan

In addition to being an entrepreneur, Dan McLellan has been a speech language therapist for the past 25 years. He holds a Master's degree in speech language pathology from the University of Colorado, and works mostly with autistic children and children who have genetic disorders, cerebral palsy, or similarly severe conditions that inhibit their speech.

Married for 23 years and the father of daughter Taylor, 19, and son Jackson, 16, Dan came out five years ago. He and his ex-wife, Kay, divorced amicably, and in addition to her career as an industrial designer, Kay assists Dan with the website. Dan and Michael married in March 2012. Michael is Canadian and he and Dan are dealing with immigration issues, since the Defense of Marriage Act does not allow Dan to sponsor Michael in this country. Dan and Michael live in Boulder, Colorado.

SOURCE Dan McLellan