gay vague

• gay-vague (attributively)

gay vague (uncountable)

1. (informal) Advertising which includes subtle hints meant to be understood by gay and lesbian people.
   • 2001 May 7, Rob Walker, “Ad Report Card: Minute Maid Makes You Gay! (Happy, That Is)”, in Slate‎, New York, N.Y.: The Slate Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2022-08-14:

     Now, some observers have suggested that, in addition to promoting the happy-making power of Minute Maid, the Popeye spot might just be an example of "gay vague," along with another commercial that I haven't seen, which is airing in Europe—read this for more.

   • 2015 July 21, Nick Rowland, “Brands that come out for LGBT rights must proudly walk the talk”, in The Guardian‎, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-03-26:

     So-called "gay vague" ads, such as Budweiser's Tops and Bottles and Another One's Coming Out, relied on ambiguity and coded messages, while Volkswagen's famous 1997 Sunday Afternoon commercial featured two men in a car, understood either as straight roommates or a gay couple depending on the viewer's sexuality.

   • 2019 February 5, Mohammed El Hazzouri, Kelley Main, Lisa Sinclair, “Out of the closet: Easing the backlash against same-sex couples in advertising”, in The Conversation‎, archived from the original on 2023-07-28:

     Gay-vague advertisements have proven popular with the LGBTQ community members while avoiding backlash from straight consumers. However, as society has become more accepting, mainstream brands started featuring same-sex couples in their advertisements.