Creation of .xxx Domain, .god Domain and .gay Domain Being Considered by ICANN this Week

The Internet Patrol default featured image
Share the knowledge

You’ve probably already heard of the .xxx domain that has been proposed, rejected, re-rejected, and reconsidered, but did you know that there are also a .god domain and a .gay domain being considered? The .xxx domain was first proposed – and provisionally approved – back in 2005, and then was rejected in 2006 and 2007, primarily as a result of lobbying by conservative and religious groups; now it’s being reconsidered. Interestingly, the .god domain, which has had considerably less press, was first proposed as far back as 1995, and has been in the public awareness since at least 2000. The .gay domain is among the newest of proposed TLD (Top Level Domain) offerings (actually “gTLD”, which stands for generic Top Level Domain), although not the only new one (consider New York City’s request for a .nyc domain) – all of which are being considered this week as the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) meets in Nairobi.

While the proposed .xxx domain is certainly controversial, the .god domain has garnered formidable opposition as well, and interestingly the two share some of the same opponents: organized religion. No less an authority than the Vatican and the Pope himself have called on ICANN to reject a .god domain, arguing for a separation of Church and ICANN.

Said the Pope, in a message forwarded by Monsignor Carlo Maria Polvani, the Pope’s representative to the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) to ICANN:

The Holy See, being an active member of the GAC, would like to contribute to ICANN’s
success in its upcoming project of creation of new gTLD’s. Specifically, the Holy See would
like to bring to the attention of the Board of ICANN the possible perils connected with the
assignment of new gTLDs with reference to religious traditions (e.g., .catholic, .anglican,
.orthodox, .hindu, .islam; .muslim, .buddhist, etc…). These gTLDs could provoke competing
claims among theological and religious traditions and could possibly result in bitter disputes
that would force ICANN, implicitly and/or explicitly, to abandon its wise policy of neutrality by
recognizing to a particular group or to a specific organization the legitimacy to represent a
given religious tradition. The Holy See recognizes that the Community Objection process
proposed as part of ICANN’s draft new gTLD implementation model may be a mechanism for
addressing these concerns. Hence, mindful that Article 2.1 of the GAC Principles regarding
new gTLDs (28 March, 2007), prescribes that the latter should respect “the sensitivities
regarding terms with national, cultural, geographic and religious significance”, the Holy See
asks the Board of ICANN to commence a discussion on the process of assignment of gTLDs
with religious significance, including any objection process, before moving forward with its
final implementation. The Holy See would like to assure the Board of ICANN’s that it remains
at its disposal to offer its advice and assistance, if such it is deemed opportune and necessary.

While no such notable heavy hitters have (yet) come out (no pun intended) in opposition to the .gay domain, you can be sure that there will be opposition to the application for a .gay domain, which was first proposed just a few months ago. The .gay domain is being applied for and championed by the “Dot Gay Alliance”, headed by Joe Dolce, a partner with the DolceGoldin media strategy firm. Explains Dolce, “The LGBT community has always supported itself and its causes – no one was there to help us. We’ve made amazing progress in the 40 years since Stonewall*. Now in the digital era a .GAY top-level domain is a logical evolution in our history of self sustenance.” Dolce added that a .gay domain would be used to “provide a reliable and ethical source of funding for LGBT civil rights.” *{Ed. note: The Stonewall Riots were in response to a police raid on the Stonewall Inn, one of the few establishments known to be welcoming to gays in the 60s.}

The Internet Patrol is completely free, and reader-supported. Your tips via CashApp, Venmo, or Paypal are appreciated! Receipts will come from ISIPP.

CashApp us Square Cash app link

Venmo us Venmo link

Paypal us Paypal link

Arguments both for and against the creation of additional top level domains abound, and that’s without even getting to the question of what, if any, those new domains should be. For years, the holy trinity of .com, .org, and .net (with their first cousins .gov and .edu) have been THE Top Level Domains, and all efforts to make inroads have paled by comparison (quick, how many other TLDs can you think of? And would you even have remembered .gov and .edu, had we not mentioned them?)

Perhaps, then, the right question to ask is not so much “should we allow .xxx, .god, and .gay” but, if they are allowed, will it really make that much difference to the vast majority of activity on the vast majority of the Internet?

Get New Internet Patrol Articles by Email!

The Internet Patrol is completely free, and reader-supported. Your tips via CashApp, Venmo, or Paypal are appreciated! Receipts will come from ISIPP.

CashApp us Square Cash app link

Venmo us Venmo link

Paypal us Paypal link

 


Share the knowledge

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.