The 2008 Prime Access/PlanetOut Gay and Lesbian Consumer Study has revealed that Apple is among the top six gay-friendly brands in the US, next to Bravo, Showtime, HBO, Absolut, Levi's and many others, the Macworld website reveals.

The study, carried out on 2,259 adults aged between 18 and 64, revealed that Apple is seen as gay-friendly by as much as 39 per cent of the gay and lesbian population in the US. Apple is currently chasing only Bravo's 52 per cent share, the folks at Macworld mention. It also helps to point out that the survey is one of the largest and most comprehensive of its kind, tracking gay and lesbian consumer habits and brand perceptions.

So, if we're going to go by this study, more than two-thirds of gay and lesbian consumers in the US (that's 68 per cent) are more likely to buy from a company they consider as being gay-friendly, "a perception they base largely on a company's advertising, followed by input from friends and the media," the publication reveals. As much as 71 percent of gay and lesbian consumers declared they have "a more favorable impression of companies or products that feature gay imagery in their advertising," the same report reads.

Well, of course. If you were gay, you'd want to see gay, right? Why does every study have to reach a point where it's annoyingly pointing out something so obvious that even a monkey could make the difference? Check out this study conducted by the guys at the Duke University and the University of Waterloo, and you'll see what I mean.

So, in a nutshell, Apple is for snobs and intelligently curious folks, but also for gay people. Could there be a small chance that the surveyed people fit both profiles? Either way, Apple sure is enjoying a good dose of popularity from the most diverse bunch.