Olivia (company)
Encyclopedia
Olivia is a travel
company which sells cruises and resort vacations marketed towards lesbian
customers. It was founded by Judy Dlugacz in 1973 as a women’s record label
, Olivia Records
. It offered its first all-woman cruise in 1990 and remains the only company in the world offering cruises catering just to lesbians. Like its parent company, Olivia takes its name from the heroine of a pulp novel by Dorothy Bussy
who fell in love with her headmistress at French boarding school.
The company has attracted attention due to endorsements from lesbian celebrities, such as golfer Rosie Jones
(who was the first professional athlete in America to endorse a gay-oriented company) tennis player Martina Navratilova and basketball player Sheryl Swoopes
. Entertainers who have performed on Olivia cruises include the Indigo Girls
and Margaret Cho
.
The company was involved in mild controversy in 1998 when its attempt to buy an ad on the sitcom Ellen
s hyped "coming out" episode was rejected by ABC
.
Travel
Travel is the movement of people or objects between relatively distant geographical locations. 'Travel' can also include relatively short stays between successive movements.-Etymology:...
company which sells cruises and resort vacations marketed towards lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
customers. It was founded by Judy Dlugacz in 1973 as a women’s record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, Olivia Records
Olivia Records
Olivia Records was a collective founded in 1973 to record and market women's music. Olivia, named after the heroine of a pulp novel by Dorothy Bussy who fell in love with her headmistress at French boarding school, was the brainchild of ten lesbian-feminists living in Washington, DC who wanted to...
. It offered its first all-woman cruise in 1990 and remains the only company in the world offering cruises catering just to lesbians. Like its parent company, Olivia takes its name from the heroine of a pulp novel by Dorothy Bussy
Dorothy Bussy
Dorothy Bussy was an English novelist and translator.-Family background and childhood:Dorothy Bussy was a member of the Strachey family, one of ten children of Jane Strachey and the great British Empire soldier and administrator Lt-Gen Sir Richard Strachey...
who fell in love with her headmistress at French boarding school.
The company has attracted attention due to endorsements from lesbian celebrities, such as golfer Rosie Jones
Rosie Jones
Rosie Jones is an American professional golfer, with 13 LPGA Tour career victories and nearly $8.4 million in tournament earnings.-Amateur career:Jones was born in Santa Ana, California...
(who was the first professional athlete in America to endorse a gay-oriented company) tennis player Martina Navratilova and basketball player Sheryl Swoopes
Sheryl Swoopes
Sheryl Denise Swoopes is an American professional basketball player who, subsequent to being waived into free agency, signed to re-join the WNBA to play with the Tulsa Shock in 2011. She was the first player to be signed in the WNBA when it was created. She has won three Olympic Gold Medals and...
. Entertainers who have performed on Olivia cruises include the Indigo Girls
Indigo Girls
The Indigo Girls are an American folk rock music duo, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. They met in elementary school and began performing together as high school students in Decatur, Georgia, part of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
and Margaret Cho
Margaret Cho
Margaret Cho is an American comedian, fashion designer, actress, author, and recording artist. Cho is best known for her stand-up routines, through which she critiques social and political problems, especially those pertaining to race and sexuality. She has also directed and appeared in music...
.
The company was involved in mild controversy in 1998 when its attempt to buy an ad on the sitcom Ellen
Ellen (TV series)
Ellen is a U.S. television sitcom that ran on the ABC network from March 29, 1994 to July 22, 1998, producing 109 episodes.The theme song, "So Called Friend" is by Scottish band Texas...
s hyped "coming out" episode was rejected by ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
.
See also
- Gay marketingGay marketingLGBT marketing is the act of marketing to LGBT customers, either with dedicated ads or general ads, or through sponsorships of LGBT organizations and events, or through the targeted use of any other element of the marketing mix.The LGBT market comprises a group of customers who buy goods and...
- List of gay resort areas
- R Family VacationsR Family VacationsR Family Vacations is a LGBT vacation entertainment company that provides luxury cruise ship trips with a focus on inclusive activities for children and services including same-sex marriage ceremonies.-History:...
for LGBTLGBTLGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
families.