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Retailers are becoming a lot less closeted. Many retailers are turning their attention to gays and lesbians, a group that wields substantial buying power but isn’t fully integrated into mainstream advertising.

Similar to other moves to attract different minority groups, the push comes with risks, as it could threaten the retailers’ relationships with some of their longtime shoppers. Nonetheless, from JC Penneys high-profile hiring of openly gay Ellen DeGeneres as its spokeswoman, to Target Corp. selling same-sex greeting cards, retailers are trying ways to cozy up to a community that by one estimate is as much as 16 million strong and has almost double the disposable income of the average American—some $49,000 per capita compared with the $26,000 average.

The efforts, while nascent, show a growing interest in reaching out to consumer groups beyond the standard Caucasian audience. Indeed, courting the gay market follows on retailers’ increased interest in ethnic groups, specifically blacks and Hispanics. For years, retailers have advertised in gay magazines and through other gay media. But now they increasingly are going mainstream, whether through their choice of representatives or whom they put on the front of their catalogs. Many households populated by gays, especially couples, have migrated to suburbia, long the bastion of large retailers. J.C. Penney has been more aggressive than other large retailers in courting gays.

In addition to hiring Ms. DeGeneres, the company featured two women as a couple in its May catalog and two men in its June offering. J.C. Penney also had a float in New York’s Gay Pride parade. J.C. Penney’s monthly catalog is mailed to 14 million customers nationwide. “We are committed to being a store for all Americans. Our marketing reflects the diversity of today’s families,” J.C. Penney spokeswoman Kate Coultas said.