Shares started trading today on a hot IPO. Or should we say hott IPO. No, it's not some Richard Branson venture, technology firm or national retailer. The buzz on this offering is about money, for sure, but it's also about culture. Shares of San Francisco's PlanetOut, Inc. - the first "gay-directed" company to be traded on a major international exchange - are now available for purchase. What's their ticker symbol? Why, LGBT, of course.

A survivor of the dot-bomb, PlanetOut managed to keep their heads above water with both subscription-based services as well as advertising. With Gay.com, originally registered in 1994, PlanetOut has the most recognizable URL in the gay community - from the company's site, "Nielsen NetRatings ranks Gay.com second in terms of average time online and sixteenth in terms of visits per person among all websites measured."

Planet out expects to raise $39 million, which they intend to invest into more site traffic, subscribers and international portals. Other brands include Kleptomaniac for shopping and Out & About for travel. Shares opened at $10 each and had risen to $10.75 on 292,019 shares traded today.