Abstract: The present invention provides dyes of formula I-XXXIV, described in detail below, and dichroic light polarizers based on the dyes. In the dichroic light polarizers of this invention the dye molecules are aggregated into particles oriented in a predetermined direction on a surface of a substrate to enable the dye to polarize light transmitted through the dye. In another embodiment, a dichroic light polarizer includes a molecularly oriented layer of an organic dye on a surface of a substrate. The layer has a non-periodic arrangement of different polarizing elements. Each of the polarizing elements have differing orientations of the polarization vector in the substrate plane and/or differing colors. The dichroic light polarizer may contain one or more additional dye layers and may have a transparent layer intermediate to the dye layer.