Being in a relationship is easy. It’s finding the special someone that’s the hard part. You need to go out, look your best, put on the charm, and so on. In today’s world with the introduction of online dating, the obstacle that is finding your other half has evolved into a complicated yet more accessible process. You put in your preferences, put in your information, and you can see potential matches. Its influence has started countless relationships. Today, it has become a social norm. More so, a preference to going out to find someone. Its impact has even affected the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer (LGBTQ) community. Regardless of gender, sexual orientation, affiliation, it gives everyone an opportunity to find that someone. This piece is to discuss the various impacts online dating has in the community.
There is no denying that online dating can be problematic. What makes it difficult for people in the LGBTQ community are a few things. There are men who make a fetish of bisexual women, asking inappropriate questions. Another problem is focused on the transgender community. Most sites only have male/female check boxes. If someone was uncomfortable finding out that someone was transgender after meeting up, the reaction could become hostile. Another that was frequently brought up by members in the community that comes in tandem with the first two. . . the unsolicited crotch pic. This can be difficult for anyone LGBTQ who do not identify in the standards of gender or orientation on dating sites, plus it’s just wrong.
On the flip side of the coin, what makes online dating a positive is that it can be safer. It acts as a buffer, letting you get a feel for what the person is like before you actually go out and meet that person face to face. The sites allow you to view the profiles of people before you message them, to get a better feel. Online dating also offers a larger pool of people to look through. Rather than just scoping out a handful of people out in public. It’s also the next best thing, or safest way to find someone outside of a safe space.
You can listen to a member of the community speak about online dating and safe spaces here.
Common ones that are used are some of the more widely known sites that can be used by anyone, both in and out of the community.
- Match.com
- Plenty of Fish
- Bumble
- Tinder
Then there are community specific sites catering to any that are under the umbrella of the LGBTQ. Some of them are
- Grindr
- Her
- transsingle.com
One of the biggest problems with online dating in the community, is people outside of the community. It is surprising the types of sites that are out there that reject the notion of any love in the LGBTQ. One of the more well know ones is Christian Mingle, which is a belief-oriented dating site. Its market only involves men seeking women, or woman seeking men of certain religious background. Then there are other apps such as Rightly or sites like Trump Dating. It’s shocking to see that these are actively used. But not as surprising as whitepeoplemeet.com, a dating site specific for straight white people. However, it appears to now be out of service. You can find an article on it here. These straight specific sites have added to the schism and stigma of the LGBTQ community.
The online world has inserted a new means of adventure in online dating, both in and out of the LGBTQ community. Even though there are more advantages and disadvantages than previously mentioned, there is one thing about online dating for anyone LGBTQ. It is hopeful, that these sites will help the community reach out more so, regardless of whatever disadvantages there may be. The internet is a vast place and finding an online dating site is possible if you know where to look.