LGBTQ dating apps provide outlets with accepting audiences

Dating apps have become a normal and easy way to meet new people in today’s technological society.

Apps like “Tinder” are helping people all over the country and even the world connect with others they normally would not meet.

But many dating apps exclude one demographic: the LGBTQ community.

Rather than putting fruitless effort into finding someone who might not even end up identifying as LGBTQ, the members of this community are able to use apps directed toward them specifically, such as “Her,” “LGBTQutie,” and “Grindr.”

“Her” is an app designed for women who are looking to date other women.

This app offers 13 sexualities one can identify with, as well as a “to be determined” option and an option to leave this category blank.

“Her” also offers 25 different gender identities to choose from.

Danielle Chiriguayo is a fourth year communication student who found her current partner through “Her” and believes apps like this are important.

“It’s very important when dating and trying to find love to have options,” Chiriguayo said. “Identities and sexualities are not black and white, so apps like ‘Her’ do help with that.”

When Chiriguayo was still in the dating scene, she used both “Her” and “Tinder” to meet new people. “Her” was a lot more upfront about sexualities than “Tinder,” she said.

“Her” also presented more positive experiences than negative.

“As someone who identifies as pansexual, I’ve met a lot of gross men on ‘Tinder,’” Chiriguayo said. “Not to say there weren’t any incredibly forward and rude women on ‘Her,’ but the amount of unwelcome responses I’ve received on ‘Her’ were significantly less than ‘Tinder.’”

Another LGBTQ-centric app that is growing in popularity is “LGBTQutie.”

This app not only offers a way for members of the LGBTQ community to meet each other, but it also features news and an events calendar relevant to the community.

This app is also inclusive; it’s not specifically for one subsection of the LGBTQ community, but for anyone who identifies as such.

While there is a popular app for women loving women, there is one just as popular designed for men interested in dating men.

“Grindr” has become increasingly popular, but is not deemed to be the healthiest or safest environment for queer men, especially those of color.

“Grindr” has the stigma of being a hook-up app, and this app is really indicative of how toxic the hook-up culture can be.

The app is not a safe or positive place for anyone who falls out of the ‘pretty white gay boy’ mold, Chiriguayo said.

“I have queer men of color who are good friends of mine who’ve had to deal with straight-up racist queer men on these apps,” Chiriguayo said. “These men would say something to them like ‘if you weren’t black I would love to date you’ or ‘hey, let’s play slave and master tonight.’”

While these apps have their dark sides, they also have benefits.

Through these apps, some LGBTQ individuals are actually able to find people in their community whom they could be compatible with.

“Sometimes for LGBT people, there’s the challenge of knowing if somebody is LGBT, so using an LGBT-specific app would take the guesswork out of it,” said Heidi Stanton-Schnebly, Director of Gender Identity/Expression and Sexual Orientation (GIESORC).

In some situations, these apps can be the safest ways for LGBTQ people to come out to a smaller group of accepting individuals.

Depending on the environment someone is in, these apps could save lives.

“If someone’s not quite ready to share a part of them with the whole world,” said Taylor Schwab, Health and Wellness Health Promotion Specialist and Health Education Coordinator, “like if they’re LGBT and not ready to come out, they have the phone as a barrier.”