Matching with potential partners online has never been easier. Since 2012, Tinder has been a go-to for single people trying to find everything from their next fling to a long-lasting relationship.
Today, the dating app announced that it's working to become more inclusive and help users express their sexuality. Just in time for Pride Month, Tinder teamed up with GLAAD(opens in a new tab) to allow users to add more information on their sexual orientation to their profile. This way, the app can tailor their matches based on their sexual preferences.
“We want all of our users to feel empowered expressing who they are while connecting with new people -- and we’re always working to make that easier for our users on Tinder,” said Tinder CEO, Elie Seidman, in a statement. “Dating apps are invaluable platforms for connecting the LGBTQ community, and we’re beyond proud to continue our efforts, in partnership with GLAAD, to improve the community’s experience on Tinder.”
Users can edit their sexual orientation by going to "Edit Info" in the app. From there, they can tap "Orientation" to add up to three terms that they feel best represent their sexual orientation.
Tinder offers many sexual orientations to choose from, including bisexual and asexual. Users can also check "show me people of the same orientation first" to further customize and streamline their swiping experience.
Users don't have to feel pressure to make this information public, either. After adjusting the settings, it's up to each person whether or not they want their orientation displayed on their profile.
“Tinder continues to show a dedication to inclusivity with updates that reach millions of people and create safer spaces for LGBTQ users,” said GLAAD's chief communications officer, Rich Ferraro, in a statement. “Their latest work to expand additional sexual orientation options is an impactful change that helps LGBTQ people authentically express their full selves and gives LGBTQ users more control over potential matches."
In an email to Mashable, Ferraro added that "the teams behind apps are often times not well versed in the ins and outs of creating updates that are safe and inclusive for the full LGBTQ community, but Tinder has raised the bar for the industry by once again including GLAAD and so many voices from the community at all phases.”
The dating app rolled out this update after a study conducted by Tinder found that most LGBTQ users in the U.S. were looking for ways to easily display their sexual orientation on dating platforms.
This update will become available to current users in the U.S., UK, Canada, Ireland, India, Australia and New Zealand throughout the month. Good news — from here on out, new users will have the sexual orientation feature available right when they sign up.
UPDATE: June 4, 2019, 7:57 p.m. EDT Updated to include an additional quote from GLAAD's Rich Ferraro.
