Conservative Dating App The Right Stuff to Launch in September
Contributed by: kellyseal on Wednesday, August 17 2022 @ 11:14 am
Last modified on Wednesday, August 17 2022 @ 11:25 am
The Right Stuff, a dating app for conservatives that is backed by Peter Thiel, will launch in September of this year.
The announcement came from the company’s social media platforms, with a video promotion starring Ryann McEnany, sister of former Trump press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, touting the app’s features. "The Right Stuff is all about getting into the right dating pool with people who share the same values and beliefs as you," she says in the video. She also notes that the app is “invite only,” aiming to model itself after exclusive dating apps like The League.
Thiel invested $1.5 million in the app, which Axios said is being created by a company run by former Trump political aide John McEntee. Former Trump White House advisor Daniel Huff is a co-founder of the app.
“It’s an important, underserved market,” Huff told The Hill[*1] in an interview. “Liberals own the education, media corporations, and we can’t let them control our personal relationships.”
The app itself is similar to dating apps that are already out there. Users create profiles and then browse others with the option to “like.” When two users like each other, it creates a match and they can chat and create a date to go on. (When a user creates a date, they can share privately with their match or publicly for anyone to see, and perhaps attract a new match that way.)
McEnany points out in the video that while the app is free for anyone to use, women have access to premium features at no cost, as long as they invite two friends to join. Men however are required to pay for those premium features.
In addition, she notes that the app only provides two gender choices – “ladies or gentlemen” as she states in the video, and that there are “no pronouns necessary.” This indicates the app excludes the LGBTQ+ community, although The Hill reported that although the app will at first focus only on heterosexual dating, it could include same-sex relationships in the future.
The announcement has already sparked controversy and jokes on social media, with some people naming it “The White Stuff” and “Conspiracy Theory Tinder,” according to The Wrap.
Some experts question the launch of The Right Stuff, when popular dating platforms like Tinder and Bumble already offer filters that lets users match with users who hold similar political beliefs. But website Verdict points out conservative daters have felt sidelined by mainstream apps, where those who have more liberal views tend to receive more likes and matches.
The Right Stuff[*2] will initially be available only on iOS devices.