eHarmony Partners with GLAAD to Provide Data on Coming Out in Dating App Culture

In time for National Coming Out Day on October 11th and Spirit Day on October 17, a new report was released by GLAAD in partnership with eHarmony that explores the way dating apps intersect with how the LGBTQ+ community shares their identities and sexual preferences.

The report details how non-binary, trans and LGB+ daters express (or don’t express) themselves and their preferences over dating apps, and their differences in experiences on these platforms.

Overall, Gen Z daters have been much more likely than previous generations to come out on a dating app. Sixty-six percent of Gen Z daters came out before they were 18 years old, and 93 percent came out by age 22, compared to only 40 percent and 76 percent of Millennials, respectively.

When asked to describe their coming out experience, 64 percent said it made them feel true to themselves, and 49 percent felt more connected to family and friends. Forty-six percent said it helped them gain a sense of community. More than half admitted it was also a scary experience (53 percent).

There was a wider gap in responses between cis and trans daters, however, and their comfort levels in expressing themselves on dating apps.

Researchers found that a whopping 45 percent of trans and non-binary people reported that they do not disclose their gender on a dating app because they might be fetishized (compared to only 6 percent of cis men who felt fetishized on dating apps). A majority of 58 percent said they find it hard to know who will be accepting of their gender, and 53 percent said they feel like “an afterthought” by dating app companies.

Concerns of being bullied were 3 times higher among trans respondents compared to cis participants, and 41 percent of trans people felt unwanted by potential cis matches.

Alex Schmider, GLAAD’s senior director of entertainment & transgender inclusion, noted in the press release: “Despite the fact that the majority of transgender and nonbinary people report being a lot more satisfied with their lives after taking steps to be themselves, the fear of not being accepted by others remains a reality.”

Thirty percent of Bi+ daters also expressed some concerns with men fetishizing them on dating apps, and 26 percent said they feel judged by others in the LGBTQ+ community. Seventy-four percent of respondents said that bisexuality is misunderstood in our society, and 30 percent of cis Bi+ men and women said that it was emotionally difficult when they first disclosed their sexual orientation on a dating app.

Sarah Kate Ellis, President & CEO of GLAAD said in the press release: “Younger generations are more likely to be LGBTQ than the generations before them. While the LGBTQ community, including our corporate allies, is facing extraordinary levels of legislative and cultural backlash, LGBTQ people are wanting places to feel safe and be able to be fully themselves.”

She went on to say: “Providing places that not only invite and welcome LGBTQ people, but also take measures to protect and support their belonging will not only bring about connection online but create a more accepting world outside.”

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