OkCupid Adds Black Lives Matter Badge to Profiles

Dating app OkCupid has rolled out a new Black Lives Matter badge for users to add to their profiles. The app has also added a list of questions about racial injustice and inequality for users to start meaningful conversations.

Users can add the badge by answering yes to the question: “Do you want to support the #BlackLivesMatter movement by adding a badge to your profile?” according to the OkCupid Blog. It is currently available in more than a dozen countries. 

OkCupid is also offering new questions as conversation prompts, starting with: “Is it okay to silently support racial equality?” Users can choose from multiple choice options which include “Yes, it’s your choice” and “No, it’s important to make your voice heard.” Users can also choose how important the question is to them for choosing a match.

How the Black Lives Matter Badge works.

Image: OkCupid

Another question is: “how will you address racial inequality?” Answers include: “I will donate my money and/or time,” “I will protest,” “I will educate myself/ others,” and “I will do all of the above.” Users can also identify which answers they will accept in a match.

The new features have been out for only a week, and so far 100,000 users have responded, according to OkCupid. Mashable reported that the majority have said it’s not okay to silently support racial equality, and about 70 percent said they are protesting. Nine percent reported that they have donated time or money to a racial justice cause.

OkCupid has never been shy about encouraging political discourse among its users, and its latest move is no different. The app already offers a range of political topics to discuss, including encouraging users to state their views on marriage equality and whether or not they support Planned Parenthood. Its most recent marketing campaign entitled “Ask Yourself” engaged users in discussion about these progressive topics of abortion, gender identity and activism. The company found that many of its users would not consider dating someone whose political beliefs and values didn’t align with theirs.

OkCupid is also putting its money behind political actions. The badges are a sign among users that they support racial equality, but the company announced where it stands on the issue, too. OkCupid will be donating $50,000 to the ACLU, Black Girls Code (a program that supports black girls who are interested in STEM), Fair Fight Action (founded by former Gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams to help support fair elections and educate people on their voting rights), and the NAACP. 

OkCupid has also pledged to donate a million dollars in advertising space to black civil rights organizations, according to Mashable.

For more on this dating service you can read our review of OkCupid app and website.