Tinder, the popular dating app, has announced a partnership with Diversity Lab, an organization that since 2013 has been dedicated to promoting a culture of inclusion and enhancing diversity as a valuable resource for individuals and companies. The partnership aims to promote a more respectful and inclusive approach to dating, both online and in person. According to Tinder’s Future of Dating Report, more than half (54%) of LGBT+ people between the ages of 18 and 25 have come out on a dating app before doing so to friends and family. “Partnering with Diversity Lab to create this Guide to Inclusive Dating has been a fundamental step in educating the new generations and spreading a more inclusive dating culture. Tinder is a space where safety and authenticity are at the heart of the experience,” says Vicente Balbastre, Senior Communications Manager for Tinder for Southern Europe.
The collaboration between Tinder and Diversity Lab aims to support the new generations in facing the challenges of relationships by promoting a healthy approach to online dating and offering a series of practical tips. “It is essential,” says the guide, “to always respect the identity of other people. Labels can be very important: they give a name to who we are and make us part of a larger community. According to data from the Future of Dating Report, 33% of singles between the ages of 18 and 25 say that sexuality is a more fluid concept nowadays and 29% say that their gender identity has become more fluid over the past three years. It is therefore very important to refer to a person with the terms that they prefer for themselves, even if they change over time”. Diversity Lab has made a glossary of terms available on its website to better understand the LGBT+ community.
“When dating LGBT+ people it is important to take care of the context,” reads the guide. “If you will be in the company of other people, for example, it is better to check that these people have a good awareness of LGBT+ issues and are well disposed towards them. Physical contact is always a personal and delicate matter, but it can be so especially for some LGBT+ people. Rather than assuming that physical contact is fine in all its forms, check with the other person to understand what they are comfortable with, and don’t insist that their boundaries change. This fits in in a general reflection on consensus, on which it is very important that there is always open communication”.