The dating app, Tinder, is releasing an update to users that embraces everyone, regardless of gender identity.
The online dating world is much more complex than is used to be, and while the dating scene has progressively changed, many dating platforms have not. According to the Advocate, users of Tinder have voiced their frustration and isolation caused by the company, as strictly conformist gender identity options have only allowed you to associate as either "female or "male". Unfortunately, this has allowed unjust harassment towards non-conforming communities. In Tinder"s announcement regarding the change, the company identified past issues in enabling proper expression of personal identity:
"No one will ever be banned from Tinder because of their gender. We haven’t had the right tools to serve our diverse community in the past, but that changes today. In addition to this new feature, we are learning to be a better ally to transgender and gender non-conforming communities by allocating additional resources to our support team, which includes educating our staff about the challenges facing these communities."
A forthcoming update to Tinder will allow users to express from 37 identity options. Now, you can select "I am", and choose from a broad range of terms that personally fits with your identified gender. You can also choose to display your profile within searches that best match your identity.
CEO Sean Rad has previously stated that the company has been working on these changes for quite some time. However, the political climate in the United States following the recent presidential elections has required that the company improves the way that diversity is expressed on its platform.