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Loading ...eHarmony now loves gay people. Really.
“As people start using Compatible Partners,” says Waldorf, “We’ll be increasing our knowledge about same-sex relationships and the nuances of how they are similar to and different from opposite-sex relationships. We’ll use those insights to improve the site and add new features to benefit users.”
And as far as the new Newlywed Game is concerned, eHarmony sponsored the entire first season and has provided from their pool of successful matches some of the show’s contestants. The season’s episodes are in the can, and since Compatible Partners is just launching this week, it seems Ellen and Portia will be the only same-sex couple to be seen sitting in those familiar rolling seats for a long time to come.
“The bad feelings that may have existed in the past – from the gay community to eHarmony – I hope, over time, will dissipate,” says Waldorf. “I realize that we’re starting from a position that not everyone thinks highly of us. And I hope people will judge us based on the service that we offer. I believe that we are going ot enter this market with the same commitment and credibility around offering individuals a high-quality way to find long-term relationships. And how we got here, to me, is just not relevant.”
Whether their new-found commitment to same-sex happiness is genuine or simply a reaction to economies of scale, eHarmony, for better or for worse, is now in bed with the gay – perhaps in a marriage of convenience.
Bottomline? The settlement marks a sea change for eHarmony. Only time will tell if the “change” is not just the kind you can hear jingling in your pocket, but the kind you can believe in.
Kate X Messer is the Senior Features Editor and “Gay Place” blogger at The Austin Chronicle, in Austin, Texas.
Another separate but equal. Why do we even bother wasting our time to spend LGBTQ $$$ with these bigots? Aren’t there more important issues on the GAY AGENDA?
I’d like to address Jessi’s first question (I’m the writer). I neglected to include CEO Greg Waldorf’s answer regarding sex/gender identity. Here it is, unedited.
Waldorf: “People are asked whether they are male or female and whether they are seeking to be matched with men or women. People need to answer those questions based on how they define themselves.”
After starting a gay and lesbian relationship-focused dating site similar to eHarmony, called oneGoodlove.com, I am always happy to see more sites created to assist members of the LGBT community find TRUE LOVE. After all, we should all have the right to find our soul mate, regardless of sexual preference. But after working at Match.com and speaking to eHarmony about private-labeling their product to me 5 years ago, I only hope eHarmony and Chemistry.com (Match.com’s product) are offered to the LGBT community for THE RIGHT REASONS and not just for financial gain. I will only be happy when both eHarmony.com and Chemsitry/Match.com’s heart is truly in it!
business’s are always told what to do by the government, when the government is so inclined to to do so.
I must have handicap access to my business, I must collect sales tax,I must not refuse business based on race or religion, most recently I must not permit smoking in my business.
I would love to refuse service based on political affiliation, but I cannot.
this is no different.
Matt:
The reason this is important is EHarmony sells a product and earns money from Californians. The bottom line is if you want to make money in California you have to treat all people equal and obey the laws of the state. An example of obeying the law is:” how many marriage licenses have been issued to same sex couples since Nov4.”
This is ridiculous. Why are we making a PRIVATE company do this? It only gives fodder to those who are bitter against gay people to say “Look! This is the gay agenda! Right here!!!”
Hmm… I don’t really agree with forcing a Christian Dating Service to partner gay men and women. Why are we forcing businesses to do what they don’t want to do? Especially since they have no experience with single-sex couples, and have decades of experience with heteros.
That’s the free-market capitalist part of me
However, I am going to take this in good faith. There are not many online dating sites for relationships in the gay community, there are mostly hookup sites. Perhaps, although it is forced, it will turn out well.
It seems that eHarmony was forced into the site, but they decided to embrace it and see if they can make a buck. If they want to make any cash off of it, then they will have to produce a good product. I checked out the site, and the first 6 months are free, as it’s probably the company’s beta testing for the site, to figure out what works and doesn’t for the gay community.
Finding this article on April 1 doesn’t thrill me, so I will withhold judgment until and see if the new matching site remains in place.
IF it is for real, it’s a step in the right direction, even if it is for economic reasons or only because they were sued into seeing the error of their bigoted ways.
Personally, I have no interested in pursuing their 29 areas of compatibility that were developed within a religious mind-set and worldview. But it will be interesting to follow this.
I agree with Matthew P.’s comment. If we are actually considered equal, it would seem eHarmony would simply expand into same-sex options within their own Web site. This feels more little more than having to ‘use the other water fountain’ marked just for us.
Wait… why the hell are we fighting with eHarmony?!?! There are SO many more important things going on that we should be focusing on. I don’t understand why we are wasting our breath with this… Are there REALLY any gay’s that would actually sign up for this? It is like looking for a gay partner in a straight bar… separate website or not. We should be boycotting.
This is a crock. This should be illegal in California based on last year’s Supreme Court ruling in the marriage cases. Yes Prop 8 took away the word marriage but the rights and the concept of equal protection are still in force. I seriously suggest this company stop this separate system or face the possibility of continued litigation over this. EHarmony’s website clearly says “You are about to be taken to Compatible Partners, a new matching site for same sex relationships, powered by eHarmony” because you as a gay American, Californian are not good enough for our main matching system.
@David in Houston; I think it’s a better idea to separate the two websites because then you run quite a risk of heterosexual members who are against homosexuality harassing you or ‘pretending’ to be gay/lesbian. I don’t see why people are so up in arms over this. They’re a private company, if they didn’t want to cater to gays, they shouldn’t be forced to.
This is such a crock. They were legally forced to do this. They couldn’t care less about gay people. This reeks of hypocrisy. Then they have the audacity to create a new website instead of merging gay customers into eHarmony. We wouldn’t want to offend all those homophobic/religious straight customers would we? If I were single, I wouldn’t visit Compatible Partners even if it were my only option for meeting gay men online.
This is an interesting predicament we find ourselves in. Do we give our total attention to a gay friendly organization or spread the wealth in the optimism that our influence will rub off.
By reading their responses, I feel that they are wanting to understand us from a purely ecomonical reason. There is nothing wrong with that. In America, if you are not worth a buck then you are nothing. Can we play devil’s advocate with E-Harmony to further our influence and the battles without feeling guilt over this Machiavellian move we are to make? Is it the right time to divide and conquer? I mean E-Harmony is a religious dating site so Compatible Partners will most likely cater to the same. We will only be sacrificing a few of our members to further our great agenda. Do you think it is worth it? I think so.
I took their ‘29 dimensions of compatability’ quiz years ago (under the guise of a heterosexual, of course) just to see it and there was NOTHING in that quiz that wouldn’t apply to ANYONE taking it, regardless of sexuality or gender expression. They hid behind that argument for a long time and ultimitely had their lies uncovered.
and what about trans-persons looking for partners?
is this included?
or is this another lawsuit?