New Delhi: Online dating platform Bumble has introduced for its Indian users a courtship guide for queers in an effort to promote inclusivity and a healthy dating experience on its app.
Be it learning how to navigate first dates, personal insights from LGBTQ+ people across the gender and sexuality spectrum or knowing how to prioritise one’s emotional needs — the guide covers it all.
The online dating platform — known to be India’s women-first dating app — has teamed up with multiple social justice collectives, including Social Media Matters, Rangeen Khidki, Sappho for Equality, and Official Humans of Queer along with equal rights activists Harish Iyer and Manak Matiyani, to compile the advisory.
It offers an in-depth guide on how to navigate difficult conversations and situations. These include ways to initiate conversations on being misgendered by a match, how to enter the dating circuit while still closeted, and ways to define boundaries and dating expectations virtually.
Bumble has introduced a slew of features to enhance its inclusivity campaign. The ‘Incognito Mode’ feature lets users have more control over who can see their profile while swiping and also takes a stance against identity-based hate and helps moderate instances of harassment, fetishisation, homophobia and body-shaming language.
It has also updated its member experience for matches with nonbinary people, where either person can make the first move on Bumble Date. Women will continue to make the first move in matches with men. In matches between people of the same gender, either person can make the first move.
Some of its longstanding features include the option for people to expand upon their gender identities and sexual orientations, enabling them to better express themselves in a way that best reflects who they are, with options such as “transwoman”, “intersex man”, “genderfluid” and more.
This can be changed at any time, as many times as the person would like. Users can also choose to share their gender identity and pronouns directly on their profile. The company worked in collaboration with GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) to help ensure that it thoughtfully served the needs of its diverse communities.
On the safety front, other longstanding features include “Unmatch” and “Block and Report” options which encourages a safer and healthier dating experience.
It’s ‘Private Detector’ tool — an algorithm that determines if a received photo may contain an obscene image and gives the user the option to decide whether or not to view it — also features in this list.
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