Tinder adding gender identity options for transgender users
CEO says changes "good for the Tinder community" and transgender users
“There’s a transgender community on Tinder and we haven’t done enough.”
–Tinder CEO Sean Rad, speaking at Recode’s Code Conference. ‘Super-like’ it or hate it, Tinder has officially nestled its way into our culture. Whether you delete and re-download every other day or are a serial swiper, the app has forever changed how we date.
While Tinder has certainly made dating easier — or at least faster — it hasn’t been so friendly to the trans community. Tinder CEO Sean Rad admitted that “there’s a transgender community on Tinder and we haven’t done enough to give them a good experience.”
At the moment, Tinder users are restricted to identify themselves — and prospective partners — exclusively as either ‘male’ or ‘female’. These limited options prevent trans individuals from expressing themselves honestly in the app. Last year, Business Insider found that trans users were experiencing rampant transphobia on Tinder, with many being reported and even banned from the app. While Tinder draws data from Facebook, it fails to incorporate the inclusive 58 gender options available on the social media site.
At the Code Conference, Rad said that on Tinder “it’s hard for [trans individuals] to get what they are looking for.” According to Rad, changes to the app will allow people to better specify their gender identity and the type of person they want to meet. About the changes, Rad says, “it’s not only good for the Tinder community, but it’s the right thing to do for the world.”
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