In their latest Future of Dating report, Tinder found that 54 percent of LGBTQIA+ identifying 18-25-year-olds say they were out on a dating app before they were out to friends and family.
The study also found that today's young singles say their sexuality and gender identity have become more fluid over the past 3 years.
Melissa Hobley, Chief Marketing Officer at Tinder, said the company was committed to queer youth.
“Our LGBTQIA+ members aged 18-25 have more than doubled in the last two years, and the community is the fastest growing population on Tinder” she said in a statement. “We’re so honored to play a role in their journey from coming out to finding community, and are committed to creating more inclusive ways to make the authentic connections we know today’s daters value most.”
To celebrate Pride Month and to honor the fastest-growing community on Tinder, the app will release a new set of profile stickers to give queer users and allies additional ways to connect with each other.
The "My First Pride" sticker was created "to help first-time Pride attendees find and connect with others to experience Pride with," Tinder shared in a statement.
"Came Out Online" is a sticker that celebrates those who took their first coming out steps digitally — like those surveyed in the study.
The "Save Queer Spaces" sticker reflects the importance of queer spaces that provide acceptance and community both online and offline.
The "Happy Pride" sticker commemorates Pride Month, and the "Proud Ally" sticker stresses the importance of allyship and support to LGBTQ+ communities.
Tinder
Historically, Tinder has been supportive of its queer user base. In 2019, the app released a safety update that provides alerts when LGBTQ+ users travel to any of the 70+ countries that have criminalized same-sex relations. Last year, they teamed up with the Human Rights Campaign in an initiative to end the blood donation ban for gay and bisexual men.
The new profile stickers will be available on the app beginning June 1.
