OkCupid's LGBTQ Dating Questions Make Connecting With Matches So Much Easier

While coming out can be painful for some, it also brings many queer people joy, relief, and understanding. Both platonic and romantic relationships between queer people can be strengthened by talking about your coming out journeys. And if you're queer and looking for love online, take note: New OkCupid LGBTQ dating questions are going live this October to help bring a distinctly queer vulnerability to online dating, and spark connections that are deeper than your average, post-match convos.

Since 1994, queer people in the United States have celebrated LGBT History Month every October. Advocates picked October because National Coming Out Day, recognized on Oct. 11, had been on the map since 1988. This year, in honor of LGBT History Month, OkCupid is launching new profile questions throughout October made specifically for its LGBTQ users. Among others, questions include:

• "When did you come out?"
• "Did your family support you coming out?"
• "Does your family understand your gender and sexual identity?"
• "Would you date someone who is the same sexual position as you?" That's to say, for the uninitiated: a top, a bottom, or a verse.
• "Do you consider it cheating to hook up with the opposite sex?"
• "Would you be open to dating someone who does drag?"
• "Would you commit long-term to someone of the same sex?"

Profile prompts tend to be helpful in scratching past the surface of cute faces and quippy bios on dating apps. But answering these questions about distinctly queer experiences can help nudge you and your match past the typical, tired small talk.

The OkCupid team decided to add more queer-specific questions for a number of reasons, but mainly because, according to their own research, the team found that 15% of new users over the past year identified as LGBTQ. Recognizing their rapidly growing queer community, the team wanted to give users "the chance to dig deeper," Michael Kaye, OkCupid's Global Communications Manager, tells Elite Daily.

"These questions came from LGBTQIA+ members of our own team, as well as by asking members of the community what is important to them," Kaye explains. "We recognized that there are many questions LGBTQIA+ users want to ask each other, that don't apply to straight people."

Compared to other dating apps and services like Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble, OkCupid is one of the most LGBTQ-inclusive. There are 22 gender options to choose from, including non-binary, genderfluid, and two spirit. You can also choose from 13 different sexual orientation options, including asexual, demisexual, and questioning. There's also a specific slot for your pronouns in your OkCupid bio. And while these extra LGBTQ dating questions are launching throughout October for LGBT History Month, they will remain a permanent feature on the app moving forward.

So, next time you're perusing potential matches on OkCupid and looking for something to say, you just might end up making a surprisingly meaningful and intimate connection — filled with vulnerability and compassion because of the experiences you hold closest to your heart. That's pretty worth matching for, if you ask me.