Tinder’s ‘Let’s talk Gender’ navigates dating beyond the binary

Tinder, the world’s most popular app for meeting new people, launched LetsTalkGender.in, a guide and glossary developed in partnership with Gaysi Family, encouraging conversations about ways in which individuals identify and express their gender. Tinder was the first dating app in 2016 to empower its members to identify themselves beyond the binary. Taking a cue from the 50+ gender identities and 9 sexual orientations available on the Tinder app, this dynamic, living guide and glossary, was developed with a diverse group of several contributors from the LGBTQIA+ community. 

LetstalkGender.in explains what the binary is, why it is experienced as limiting, the importance and use of pronouns and what a partner's queerness means for someone who is dating them along with answers to frequently asked questions and curiosities. As one navigates through the microsite, it expands into a glossary of gender identities and descriptors based on lived experiences by members of the community. These identities, as also seen on the Tinder app, is a combination of umbrella terms, many of which are fluid while there are others that point to a combination of gender identities.

Sakshi Juneja, Co-Founder, Gaysi Family shared “The way we understand and experience gender is evolving and the only way to stay abreast of it is to keep having these conversations. Not just within the community but in wider social spaces, because it also shapes our relationships - both intimate and otherwise, how we navigate consent, how we are able to access resources and institutions such as marriage. And it’s important that brands like Tinder, who have a considerable influence and presence in society, support the creation of such spaces to engender and create an environment that's inclusive where such expressions can be freely explored.”

‘Let's Talk Gender is a long-term commitment for us that deepens our support to the Indian LGBTQIA+ community and encourages inclusive conversations in the dating ecosystem. This living glossary, developed by experts, provides a more personal understanding of identity and brings us closer to having a world where everyone is able to have complete autonomy over their choices and self-expression, values which Tinder holds close.” Aahana Dhar, Director of Communications India, Tinder.  

Tinder has always supported its members’ freedom to explore their individuality and how they show up in the app and IRL. With more than half of Tinder members globally being 18-25 year old, and as the most fluid of any generation ever, Tinder has revealed its LGBTQIA+ member base has grown at twice the rate of its overall membership, and that non-binary is the No. 1 “more genders” choice in the app. ‘Let’s Talk Gender’ represents the fluidity that exists in the gender spectrum with voices from the LGBTQIA+ community keeping gender, sexuality and personal autonomy at the core. Indian Tinder members will see in-app cards on Tinder highlighting the Let's Talk Gender guide that they can click into to explore the glossary. 

In app features 

Tinder was the first mobile based dating apps that introduced sexual orientation to give people a feature that empowered them to identify beyond man or woman in 2016. We built this feature with the help of our transgender and gender non-conforming members and consultants, including Nick Adams and Alex Schmider from GLAAD’s Transgender Media Program, and filmmaker and trans advocate Andrea James.  In India, this feature was built in partnership with Humsafar Trust to add gender orientations including indigenous identities. Tinder is also the only dating app to have a safety feature called Traveler’s Alert created in partnership with ILGA World to inform members of the LGBTQIA+ community of the risks inherent in using dating apps in countries that still have discriminatory laws marginalising the LGBTQIA community. 

Community initiatives in India 

Over the years, Tinder has supported the LGBTQIA+ community by including queer narratives across campaigns, content, and stories. In 2020, we launched the Museum of Queer Swipe Stories in partnership with Gaysi Family that captured the many moods and complexities of queer dating in India. Last year, we  launched Queer Made in partnership with Little Black Book and Gaysi Family to provide a space dedicated to celebrating, supporting and amplifying businesses and products made, owned and/or run by India’s LGBTQIA+ community. In order to encourage self-expression and being loud and proud of one’s identity, we recently released a limited-edition ‘All of a kind’ capsule collection of 10 sneakers with FILA, hand illustrated by artists across India, highlighting the theme of identity, authenticity and diversity. We also launched Tinder Mixers for singles, exclusive curated IRL events, and partnered with Gaysi Family to organise a queer mixer in Mumbai. This year, Queer Made is going IRL in the form of Queer Made Weekend - a two day festival this pride month showcasing products and services from queer entrepreneurs and business owners.