Dating Apps Promise to Remain a Rare Haven Following Trump’s Executive Order

Only moments later for him Taking the oath On Monday, President Donald Trump announced advertisement To those present at his inauguration: “From now on it will be the policy of the United States government that there are only two sexes: male and female.” Then Trump signed on Executive order Disparaging what the White House called “gender ideology” and claiming that a person’s gender is “unchangeable.” [is] It is based on a fundamental and indisputable fact.”

Trump’s order, which was widely viewed as a decision unscientific Attempting to roll back the rights of transgender and gender-expansive people, it also directs federal agencies to “require that government-issued identity documents, including passports, visas, and global entry cards, accurately reflect the holder’s sex,” rather than their gender identity. . It was one of 78 orders signed Monday, some of which were part of Trump’s attempts to end Biden-era policies that “socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life.”

While the executive order only affects federal policy, the broader implications are wide-ranging. It has only been a decade since the advent of FacebookReal nameThe policy made it difficult for people to maintain accounts under names different from those on their identities. Facebook has since modified these guidelines, but companies like Meta Clear the road for users to claim that trans people suffer from “mental illness,” and are safe digital spaces for LGBTQ+ people It seems to be diminishing. Except in one arena: dating apps.

Following Trump’s executive order, both Match Group and Field told WIRED that they have no intention of reversing course when it comes to the gender identity options offered on their respective platforms.

“We don’t make changes to our apps,” says a spokesperson for Match Group, which owns OkCupid, Tinder, Hinge and several other dating platforms.

It remains to be seen how other technology companies will respond to the executive order. It appears that some, like Meta, were making overtures to the incoming Trump administration before this week. Earlier this month, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company would do just that Termination of the third-party validation program And move to a community feedback form, similar to X.

Zuckerberg promoted the sudden reversal as an attempt to expand freedom of expression across Facebook, Instagram and Threads and allow more political content. “We will work to simplify our content policies and eliminate a range of restrictions on topics like immigration and gender that are far removed from mainstream discourse,” Zuckerberg said in a video accompanying the announcement.

If online life becomes less inclusive for LGBTQ+ people during Trump’s term, apps like OkCupid, Feeld, and Hinge may become digital havens and places to connect. “At a time when many of our civil rights are under threat, dating apps have the potential to serve as critical spaces for gender, racism, and sexual inclusivity,” says April Williams, a professor of communications and digital studies at the University of Michigan. .

More than a decade ago, in 2014, OkCupid expanded its gender options for users to include definitions like transgender, pansexual, intersex, and transsexual. It was among the first dating apps to capture an accurate picture of online identity, and the different ways in which it has evolved. Currently, Tinder offers an option to “Beyond dualism“The hinge allows users to select”Non-binary“In their profiles.