The gay and lesbian community has long been proud to embrace a more fluid approach to romantic, sexual, and family relationships – alternative lifestyles, if you prefer – but gay marriage has been the cause celebre for a while. Limited studies have examined relationship development in emerging adulthood for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) couples. For emerging Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) adults, romantic relationships may provide a buffer from the stresses associated with their lesbian sexuality or gender minority status (e.g., discrimination, familial nonconformity) that put them at higher risk of negative health outcomes (Bauermeister et al., 2010; Diamond, Savin-Williams, & Dube, 1999; Peplau & Fingerhut, 2007). Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and questioning (LGBT) adolescents typically begin experiencing identity-identification in the adolescent years, similar to straight adolescents.
Today, individuals who do not fit into cisgender, heterosexual boxes are described by the acronym, LGBTQ, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning. The term sexual orientation is preferred over sexual preferences in psychological works, referring to sexual and affective relationships among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Heterosexual individuals. Many find this term to be inappropriate, as it trivializes identities, implies that sexual orientation is a choice, and overlooks the diversity of ways LGBTQ people experience life. This problematic term, lifestyle, is used so frequently that even some (often older) queer people feel that it is okay to describe being queer as a choice.
Marriage equality is going to be in the news, it is going to be discussed, and, inevitably, the words lifestyle and choice are going to get used incorrectly to describe something LGBT people are by nature. If being gay or transgender were a choice, then the majority of LGBT people would just prefer to be straight. Describing people as either married or single makes invisible lesbian, gay, bisexual, and cohabiting people, and straight people. Using examples of lesbians, gay men, and bisexual persons when referring to activities (e.g., parenthood, sports skills) egregiously associated with heterosexual persons only by many readers.
The resolution specifically notes that the ACA is opposed to depicting lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals as being psychologically ill because of their sexual orientation. It is unspoken in the lesbian community, but dating bisexual or curious women was, and may be, frowned upon, nearly taboo.
The rise of media campaigns, often coupled with coercive messaging by families and community members, has created an environment where lesbians and gay men are frequently pressured into seeking out reparative or conversion therapies that cannot, and will not, change sexual orientation.
Grindr, a dating app first brought to market to serve gay men, still boasts a strong online and social presence. Yes, Grindr is the most used and downloaded worldwide, but
- It is more of a friends introduction app and meeting people for the first time than for dating,
- It is used more casually and is not dating focused, and
- There is not one universally better dating app on the market.
