4 facts about Tinder becoming more transgender-friendly

Tinder founder, CEO wants the app to be more inclusive

After having issues with policies that weren’t hospitable for transgender users, Tinder is now making an effort to be more accommodating. Here are a few things to know:

1. ‘It’s the right thing to do for the world’

According to this article in The Telegraph:

CEO Sean Rad said: “There’s a transgender community on Tinder and we haven’t done enough to give them a good experience.”

He told the Code Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes: “It’s harder for them to get what they are looking for. We have to modify our experience to address that.

“It’s not only good for the Tinder community, but it’s the right thing to do for the world.”

Tinder has an estimated 50 million users but mainly caters for binary users who state they are ‘male’ or ‘female’ and are either interested in ‘men’, ‘women’ or ‘both.’

2. Transgender users have been banned because of their sexuality

According to this article in TechCrunch:

Almost exactly a year ago, BI reported that a transgender user named Solomon was banned after matching with a male user who reported her for being trans. At the time, Tinder responded by saying that “the app doesn’t provide a way for transgender people to avoid being matched with people who might report them.”

Oddly enough, Tinder pulls a lot of user information from Facebook, which has dozens of gender options. Gender is one of the only data points that Tinder doesn’t pull directly from Facebook, leaving only options for male and female.

3. The company is working with advisors and activists

According to this article in CNNMoney:

A company spokesperson said in a statement that it’s working with LGBTQ advisers and activists to help it ‘address this important demographic.’

There are dedicated dating apps and services for the community too, such as Transgndr and Thurst, but they’re not as well known as Tinder.

Other tech companies have become more attuned to issues facing the transgender community.

4. This issue is a part of a ‘wider debate’

According to this article in CNET:

Tinder’s increased support of the transgender community comes amid a wider debate over the rights of transgender people, specifically whether they are able to use the bathroom of their choosing. Several states have passed laws requiring students to use bathrooms and other facilities that correspond to their gender at birth. In response, President Obama has ordered that every school in the country let transgender students use the bathroom that matches their identity.