Hinge Reveals the Top Queer Dating Trends of 2023 in First LGBTQIA+ Dating Report
“Beyond the Talking Stage: Hinge’s 2023 LGBTQIA+ DATE Report” reveals how the LGBTQIA+ community can overcome their #1 dating barrier and secure a relationship
NEW YORK, February 2, 2023: Today, Hinge is releasing “Beyond the Talking Stage,” the app’s first LGBTQIA+ DATE (Data, Advice, Trends, and Expertise) report providing insights and advice on queer dating. According to the new Hinge Labs research, lack of communication is the top dating obstacle the LGBTQIA+ community has faced in the past year. The new resource dives into the queer community’s relationship goals and shares tips on getting past “the talking stage,” the pre-commitment phase of a relationship.
Hinge’s “Beyond the Talking Stage” report looks closely at the communication challenges queer daters experience before, during, and after the first date. Along with the findings, Moe Ari Brown, licensed therapist and Hinge’s Love and Connection Expert, guides daters through key discussions, from determining relationship expectations to navigating tough conversations around sexuality.
The 2023 LGBTQIA+ DATE report reveals the biggest queer dating trends, including:
Conversation Is Key to Overcoming Dating FOE (Fear of Exploration) Compared to other LGBTQIA+ daters, bisexual people are three times more likely to have never had a queer dating experience and encounter dating FOE – “fear of exploration.” For bisexual daters, it can be even more intimidating to disclose it’s their first time due to the biphobia they experience within and outside the community. However, Hinge found that most (80%) LGBTQIA+ daters are open to being someone’s first experience. To get past their FOE in 2023, people must practice getting comfortable with transparency and have an open conversation with potential dates.
Becoming a Better Communicator Starts With the Expectation Check While 57% of the LGBTQIA+ community said lack of communication was their biggest dating obstacle in 2022, trans Hinge daters are leading the way in fostering open communication. Considering the higher likelihood of misunderstandings about their identities, trans people intentionally communicate early to ensure their date’s goals are aligned with theirs. In fact, 71% of trans daters plan to have the “expectation check in 2023, laying out expectations about the type of relationship they want before the first date. Daters can set communication standards by being clear about their preferred relationship style before meeting in person.
The First Kiss Can Wait on the First Date, but a Good First Conversation Cannot For the LGBTQIA+ community, communication plays a crucial role in determining whether someone will go on a second date. While daters are struggling with communication, it’s one of the top deciding factors of if someone wants to go on a second date or not. Almost all (89%) LGBTQIA+ daters find a first date is successful as long as there’s good conversation. According to Hinge’s research, people have double the chance of going on a second date if the first date focuses on good conversation more than physical intimacy. For daters who struggle to turn their first dates into second ones, Hinge advises avoiding the small talk and diving into a meaningful discussion about their intentions instead.
Good Communicators Avoid Fizzling, Ghosting's Passive-Aggressive Cousin Fizzling is one of the latest issues people face with post-date communication. When daters don’t want to tell someone they’re no longer interested, they become slower and shorter in their responses before stopping altogether, hoping it’ll be less offensive. Hinge’s LGBTQIA+ DATE report reveals this behavior can be just as painful as ghosting, with a majority (90%) of LGBTQIA+ people not wanting someone to fizzle them. If a dater isn’t feeling the connection, a text message letting them know is the modern-day requirement.
Getting Past the Talking Stage Requires Getting Comfortable With Conflict In today’s chaotic world, a “soft life” free of stress or worry is the dating goal for the queer community. 79% of LGBTQIA+ daters don’t identify healthy conflict as the most important aspect of dating. However, Hinge’s LGBTQIA+ DATE report reveals that embracing disagreements is a huge step toward getting past the talking stage. On their journey to better communication, daters will secure authentic relationships by learning how to navigate their differences.
“Hinge’s 2023 LGBTQIA+ DATE report, “Beyond the Talking Stage,” was intentionally designed to look at the specific needs of the queer community and fill in the gaps of information available on how we love,” said Moe Ari Brown. “We hope LGBTQIA+ daters worldwide will feel supported in becoming better communicators and are inspired to love in the way that feels most authentic to them.”
As the dating app designed to be deleted™, Hinge is continuously investing in helping LGBTQIA+ daters find and build meaningful relationships. The report follows the release of Hinge’s NFAQ platform - a first-of-its-kind resource that addresses queer singles' most pressing questions around sexuality, self-discovery, and connection. Leading LGBTQIA+ voices from Hinge’s NFAQ also appear in the report to help guide daters.
To see the full findings, download the report here.
Contact: press@hinge.co
Methodology
Hinge Labs, a pioneering team of Ph.D. researchers and dating experts, conducted surveys in November 2022 to more than 14,000 Hinge users in the LGBTQIA+ community worldwide. Hinge Labs is the first dating app research team of its kind committed to helping people become better daters and find love. Recognizing that dating is complex and personal, Hinge Labs uses both quantitative and qualitative research methods to study successful daters and uses those insights to help build the most effective dating app for getting people into relationships.
About Hinge
Hinge is the dating app designed to be deleted™. In today’s digital world, singles are so focused on sending likes and looking through profiles that they’re not actually building meaningful connections and going on dates. Hinge is on a mission to change that by designing the most effective, 3D app experience. On Hinge, there are no rules, timers, or games. Instead, you’ll have unique conversations over the text, photos, and audio you’ve shared on your profile. And it’s resonating with daters. In 2022, Hinge saw a 42% increase in dates globally in comparison to 2021 [according to We Met].
About Moe Ari Brown, LMFT, Hinge’s Love and Connection Expert (they/he)
Moe is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Hinge’s Love and Connection Expert. As a leading mental health expert specializing in transgender identity, they use their expertise to help daters create healthy and meaningful relationships. Over the past decade, Moe has worked with LGBTQIA+ individuals, couples, and families on their journeys of self-love and connection. With a passion for cultivating radical authenticity, Moe works with Hinge to ensure that everyone, no matter their identity, feels empowered to present their full self in dating and beyond.
