However, if we look at the origins of Pride—not so very long ago—we can remember that it began in struggle, and still remains a struggle for many around the world.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t celebrate. By all means, we should celebrate our identities, and we should celebrate love. And Pride can be even more special if it’s shared with someone else special. Understanding the origins of the struggle can make it all the more sweet when you find a guy to share Pride with on one of the best dating sites for gay men.
Even though this year big pride gatherings won't be taking place due to the ongoing fallout from the Coronavirus pandemic, it doesn't mean that you can't still meet that special someone in time to celebrate Pride Month together. In fact, social distancing is a perfect excuse to start dating someone online during Pride Month in order to build a foundation to start a relationship once the summer is over.
Where Does Pride Come From?
This year marks exactly 50 years since the 1969 Stonewall Riots and the very beginning of Pride.
When the police came back to conduct yet another raid on the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in downtown Manhattan, the patrons of the club decided to fight back. More riots and protests took place in the following weeks all over New York City, and a gay rights organization was formed, to promote the rights of gays and lesbians for the first time in history. Similar organizations began to spring up across the US and the world, and the following June (1970), the first of the gay pride marches took place in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, to mark the anniversary of the riots.
Within 2 years of Stonewall, there were gay rights groups in every major American city, and many more in Western Europe, Canada, and Australia. In June 2009, to mark 40 years since the riots, President Barack Obama declared the month of June “LGBT Pride Month,” to promote the fight for equal justice by law for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans. Pride has come so far in the past 50 years—although there is definitely more work to be done in the important fight for equality and acceptance in all communities.
I’m Ready to Celebrate Pride, Anybody Want to Join Me?
For the LGBTQ community, Pride is a real highlight of the year. It’s a chance to celebrate your identity, and the power and importance of love, while remembering the need to fight for equality and rights. And there’s no better way to do Pride than with someone by your side—to march with and celebrate together! Depending on your location, Pride has different meanings. In more accepting areas, Pride is like a massive carnival, with floats and costumes and parties continuing long after the march is over. In areas with more tension, Pride represents an important reminder of the continuing need to demonstrate against homophobia and push for acceptance. Some gay couples make it a priority to attend as many different Pride marches as they can—which is a great way to spend meaningful quality time as you celebrate your connection to each other.
If you haven’t got a partner at the moment, you might want to consider checking out some of the top gay online dating websites, where you can try your luck at finding your perfect match. Planning for Pride as a couple will definitely be much more enjoyable, and looking forward to events together will be double the fun! Of course, there's always the option to wait until Pride itself to look for a date—but given the crowds and high-intensity of the march, there's no question that you'll be able to relax and even enjoy the festivities so much more if you arrive ready with a partner. If you turn up expecting to find a date and are disappointed, you might end up having a negative experience on what should be the highlight of the year.
So, where to start looking? Here are some of our favorite gay online dating sites, each one very different. Take a look and see if anything tickles your fancy!
1. Match
If you want to maximize your chance with the greatest number of options out there, Match could be the place for you. It prides itself on being the “biggest dating site in the game,” with more than a million (yes, that's right!) gay singles actively looking for love. Match is so confident in its system that if you don’t end up finding someone in the first 6 months of signing up, you’ll be given another 6 months for free.
Match has a very sophisticated search function, and it’s easy for members to browse profiles on their own, using specific tags for things they’re interested in and even a reverse search where you can see who has been looking at you. There’s also a “mutual search” function where you can look at other guys who share similar goals to you. Based on your preferences and interactions on the site, Match will also send you their top 5 daily matches of who they think is a compatible partner.
And of course, the element of fun is there as well. Once you’ve ‘met’ someone that you like, Match has seven quick and easy games that you can play with each other, to break the ice and enjoy a bit of online flirting as you get to know each other! If you’re less keen on chatting from behind a screen, you can try one of Match’s monthly meetups and see if you find anyone you like face to face.
2. EliteSingles
This is the go-to place for gay men who have a specific “type” in mind, and are looking for an educated guy. Rather than boasting an enormous user base, EliteSingles focuses on members who are career-minded and focused on commitment. An astounding 82% of its members have college degrees, and the service is especially geared toward busy professionals looking for a partner.
Once you have signed up, you are asked to complete a personality test. After this, there is no need to spend time trawling the site for potential matches; EliteSingles will send you between 3-7 matches every day that are analyzed carefully for the highest possible compatibility, based on your personality test. The site is proud of its results, with more than 2,000 new couples forming every month!
3. OurTime
The over-50 gay community is a unique one and deserves to be treated as such. Thirty or 40 years ago, coming out meant a great deal more social stigma than there even is today. As a result, some gay seniors might have spent longer in the closet, or have different relationship experience. For any gay single over 50, OurTime offers a community of seniors looking for love and companionship.
The site is extremely easy to navigate and has a user-friendly mobile app as well. OurTime lets you filter all suggested matches based on your likes and dislikes, to help you find the most compatible partner. Some fun features include a “swipe” option in which you can flick through photos of people and save the profiles you like to look at later. Signing up is simple and requires just 3 short personality questions rather than a lengthy quiz. All site data is secure, and the site has a customer service team that is quick to respond to any and all questions as well as requests for help.
Pride, Here We Come!
Whatever your stage of life, age, or background—online dating is always a safe and easy option to look for love without having to put yourself “out there” in the real world. Whatever you are looking for, there should never be any shame or embarrassment in the genuine search for love. The successful world of gay online dating, where over 70% of gay couples have met online, is one more thing we can be proud of and deserve to celebrate. And what better way to show this than by signing up, finding love and being part of this statistic in time for Pride!
