Dating in the 21st century has changed quite a bit in just the past 5 years or so. One of the most common ways of finding a mate is through online dating websites. Online dating is popular because of the ease of use and the selection of quality people. One of the great aspects of online dating is that many sites cater to alternative lifestyles. Gay or lesbian individuals can now easily find someone without having to attend special events or go to gay bars. Online dating has opened up a whole new world for these people.



On the internet there are literally millions of dating sites; most of which are of mediocre to poor quality. Traditional dating sites rely on a database of people in a geographical area which have filled out a profile and uploaded a picture. This tactic is called the picture and profile strategy. Better quality sites have dating coaches, instant response tools and lengthy profile matching processes. Gay and lesbian dating sites offer more features and tools than traditional dating sites. These sites are not just for dating but for community building and networking as well.

A website called Glee.com is one such example of the community aspect of gay dating. The website is centered around the concept of finding a date but offers much more. There are many different options for gay individuals to network. Finding a local community of gay individuals can be difficult in the real world but with the help of Glee.com members can find other in their town for friendship or work related purposes.

The site also has many forums and online chat features which help members easily find information based on topic or chat instantly with other members about those topics. Glee.com also has sections dedicated to news, fashion, music, style and job hunting. The job hunting features of this website are particularly interesting since discrimination against gay people does exist in the real world. Members can find ?gay friendly? employers based upon their particular geographic location. Glee.com is open to all sexual preferences from gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and even straight people.

Another great gay dating website is called pridedating.com. Pridedating.com is centered more on dating than community building but offers some great features as well. The site has thousands of profiles to choose from. The site emphasizes that all members upload current pictures of themselves which is nice because all too often in the online dating world do people tell little white lies about themselves. The site is completely free unless you want to contact someone. This is great because it lets the user get a true feel of the website before they have to pay a membership fee. This site is strictly for gay individuals. There are no straight members unlike Glee.com.

Gay and lesbian online dating is really no different than straight online dating. Straight dating sites could actually learn a thing or two from gay dating sites such as adding the community aspect into the layout.