Pawan*, 38, a Mumbaikar working with a leading travel portal, says that using mobile apps for dating is now as routine as booking flight tickets or hotel rooms on your phone. “It shows you who is available within a 1 kilometer radius and can meet you right away.” “There are options – you can meet for coffee or dinner”, says Anand*. The app then shows you a list of men who are in the vicinity and available to meet.
All one has to do is download the app and build a profile which shares personal details including location. The apps utilize the GPS technology on mobile phones to enable users to find interested parties.
Also popular is Tinder, which is targeted at both straight and gay communities. Some other widely used apps include Planet Romeo and Gaydar. It’s a great example of how technology is helping guys become more social.” “Guys today are increasingly using their smartphones to connect and would prefer to meet men spontaneously who are nearby. "Grindr is successful with the gay crowd because it solves one of the biggest problems for the gay man: determining who is gay around him”, says Joel SImkhal, founder and CEO, Grindr. Grindr, which claims to have over 69,000 average active monthly users in India, is among the most popular mobile phone apps for gay men in India. But now I am glad because I have found a space where I can meet likeminded people.” “I had my doubts about signing up because it’s not my scene. He eventually chose to do that online on Grindr, a dating app that a friend recommended. You can’t exactly go out and announce that you want to date someone of the same gender”. “I may have out-ed, but most people in the gay community have not which makes it impossible to meet anyone. “It is so hard to meet people when you are in a minority”, says Anand*. He realized just how farfetched that dream was in a matter of months.
“I thought I would now be free to meet and date men openly and find a companion the natural way”. I felt that had crossed the biggest hurdle”, says the Mumbai-based content writer for a news portal. “When my parents accepted me with open arms, I celebrated. Section 377 of the IPC makes sex with persons of the same gender punishable by law.įor Anand*, coming out to his parents was the toughest battle. Dating is a drain on money and time, and romance invariably gets the short shrift in the rat race.įor gay singles, it gets that much harder, given the stigma that is widely prevalent across India, forcing a majority to stay in the closet and keep their sexual orientation a secret from families and friends. Singles looking for love in a big city will tell you they have it hard.