This App Wants to Take Queer Dating Back to Basics

The digital age has ushered in a host of conveniences, one of which being the ability to dial in sex from willing strangers at any given moment. What online dating hasn't done is made forming intimate connections (that is, beyond the physical) easier. Some might even argue we're worse off than before.

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Which is exactly what new dating app 'Personals' seeks to remedy. Long before Grindr or OkCupid, the method of reaching the soulmate-you-hadn't-met-yet was via daily newspapers and magazines — which featured a 'Classified' section full of personal ads, offering phone numbers for everything/everyone from bedside tables to steamy massages to potential love matches. Queer women in 1980/90s New York, in particular, took advantage of the section to meet their match, creating image-less ads that still hold up today. Similarly, Personals will not allow photos, but each user will be able to upload a small description of themselves and what they're looking for.

The concept sprang from photo editor Kelly Rakowski Instagram account @_personals_, which called for queer women seeking a partner to summarize themselves and include their own Insta handle for interested parties (but don't DM personals, the account will handle all that for you). In just over a year @_personals_ has grown significantly and inspired a text-based online dating app — which Rakowski is fundraising for as we speak — will cater entirely to queer and non-binary women.

Say hello to the future... and the past. Donate to Personals here.

Photo courtesy of Personals