01 July 2016

Parent company Spark Networks has agreed to allow same-sex search options on its online dating platforms following a discrimination lawsuit brought by two gay men.

Jozef Polc

Billed as the world’s largest Christian dating platform, ChristianSingles.com was accused of discriminating against non-heterosexual users by only allowing for two possible options when creating a profile on the site – that you are a ‘man seeking a woman’ or a ‘woman seeking a man’. The lawsuit brought against parent company Spark Networks by two men who identify as gay accused ChristianMingle of violating Californian anti-discrimination laws, which require businesses to offer ‘full and equal accommodations’ to all people regardless of sexual orientation.

Steps towards inclusion

Under the terms of a settlement approved by a California state judge this week, Spark Networks has agreed to begin making accomodations on the ChristianMingle platform for prospective lesbian and gay users. Now, users will simply be asked to select whether they are a ‘man’ or a ‘woman’ when creating a profile on ChristianMingle, with Spark promising to work towards creating a more customised experience for lesbian and gay users within the next two years. The settlement extends to all the other online dating platforms in Spark Networks’ portfolio – including CatholicMingle.com, AdventistSinglesConnection.com and BlackSingles.com. The company also agreed to pay $9,000 to each of the two plaintiffs in the lawsuit, as well as $450,000 in lawyers’ fees.

Sources: Wall Street Journal; Market Watch