EXCLUSIVE

A transgender woman is suing Tinder on behalf of other transgender people living in the Portland area, claiming it rejects all transgender people from the dating service.

Ariel Hawkins claims in a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, a few days ago she edited her profile to disclose that she was a pre-op trans woman. She says Tinder immediately deleted her account. She says the company sent her email saying she violated its terms of service ... but didn't point her to any term and refused to explain the basis for the rejection.

Hawkins tells us she thinks she got the boot because Tinder is trying to save its brand. She says, "I don't think the company understands trans people and they don't appreciate how we may represent ourselves" ... so she believes Tinder is trying to remove trans people altogether.

Hawkins adds she's on Tinder to find love like so many others, but because it "refuses to provide transgender individuals full and equal access to its app" and has banned her ... she's being cheated of that chance.

In the lawsuit, filed by Mark Geragos and Ben Meiselas, Hawkins is asking a judge for an order prohibiting Tinder from discriminating against non-cisgender Oregon users.