It’s Time We Had Interracial Couple Emojis

Emojis are the universal language of the digital age. We use them to show our emotions, to give clarity and context to our conversations, and to represent the world around us.

It may seem like there’s an emoji for everything, but that’s not the case.

While emojis for people of color and emojis for same-sex couples both became a reality in 2015, one group of people is still excluded from emoji representation: interracial couples. Isn’t it time all love was represented?

Join the Cause

Sign our Interracial Couple Emoji petition on change.org.

Spread the Word

Repost this video with #RepresentLove on social and get others to join the cause.

Share the Love

Couples who post a pic of themselves in the iconic emoji stance on Twitter and tag @tinder with #RepresentLove will have a chance to win an emojified version of themselves. [Rules]

Why is Tinder petitioning?

We believe all love deserves emoji representation. But that’s not all—research shows that online dating and interracial relationships go hand in hand. In fact, a recent study suggested that Tinder, and the resulting increased popularity of dating apps, may be responsible for an increase in interracial marriages.

As a result, we were inspired to be at the forefront of creating change. We want to foster an inclusive and diverse community of people on our platform that supports each other, no matter what our similarities or differences are. Therefore, we commissioned the Global Tinder Survey on Interracial Relationships to find out more about how our users think, feel and connect — and what we found were some intriguing results.

According to the survey, online dating broadens your horizons and makes you more open-minded. By allowing you to meet people that aren’t part of your social network, it makes the chance for diversity much more likely.

Open mind, open heart.

77% of Tinder users say they’re more open-minded about who they date. This is more than 10 points higher (12%) than people who don’t use Tinder.

We Swipe Right on diversity.

72% of people surveyed said that Tinder is the number one, most racially diverse dating app. (Yes, we’re beaming with pride.) This is compared to just 8% who perceive Bumble as being racially diverse and just 3% who perceive Hinge as being racially diverse.

Not to mention, 61% of those surveyed who are currently in an interracial relationship have used Tinder—more than any other dating app or website.

Better together.

Tinder users are nearly 20% more likely to have dated outside their race than non-Tinder users (79% vs. 62% respectively).

Love is love.

Just 37% of Tinder users state that race or ethnicity is a critical factor when deciding whether or not to date someone. This figure increases significantly for Bumble users, who come in at 53% and Hinge users, who come in at 63%.

Follow your heart.

More than 2 out of 3 (70%) of Tinder users are very open to the idea of having an interracial relationship. That’s nearly 15% higher than non-Tinder users, who came in at just 56%.

The Tinder community has spoken: it’s time for an Interracial Couple Emoji. Let’s join hands, stand together and #RepresentLove.

Swipe on!

blog.gotinder.com/its-time-we-had-an-interracial-couple-emoji/

LGBT Pride Flag Raised at Sydney, Australia’s Police Centre for First Time in History

The LGBT Pride flag has been raised at the Sydney Police Centre for the first time in history, the New South Wales police force reports.

The rainbow flag will be raised every day for a week to mark the 40th anniversary of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

ALSO: Australian Parliament Approves Marriage Equality in Near Unanimous Vote: WATCH

NSW Police Corporate Sponsor for Sexuality, Gender Diversity and Intersex, Assistant Commissioner Tony Crandell said it is a momentous occasion for the Force. “NSW Police proudly promote inclusion, diversity and acceptance within the Force and wider community. We have come a long way and raising the rainbow flag demonstrates the strong relationships we have created and foster with LGBTIQ people and organizations. It’s important to celebrate diversity and create a supportive environment for people to feel safe, irrespective of sexuality or gender identity.”

NSW Police will march in the Mardi Gras parade on Saturday, March 3.

The post LGBT Pride Flag Raised at Sydney, Australia’s Police Centre for First Time in History appeared first on Towleroad.

www.towleroad.com/2018/02/rainbow-flag-sydney/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+towleroad%2Ffeed+%28Towleroad+Gay+News+%29

Hornet Integrates Digital Magazine and Global Social Network Under Hornet.com

New web portal to headquarter content from the growing LGBTQ media company and social network

February 27, 2018 (SAN FRANCISCO, CA) – Today, Hornet, the world’s premier gay social network and LGBTQ media company, announced the acquisition of the domain Hornet.com. The domain will allow users access to Hornet’s vast social network and original editorial content with a newly designed website — restyled for a seamless, user-friendly experience.

Hornet.com will replace the existing Hornetapp.com and provide a one-stop destination for users to both login to their accounts and stay up-to-date on the latest news and headlines that are important to the LGBTQ community.  

As both a worldwide social network that allows users to follow each other via profiles and social feeds and as a digital magazine featuring original content by award-winning LGBTQ journalists, Hornet is differentiating itself as a leader in the media landscape. Under the newly revamped Hornet.com, users will have quick and easy access to breaking news, pop culture headlines and a curated LGBTQ guide to cities around the world. These features will continue to be available in the Hornet app as well, where users can make meaningful connections with guys who have similar interests. Furthering what it means to be an international LGBTQ media company, Hornet’s global editorial team offers original content in several languages including English, French, Spanish, Russian, Thai, Portuguese, Chinese and others.

“Hornet has been listening and taking feedback from our online community. What we heard is that they want media companies that speak directly to them, while also giving them a platform to have their own voice to share opinions and interests,” says Sean Howell, Hornet’s president and co-founder. “Bringing editorial and a social network under one roof is a new direction for media, and we are excited to be at the forefront. We expect to see others continue to follow our direction.”

With the newly acquired domain, Hornet is moving away from its older layout and continuing to position itself as a leader in LGBTQ media. Hornet now makes it easy to quickly gather news from around the world, while still maintaining the primary social media function that made it a global gay phenomenon. Guys can easily connect over commonly shared interests and stay in touch with their followers via comprehensive profiles.  

“With our new domain name, we are cementing ourselves as a leader in LGBTQ media and growing Hornet’s brand presence by increasing our accessibility and the new user-friendly features the LGBTQ community has been looking for,” says Matthew Smith, Hornet’s SVP of Global Sales. “This change will help us amplify our already brilliant platform and create improved targeted campaigns and partnerships.”

Hornet’s free social network app is available on iOS, Android and the web.

About Hornet Networks

Hornet is the world’s premier gay social network. Founded in 2011 with the mission to build the digital home for the gay community, Hornet has grown to 25 million total users by utilizing cutting-edge technology for its dating platform and producing original editorial content to connect a community around common interests. Hornet provides a superior user experience and is number one in the key markets of France, Russia, Brazil, Turkey and Taiwan, and is consistently expanding its sizable user base in the United States. For more information, please visit: hornet.com

love.hornet.com/blog/2018/2/26/hornet-integrates-digital-magazine-and-global-social-network-under-hornetcom