Dating website recognises transgenders

Friday, November 10, 2006
Gay NZ, New Zealand

http://www.gaynz.com/news/default.asp?dismode=article&artid=3961

One of New Zealand's busiest dating websites has taken steps to
recognise its trangendered users.

"We have taken onboard feedback from members of the
transgender/transsexual community and have added the option in male
and female profiles to optionally specify if the member is
transsexual or transgendered," the NZDating website said in an email
sent to its members this morning.

"Only members seriously considering a gender change or lifestyle are
permitted to use this option and misuse will be taken seriously,"
warns the email.

The site has also updated its 'sexuality' classifications. "The
current system where you can only select the gender of the people
you are seeking has been limiting, and we have introduced an
optional setting to specify your sexuality. There are options for
Straight, Gay, Bisexual and Undisclosed," continues the email.

Here at GayNZ.com, our dating section has always included sexuality
options including Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Bi-curious, Transgender,
Transexual and Straight. There's even a 'Mannerism' option, where
you can chose from many options including 'A bit butch', 'Very
feminine', 'Normal male dude' and 'lipstick lesbian'.

According to the HIV support group Body Positive, 45% of gay men now
use the internet to initiate contact for casual sex.

The NZDating website has been criticised for not including safe sex
advertising on the site, as local HIV rates continue to rise. New
Zealand AIDS Foundation researchers say that the increasing use of
the internet has also meant fewer men go to gay bars and cruise
clubs to meet, making it more difficult to spread health promotion
messages.

There have been changes in the way gay men meet each other with the
advent of the internet," says an NZAF spokesperson. "What that does
for infectious disease is increase the sexual network and the more
interactions in the network the more the disease can spread about."

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Ref: GayNZ.com (m)

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