Taimi, LGBTQ+ dating app, asks trans people about issues they face in dating for International Transgender Day of Visibility.

March 31, USA - We at Taimi, an LGBTQ+ dating app, are working hard to make our app an inclusive space for everyone, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religion, disabilities, or political beliefs.

To improve our service, we conduct surveys occasionally to get insights from our users. We were trying to understand what obstacles trans people face when it comes to dating and how we can help to eradicate them. The trans community on our app shared multiple stories about their dating experiences, and we noticed a trend.

We asked about the most annoying dating encounters for trans people, and the most common answers are:

• with people who ask insensitive personal questions about transitioning before even building a genuine connection.
• with people who look at a trans person as a sex experiment or as a fetish.
• with people who treat them like a free sex ed class.

These issues are incredibly frustrating for trans people, and some of the stories they shared about their dating experience with such individuals are really heartbreaking. Yet, unfortunately, it's way too familiar for the community, online or offline. We take pride in combating the issue with the help of our customer support and educational materials.

“When dating in the LGBT community as a Transman, you really have to pay attention to how people treat you. More times than not, you will run into someone who doesn't like you but wants to have their first Trans experience; when it's all said and done, they will disrespect you and call you every name under the sun. Save yourself and pay attention to the red flags. You can always tell.” - said one of our influencers Bee Astronaut

We want to show the importance of healthy dating and point out the ignorance and entitlement that will never lead to any positive outcome, but some people still do not grasp it. Further, when we started working on the issue, we realized that is just the tip of the iceberg, and that trans and non-binary people are facing some weird obstacles to finding a partner.

On Trans Visibility Day, we asked three influencers about the things that freak a trans person out, what makes them angry or annoyed when they meet new people or looking for a date. They shared their insights on how to navigate your dating life as a trans person, pieces of advice on how to build healthy relationships, on how to embrace your identity with your partners and expectations vs. reality stories from the time when they started meeting people after coming out.

“I thought more people would have a problem with my identity. But I was pleasantly surprised by how open people are. Dating is different though. A lot of people can't handle a genderqueer person. There is a lot of prejudice surrounding us. But with patience and honesty we will all find someone.” - Sofia Valentine

“Building healthy relationships can be difficult but if you prioritize your standards and boundaries then I think it’ll take you far.” - Connor Vanauken

So what’s our conclusion and advice for trans people? Our Relationship Expert Angelika Koch suggests the following:

• Be true to yourself and who you are.