The Internet can provide you with a great opportunity for meeting potential partners, regardless of your sexuality. If you are a lesbian, you may already have noticed that there has been a marked growth in the number of lesbian dating sites that have come online in the last few years. Alternative dating sites such as Girlsweb and The Pink Sofa (two UK-based lesbian dating sites), are fast growing in popularity. In addition, a number of supposedly “straight” dating sites are now also offering services to gay and lesbian members.

The Benefits of Online Dating

It wasn’t too long ago that there was a certain stigma attached to using a dating agency. However, all that has now changed. Many people now meet their partners for the first time online, including countless gay and lesbian singles. These web sites provide a very valuable service, especially if you live a somewhat isolated existence. It’s not always easy to find a lesbian partner. And if your friends and family are unaware of your sexuality it can be even harder. The great thing about lesbian dating sites is that they can introduce you to girls and women who you would not otherwise have the opportunity to meet.

“Straight” Sites

But you don’t necessarily need to use a dedicated lesbian dating site. You might be surprised how many traditional online matchmaking services have gay and lesbian members. If you perform a search on “woman looking for a woman” for example, you might get a surprisingly high number of results. Potentially, you might even see more results in your own geographical area than you would if you were performing a similar search on a dedicated lesbian website. One thing to be wary of though, is false profiles posted by men with hidden agendas. There are some sick people out there, so keep your wits about you.

Choosing a Site

With such a proliferation of lesbian dating sites (and new ones springing up all the time), there is obviously a wide range of quality and reliability, so it can be difficult to know if a site is any good or not. Well, some are excellent, some are terrible. So it is always best, if possible, to go with one that has been personally recommended to you by someone you trust. If that is not possible, then it is a good idea to join a site that gives you free membership, so you can try out the services before paying for membership.

Alternative dating can offer some great opportunities so remember, when using a lesbian dating site, upload a good photo, keep your profile positive, and make it clear what you’re looking for in a potential partner.

No website dedicated to alternative dating can be considered complete without a section on gay dating, or more specifically, free gay dating! There are now are a growing number of matchmaking websites on the Internet that offer a range of services to gay members. Some of these are better than others however, so it is always worth taking a closer look at some of them before you decide which to register with. And of course, there is nothing to stop you registering with more than one!

Free and Paid Services

Websites that provide dating and matchmaking services to the gay and lesbian community are springing up all the time. And there are all sorts of sites out there, sites that can accommodate your requirements whatever you’re looking for, whether you’re into one night stands and a bit of fun or a more permanent, lasting relationship. The majority of these sites are very easy to join and cost nothing initially, although most of them will charge an ongoing fee for premium services.

The free services on offer can vary between sites, although most will enable you to get a good feel for the services they offer before parting with any cash. Many sites will allow you to upload a profile (with photo) and will enable you to view at least the basic profiles and photos of other members, free of charge. You may need to pay for additional services like online chat, and if you want to set up a meeting with a potential partner, then you will probably have to take out a paid membership. On the whole, the free option is greate for when you are “just looking”, but upgrading to the paid option will usually be necessary once you really want to start using the service.

Friends & Lovers

Gay dating sites don’t just have to be used for finding a partner, they can also be really useful for just finding like-minded friends. Often you can use them to arrange a meet-up with a group of people rather than a one-on-one, which takes the pressure off that “first date” situation. And you never know, there might be someone in the group who is just right for you.

GWM Seeking LTR?

When using the classified personal ads section on these dating websites, it’s always a good idea to make sure that you are familiar with the lingo and the various acronyms, of which there are many. Terms like NSA (no strings attached) and LTR (long-term relationship) are common, for example.

As with any dating site, try to make your profile unique so that it stands out. Alternative dating is all about finding a partner who will value the unique, alternative things about you, so make sure you show how special you are!

Whatever kind of alternative dating you are interested in, there is probably a dating agency somewhere out there that will accommodate your needs. And if there isn’t, then you can always set one up yourself!

Dating agencies (particularly online dating agencies) are growing at an exponential rate. It seems that more and more single people are now looking for their ideal partner with the help of an agency and as the industry grows, an increasing number of specialist agencies aiming their services at specific target markets, are entering the fray.

Religion-Based Agencies

One of the biggest areas of growth (perhaps surprisingly) is in Christian dating agencies. Firms like Christian Connection, Christian Cafe and Christian Cupid all exist to help Christian singles find not just romance, but also like-minded Christian friends and long-term relationships.

From a religious standpoint, it’s not just Christians who are served by dedicated matchmaking firms. There are also on line dating agencies serving the  Jewish Community (such as JDate and Totally Jewish Dating), Muslims (e.g. Single Muslim, Muslim D8 Online, Muslim and Single), Sikhs, Hindus… in fact you could probably find a dating agency for almost any world religion!

Gay and Lesbian Agencies

Another fast-growing area is that of gay and lesbian dating agencies. If you are looking for a same-sex partner, there are many approaches you could take. But one of the safest and most reliable might be to register with a reputable gay dating agency. And there are many to choose from, including Gay Dating Agency, Out Personals and Girls-PARSHIP.

Local, National and International Dating Agencies

Many agencies exist purely to serve a particular geographic area, which makes a lot of sense. Most single people who are looking for a partner want someone nearby, who they can hopefully see on a regular basis. However, there are agencies that specialise in finding partners from far-distant lands (Russian brides or Thai brides, anyone?). All we would say is to tread with care when going down this route because it is paved with scammers and con-artists. If you are intent on finding your ideal “mail-order bride” from a far-flung corner of the globe, do lots of research first to make sure you are dealing with a reputable firm.

Other Specialist Agencies

Whatever your lifestyle, your interest or your inclination, there is probably an “alternative dating agency” out there to suit your needs. And with the growth of the Internet, pretty much all of these agencies will have their own websites, some of which you will find from the resources on this site.

Whatever route you take and whichever dating agency you use, we hope you are lucky in love! Feel free to leave your comments on this site to let us know how you get on.