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After nearly three years of litigation Dr. Warren and co. over at eHarmony got the message that, gosh darned it, gay and lesbian people want to have serious relationships too.
The makers of eHarmony already had a site dedicated to individuals seeking same-sex relationships called Compatible Partners. So what was the problem?
Initially, Compatible Partners did not exist. It was created by eHarmony in a settlement from a similar class action lawsuit in New Jersey.
Secondly, bisexual users of eHarmony services had to pay two fees in order to search for heterosexual and same-sex relationships, even though someone using eHarmony did not need to pay an extra fee to conduct searches in exciting categories such as “Black” and “Senior” dating.
Californians felt this was in poor business practice and segregated customers based on sexual orientation, which provided grounds on which to sue.
Although the creators of the site admit no wrongdoing they agreed to add a category for those seeking same-sex relationships to their homepage. Additionally, the one fee will apply to both straight and GLBT users of eHarmony.
So why was there so much resistance to this decision? Well, creator Robert Warren claims his matchmaking technique has only been studied in heterosexual couples. But the foot dragging was likely based on the fact that Warren is an evangelical Christian, and did not want to lose the support of "pro-family" groups. Yikes.
Personally, I am really surprised they folded, but maybe it’s a sign of the times? A sign that the days of neglecting the gay and lesbian population of America is no longer a decision that goes without consequences, and both a company’s image, as well as their pocketbook are at stake.
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by Anatic09
Give me a break, eharmony is a business that went after the larger market. Let's face it there are more male/ female couples out there. Why should a business be forced to serve a market? I bet if there was enough gays out there to make money on they would be all over it.
This is clearly a case of extortion eharmoney doesn't want the bad press so they paid up. Whats Next! Suing walmart because they don't sell blue sweaters in plus sizes.
If offering the service to the gay market is such a good Idea why not start it up yourselves and keep the money. I guess it's easier to sue people and get paid than work..
The same thing is happening with cheap health insurance and affordable health insurance