Grindr's logo is supposed to evoke "subtle themes of Mardi Gras". Everyone I've spoken to says it evokes subtle themes of serial-killing.

I’ve started looking for love. Dating. Actually, actively looking for someone instead of sitting around waiting for someone to come to me. And you know what? It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.

It all started a couple of weeks ago, when I heard about an iPhone app called Grindr. It’s “a geosocial networking application… targeted at gay and bisexual men”, which basically means it finds all the gays in the local area and lets you flirt with them.

Obviously a lot of people use it for cruising and casual hookups; but there are a lot of really sweet guys on Grindr too, if you can be bothered to look for them.

I’ve also joined Gaydar and OkCupid. Gaydar definitely lives up to its reputation (i.e., it’s a bit seedy) and I don’t think I’ll be keeping my profile for very long. OkCupid, on the other hand, is really nice: it’s geared towards getting to know people, and away from one-night stands.

OkCupid does some really interesting stuff, as well. Its main gimmick is the “matches” feature. By asking a series of increasingly obscure questions (e.g., “Would you consider dating somebody who grows marijuana for their own personal use?” and “Would you consider having sex in a graveyard?”), the site is able to match you to other people with similar points of view.

So far I’ve met up with two guys, and I’ve got coffees (or potential coffees) lined up with two or three others. I doubt I’m going to meet Mr Right doing this, but it’s been great getting to know some other gay people and I’m finding it to be a real confidence boost. Before, I spent a lot of time wondering why I’m single — now, I’ve realised it’s probably because I haven’t been putting enough any effort in.

Now that’s changed, I’m hoping my luck will start to change as well. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see…

Image: Grindr