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New Hinge report shows how Gen Z is leading a queer romance revolution
Labels can help shape our view of ourselves in a world that tries to fit us into categories and boxes. At the same time, labels have the potential to limit our capacity for growth and understanding, especially in the dating world. So what happens when labels start to feel old and outgrown?
That's the delicious dilemma at the center of Hinge's third annual LGBTQ+ D.A.T.E. Report — D.A.T.E. stands for Data, Advice, Trends, and Expertise. I sat down with Moe Ari Brown, Hinge's resident "love whisperer" (a marriage and family therapist by trade), to unpack the data trends and forecast the next great romance revolution.
Label fatigue is a moment when once-empowering tags feel tight at the seams. 'People are wanting to shift an identity label or date someone outside their typical type, and they're feeling pressure to confirm,' Brown explains, noting that fear of side-eye often keeps folks frozen in the wrong lane. In other words, love is calling, but the label printer is jammed.
Queer daters have always had to learn on the fly: Our stories rarely make it into mainstream relationship science. That's why Hinge celebrates its third annual report. 'LGBTQIA+ people have not always been centered in conversations around love,' Brown reminds. By quantifying our quirks, triumphs, and heartbreaks, the app hopes to turn anecdotes into actionable advice.
If millennials cracked the closet door, Gen Z kicked it open and redecorated. According to the report, queer Gen Z daters are 21 percent more likely than millennials to date across gender expressions and 39 percent more likely to reconsider their sexuality label after an unexpected spark. Translation: They're remixing identity and attraction like a DJ, and culture is finally catching the beat.
Brown credits a fluid zeitgeist and the visibility apps provide: 'They see each other daters living authentically, living openly,' he smiles. For this generation, another person's pronouns are an invitation, not a riddle.
So, how do you claim your truth without limiting yourself? Brown's therapist-approved mantra is radical authenticity: Being yourself 'regardless of who's watching, even if there's a threat to belonging.' He urges daters to 'turn the light all the way up' because signaling your attraction (and quirks!) is how your people find you.
Practical tweaks? Swap the laundry list of 'Must love dogs, brunch, and obscure 90s references' for prompts that showcase vibe over vital stats. On first dates, lean into humor and play; shared laughs soften the armor we wear when venturing beyond a 'type.'
Nearly four in 10 Gen Z queer daters have reconsidered their label after an unexpected spark. Brown's gentle reframe: 'Who you like is not who you are.' Identity may anchor you, but relationships are surfboards riding shifting waves. His advice for handling nosy friends and family? Share only when you're ready to inform, not ask permission. Your love life isn't a group-project Google Doc.
Hinge's expanding gender and orientation menus, along with its new Match Notes feature, aim to keep marginalized users from 'getting yanked out' of their romantic reverie. Brown remembers the first time someone's Match Note greeted him with his correct pronouns and a dash of swagger. 'It was a moment of recognition,' he sighs, still smitten. Digital tools that bake respect into the user experience means less emotional labor and more flirtatious banter.
Looking ahead, Brown craves features that foster vulnerability past day three: 'We know what we want. Now, how do we cultivate it? How do we delete this app?' he laughs.
Forget grand gestures; Brown says intimacy blooms in the details:
Eye contact. In a world of sideways glances at selfie cameras, a sustained gaze feels downright electric. 'Eyes are the window to the soul' may be cliché, but evolutionary psychology agrees.
Open body language & genuine smiles. Our nervous systems are co-regular, and a relaxed posture with real laughter signals safety before the first sip of Pinot.
Active listening. Reflect, empathize, and resist the urge to pivot back to yourself too soon. Emotional ping-pong beats 20-question lightning rounds any day.
Another great tip? Avoid the token trap. When someone reaches beyond their usual gender attraction, the line between curiosity and collection can blur. Red flag number one: a laser focus on one identity facet. The antidote? Treat dates as whole humans: Chicago upbringing, plant-dad energy, and all. If someone reduces you to a bullet point, cherish the block button as quickly as you would buy a new Telfar bag during a flash sale.
Brown's dream for the fourth annual report is a deep dive into the 'vulnerability paradox' and how we crave being known but fear being seen. Understanding those roadblocks could finally shepherd more daters from 'Just matched!' to 'We deleted the app for good.' In the meantime, he champions community-led research, more safety tools, and tech that prioritizes joy over just-in-case disclaimers.
After an hour of laughter, therapy nuggets, and mutual fangirling over Match Notes, one truth remains: love, especially queer love, thrives in radical authenticity. Whether you're a Gen Z free-spirit replacing 'she/they' with 'they/them' or a millennial who is masc Tuesdays and femme Fridays, the D.A.T.E. Report says the heart wants what it wants. And, hopefully, the app algorithms are finally catching up.
So the next time you feel that familiar itch to edit your bio or your life, remember Brown's mic-drop wisdom: Turn your light all the way up. The right eyes will meet yours, the right laughter will echo back, and the right label will feel less like a straitjacket and more like your favorite vintage tee: soft, lived-in, and unmistakably you.
This article originally appeared on Out: New Hinge report shows how Gen Z is leading a queer romance revolution
