The Met police have reported that there have been over 60 deaths linked to the use of drugs during sex – including murder.
Last week the Metropolitan Police in partnership with Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (London) (HMPPS) conducted a conference at which they discussed the rise of Chemsex and the issues that it has caused, particularly for the gay and bi male community.
Over the years London’s police force has managed to link over 60 deaths to drug use, including murder. The most high profile of these were the murders of Stephen Port’s victims.
According to the police, there have been more than 60 fatal overdoses linked to Class A drugs such as Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and Gamma-Butyrolactone (GBL) in London.
Crisis of our Time
The Met’s LGBT+ Advisory Group have described chemsex as the ‘crisis of our time’ for LGBT+ communities
Detective Chief Superintendent Helen Lyons, the Met’s Lead Responsible Officer for Rape, said: “The Met recognises that crime in a chemsex context is not an isolated issue of sexual offending or substance misuse. Chemsex-related vulnerability and offending are considerably under-reported while levels of complexity are vast.”
“Drug use is prompting extreme and criminal behaviour among those who might otherwise be law-abiding citizens”
Stephen Morris, Chemsex and Crime Lead for HMPPS said, “The rise in chemsex-related crime is a real challenge because the things driving someone to offend are incredibly complex and very different to anything we have dealt with before”.
“Drug use is prompting extreme and criminal behaviour among those who might otherwise be law-abiding citizens. That is why we are working with the police, mental health and drug misuse services to better understand this crime and provide support that steers offenders and potential offenders away from it.”
“Lessons learnt from murder investigations, proactive drug supply operations, the case management of offenders within the chemsex scene will be complemented by inputs from public health leads and academic experts. This will enable the sharing of an emerging model of good practice, which will help provide awareness nationally.
Is Chemsex Illegal?
Physical possession, supply or possession with the intent to supply is a criminal offence. However, you won’t be arrested for using drugs whilst having sex.
A lift – or in that delicious New York drawl, an ‘elevator’ – can say a lot about a hotel.
Being easily spooked, I usually detest them. Thus, any distraction is welcome, from music to low-lighting or a retro lift operator/baby-sitter.
So then, what to make of the 286-room Moxy East Village, and its very, very memorable lifts? At first glance, you’re greeted by glassy explosions of stars, so brightly-lit, they’re piercing. On closer inspection, you see they’re actually emojis – including the beloved poop emoji. Once you’ve processed this (‘What the actual…’), and made awkward eye contact with the other guests in what feels like a hall of mirrors, you’ve reached your floor.
Full marks on the distraction front.
Irreverent, fun and young, the clearly-defined Moxy brand follows the lead of sister hotels Moxy Times Square and Moxy Chelsea. Still brand spanking new since opening in September 2019 – the rooftop bar isn’t even finished yet – this is dependable and well-located stopover, minutes from Union Square, that won’t break the bank. Prices start at $179 (£138.12) per night, and that isn’t easy to find in Manhattan.
A timelessly smart, clean exterior, courtesy of Stonehill Taylor, is somewhat at odds with more daring design and decor from Rockwell Group inside. Not least in the lounge, where wacky features included a vast collection of 90s knickknacks. Among them VHS tapes, a Fisher Price cassette player and a skee-ball table that begs you to play with it.
The famously (or infamously) compact rooms, meanwhile, exploit space in inventive ways: fold-away furniture, bunk beds, flat screens HDTVs literally at the foot of your bed. My queen room covered 155 square feet and I didn’t feel cooped up, but people I know who’ve stayed with the Moxy in the past have felt differently. My advice: go with it, and don’t let your luggage explode all over the room, as that’ll make it feel even smaller. Space is lacking, but it’s worth it for the price point and the perks, such as fast Wi-Fi, rain showers and a Netflix connection: hallmarks of a truly modern hotel.
Meanwhile, the moody lighting and plush textures in the Alphabet Bar & Cafe is a Manhattan fantasy come true, and a show-stopping hanging wire sculpture by Edoardo Tresoldi in the absurdly glamorous Cathédrale restaurant is befitting of a five-star hotel. Elsewhere, the atmosphere and the service exudes easygoing cool.
The East Village is one of umpteen gay playgrounds in NYC so there’s plenty to see and do on your doorstep. You simply must visit the Cock, a time-tested gay dive bar, and Big Gay Ice Cream – ‘like Ben & Jerry f***ed each other’, as my friend puts it.
But what really sets the East Village apart is its historical flavour: it’s the former stomping ground of actual, proper queer icons like Keith Haring, Andy Warhol and Allen Ginsberg. The latter, for example, lived at 437 East 12th Street for 40 years until he passed away in 1997. It’s also where Blondie’s Debbie Harry lived while working as a Playboy Bunny in the 60s (oh, to have been her roommate), and other famous former residents include Jack Kerouac, Jeff Koons and Madonna.
Gentrification has scrambled the countercultural spirit somewhat, so to get under its skin, a tour with an in-the-know local is good bet.
★★★★ | The Prince of Egypt, Dominion Theatre, London
Dreamwork’s animated 1998 film ’The Prince of Egypt‘ comes to life at the Dominion Theatre.
With music and lyrics by veteran composer Stephen Schwarz, and directed by his son Scott Schwartz, ‘The Prince of Egypt’ faithfully follows the film in the telling of two men – Moses (Luke Brady) and Ramses (Liam Tamne) – who were raised as brothers but, in one of the dark secrets of the family, are not actually brothers.
Moses was born a Hebrew, and after an accident where Moses pushes an Egyptian guard off a temple being built by the Hebrew slaves, he runs off and encounters what turns out to be his real sister and the real members of his family – all Hebrews. While his adopted father dies, Ramses takes over as the Pharaoh – King – while at the same time still condemning all Hebrews to a life of slavery, which will now include his brother. With the brothers divided, what will become of their relationship, and of the Hebrews who desperately seek their freedom?
The production values in this show are worth the price of a ticket. From the illuminated pharaohs and hieroglyphics, which are projected on to the sides of and on the stage, to the amazing costumes and sets, ’The Prince of Egypt’ was made for the huge stage that is the Dominion Theatre. And the dancers are all actually superb, morphing from statues to flowing water to wind to sand dunes to the burning bush where God tells Moses that he needs to return to Egypt and guide the Hebrews to freedom.
Yes, we also get to see Moses part the red sea, with videos of waves projected onto the sides of the stage to make it look like the Hebrews are actually walking between the red sea. Disney, just like their other productions in the West End, looks like they spared no expense in this production. Kudos go to Sean Cheesman, choreographer, who has guided the dancers to be practically another character in the show, to the production and set design and costumes (Jon Driscoll, Kevin Depinet and Ann Hould-Ward respectively), and the performances of both Brady and Tamne. Also, the singing voices of Christine Allado, Alexia Khadime and Mercedesz Csampai are just beautiful. While there were a couple of scenes that had us scratching our heads, overall it’s an amazing production and one not to miss.
After a mixed reception following its announcement, An Evening with Whitney, The Holographic Tour has finally kicked off in the UK. With a mix of live backing dancers and musicians, the musical legend returns to the stage in holographic form to bring the audience an 80-minute show packed with her greatest hits.
There was no denying that the technology behind the show was jaw-dropping, and certainly from where we were sat in the dress circle, Holo-Whitney looked fairly impressive at times. There were the odd brief moments when you could almost forget that you were effectively watching a computer-generated image as you got caught up in the music, but those moments were fleeting and few and far between, as Holo-Whitney appeared and disappeared, fading in and fading out in an almost ghoul-like fashion between songs.
In terms of overall presentation, the live band was good, the backing singers held their own, the dancers made the best of the lacklustre choreography and the light show was adequate; although one has to wonder whether the abundance of spotlights flashing into the audience was to blind them to detract from the quality of the special effects on stage.
What was a pleasure, though, was to hear Whitney’s voice belt out her greatest hits in a concert venue backed by a live set of musicians, and the show was a reminder of just what a talent she was and how incredible she was as a live performer. The choice of songs would sit comfortably on any greatest hits album and covered a broad range of her work, ticking every Whitney staple you would expect.
Despite the music, the show can only be described as hollow (no pun intended). Holo-Whitney’s forced, generic one-sided banter with the audience felt almost as awkward as Holo-Whitney gushing as she received rapturous applause; although the rapturous applause anticipated by the creative team was, in reality, the bemused audience merely politely clapping and muttering to each other.
The four backing dancers looked lost on stage and were positioned in such a way around the set, it was as if they were dancing as far away from the technology as the insurance company would comfortably allow, and the interaction between star and backing dancers that you would usually expect during a live music event was noticeably missing. Adding to this was the tiny portion of the stage that Holo-Whitney occupied with her limited dance moves, shifting only a matter of a couple of metres each way from the centre of the stage and compounding the stilted, mechanical feeling of it all.
But the biggest criticism of all was that the evening was flat. There was none of the atmosphere, chemistry or relationship between artists and audience that makes a live music event such a great experience. Any live performer feeds off the energy of the crowd and gives it back to them, but this simply wasn’t possible and it really couldn’t have been more noticeable. There was no buzz in the auditorium and even the crowd, especially towards the end of the evening, couldn’t take it seriously. It simply felt cold and sterile; creepy and distant.
So, does An Evening with Whitney feel like a befitting tribute to a legend or more like a cynical cash in? The answer probably lies somewhere in between, albeit gravitating significantly more towards the latter. If you want to listen to Whitney Houston’s voice, then download her original recordings. If you want to go to a concert, then seek out a good tribute act, where at least there will be some energy coming from the stage. It felt that for many in the audience, the show was little more than a morbid curiosity which promised more than it delivered; and one which rapidly lost the majority of its appeal once the short-lived novelty of Holo-Whitney had worn off.
Beautifully shot and superb performances are just a couple of the reasons to go see ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire.’
In French with English subtitles (and nominated for an Oscar for Best Film in a Foreign Language) ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ is a story about forbidden love set against the backdrop of a very different time and place.
On an isolated island in Brittany in the 1770s, a female painter is hired by the mother of a young woman to paint a portrait of her daughter to send to a prospective husband. Yet Heloise (Adèle Haenel), is not very excited about both the prospect of marriage and of having her portrait painted.
But somehow Marianne (Noemie Merlant) gets Heloise to warm to her, to pose gracefully, and soon enough they become close, enjoying walks on the beach, and time at Heloise’s stately home – more so when her mother leaves the house in order to give Marianne the freedom to paint. Marianne and Heloise start a love affair gently, softly, emotionally, and naturally – as it was bound to happen. Director and writer Céline Sciamma (‘Tomboy’ and ‘Girlhood’) elicits true passion from her actors without revealing too much in a film that’s original, romantic, thoughtful, wistful, and will leave you thinking about it for days after you’ve seen it.
It’s a truly remarkable film that’s won lots of awards and was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, winning the Queer Palm there. Sciamma also won the award for Best Screenplay at Cannes.
If you read my previous piece on Witch Influencers and New Wellness Trends, then you know my thoughts on how essential it is to take time out for yourself and switch off from the social media age, in which we live.
In this week’s feature, I’m aiming to build on this notion of self-preservation and reflection. So I sat down with Matt Boyles from Fitter Confident You, to discuss the importance and benefits of meditation. If you’ve ever been curious about whether meditation is or isn’t for you? Then read on and I’m pretty sure we can convince you to give it a go. We promise you won’t regret it!
What is meditation?
Meditation is one of those things, that although I kind of understood the basic concept of what it was. I never really understood it. Essentially every time someone mentioned meditation to me, I just imagined myself cross-legged with my eyes closed humming. So I wasn’t really inspired to do it. Mainly because I thought it was a waste of time.
What Matt from Fitter Confident You explained to me though, is that meditation essentially is just the act of obtaining a moment of peace in your head. There’s no right or wrong way to do it and people achieve this moment of peace, in a way unique to them.
Being in 2019, he stressed that our lives are getting more and more hectic with every passing year and by taking 5 to 10 minutes a day to meditate, everything just seemed to be on a more even keel. This sense of stability would aid a sense of calm and wellbeing.
He started meditating about 18 months ago and he hasn’t looked back. Opting to stay away from apps like Headspace, he started noticing an overall sense of calm after the first week.
What are the benefits?
Apart from the sense of calm and wellbeing in ourselves, meditation does seem to lead to a whole range of other physical and emotional benefits. Physically it helps to maintain testosterone levels, by keeping our cortisol (stress hormone) level at bay and aids us in achieving a more regular sleeping pattern.
Apart from the physical manifestations/benefits of meditation, there is a whole range of emotional benefits to consider. As we said it helps regulate our cortisol levels and what this does is reduce the amount of stress and anxiety, that we experience on a day to day basis. It helps you concentrate and as such achieve what you want to, day by day, gaining perspective on situations where you would just normally react. All of which results in you being kinder not only to those around you but also yourself. Not beating yourself up over a deadline, that really could wait till tomorrow or worry about that email you sent rashly. You gain a sense of clarity in these situations and this results in an overall calmness in yourself.
Meditation techniques
As we said before, there really isn’t a right or wrong way to meditate. It is just the experience of achieving a moment of peace within your day and it’s entirely up to you how you do this. Matt did outline a few of the methods he uses though and so we’ll run through these now.
Breathing exercises
One of the ways in which Matt meditates, it by doing breathing exercises. This is basically the act of focusing on your breath and how the intake and exhaling of oxygen make your body feel.
A good way of doing this is counting the inhalation and exhalation of your breath. Roughly counting 5 seconds on the inhalation and 7 seconds on the exhalation. Focusing just on how your body feels and moves with the pressure of each breathe. Noticing any tension or aches/pains but not focusing on them, just letting them be and letting your body relax.
Eyes open, eyes closed it really doesn’t matter here. Tailor these exercises to yourself, in how you find it easiest to focus. If you’re a visual person, then close your eyes to aid the focus but by no means is it a requirement. These exercises are all about just noticing how your body feels and are an excellent starting point for meditation.
Guided meditation
Another technique Matt incorporates into his daily life is guided meditation. Essentially this form of meditation, involves a soothing voice guiding you through various breathing and thought exercises. Kind of like a gym class for meditation.
So again similar to the breathing exercises we discussed before, there is a heavy focus on how your body is feeling but most guided meditation also employs some kind of thought exercise. A common example is letting your mind wander. To let it do what it wants and move your body how it wants but then to bring your focus back to your breathing. This type of exercise helps emphasise the importance of focus and being able to let go of outside thoughts. To just bring our attention back to our bodies and what they are telling us.
How long should I be meditating?
Similarly to the technique, there is no right or wrong answer here. It’s all about finding the right balance for yourself, in order to gain this moment of peace and clarity. As a starting point, Matt would recommend spending 5 to 10 minutes in the morning each day. Just taking some time out and seeing what works best for you. I recommend setting a timer too, as during my first couple sessions I did start to nod off. It definitely relaxed me for sure!
Final thoughts
So what to take away from this? The general message is just to try and make time in your day for yourself. To just step back from the world and focus on your body, how it’s feeling and just gain some clarity for the coming day. Remember there’s no right or wrong way to do this but it’s important that we do.
If you’d be interested in seeing more of Matt and the amazing work he does with Fitter Confident You, then make sure to check out his socials linked below. We’ve also done a short audio clip to give you a little introduction into a guided meditation. Let us know how you find it and it would be great to hear, what works for you in finding that moment of peace in your day. Matt assures me, that my previous method of eating cake is probably not the best way of doing this.
International Non-Binary Day is an annual day to celebrate and bring visibility to people who are non-binary in the LGBT+ community. It is a relatively new awareness day in the LGBT+ calendar.
In 2020 International Non-Binary Day takes place on the 14th July 2020 and is observed all over the world.
The International Non-Binary day was first celebrated in 2012. It takes place on this day because it is, precisely midpoint from International Women’s Day and International Men’s Day.
What are the colours of the Non-Binary flag?
The Non Binary flag consist of 4 colours in horizontal stripes. Yellow, White Purple and Black.
When you walk into a theatre and you see that the set is a grand staircase leading into a living room with a large statue of David and various photos of men and drag queens on the wall you know you’re in for a drag of a time. This is exactly what ‘La Cage’ delivers.
Actor Simon Callow adapted the show for the stage, who was asked to write an English version of the original 1973 play (which inspired three french films, a hit musical, and a hit American film – The Birdcage). Directed by Jez Bond, ‘La Cage’ is written in its original time and location, and French speaker Callow astutely brings the flavour of the original farce to life.
Drag queen extraordinaire Albin (Paul Hunter) and Georges (an amazing Michael Matus) own and live above drag queen bar La Cage, along with their extremely camp butler Jacob (Syrus Lowe) who can sure wear high heels. Georges’ son Laurent (Arthur Hughes) arrives to inform him that he’s getting married to a girl whose parents are very religious and conservative, and that they’re coming to town to meet his ‘parents.’
Laurent’s natural mother is invited as well but leaves it to Albin to pretend he’s Laurent’s mother and it’s all one huge farce on the day and things get worse downstairs in the club as all hell breaks loose as Albin is not in residence. Dishes with naughty pictures and innuendos galore go into overdrive as the show goes way over the top with an ending identical to the other productions but in this production is all a bit too easily sewn up.
A lot happens in just over two hours and the cast easily keep up the comedy and energy. From the grand dame that is Albin to the almost not in control Georges they help to maintain a bit of the drama while the show spins its characters all over the place. And while you’ll admire their dedication and tenacity, you might find yourself laughing throughout but to a point where it’s not even funny.
When one straight identifying guy on Reddit said that the thought of having sex with another man gave him “butterflies in his stomach” but didn’t he was “gay enough” to do it, people were there to guide him.
Society problems?
So what’s really holding guys back from experimenting with someone of the same sex? This poster wrote that he had an image of him as a “straight guy loving girls” but his feelings go the opposite way – despite not having a specific crush on a guy.
“…I got an image of myself as a straight guy loving girls and my feelings go in the opposite direction. I love masculinity and want to be a submissive guy. I hate being dominant while/and having sex with girls. But I never thought of going in bed with a specific guy, I never had a crush on a guy. This is “not gay enough”.
So is he in love with the idea of being straight, but his heart is telling he’s gay, bi or curious? He wrote that he once tried a blowjob but felt deeply ashamed afterwards.
Society’s push?
This user suggested that society had its role in defining our sexuality and what is right and wrong, saying,
“That’s just society that has shoved that idea in your head. “I felt guilty AF after I gave my first blowjob to the point where I ran away from my boyfriend (at the time)’s apartment and cried and threw up a bunch.
“You can get over that and become comfortable with yourself. I sure did, and it didn’t take too long.”
(C) BIGSTOCK
Get stuck in
Another poster was a little more upfront with his suggestion
“If you’re a man and you want to have sex with another man, that makes you gay enough. You could be anyone from the most macho muscleman to the most femmy twink, and it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you want to have sex with another man. That’s all it takes to be “gay enough”.
“What’s wrong with you is that you’re holding yourself back from doing something you want to do. What you should do is have sex with another man.
I’d recommend you just start experimenting. Take it slow, though, and make it clear that you’re new at this.
Bisexual? Pansexual?
This user pointed out that the OP might not be homosexual, but rather someone who is sexually attracted to all sexes and genders,
“Your [sic] probably bi or pan and have inner-homophobia from religion, family, culture, whatever. Go out, or on an app, be honest on those apps and guys, have some condoms and lube handy and have sex with men. Good luck, have fun.
Bottom line
One of life’s struggles is the journey to becoming comfortable with yourself, however, that looks. Although some may see you as one thing, you, in the end, get to decide how to define yourself and set those boundaries.
As long as you’re not hurting anyone and everything is consensual, crack on we say and enjoy yourself.
For as long as time has begun, from the ’70s to be exact, the Fiat X1/9 has always been compared to the TR7. And this is true of the classic press too. Wedge-shaped with pop-up headlights, that is where the similarities end. The X1/9 comes out well in these tests but I fear this is because there are many that disliked BL’s wedge or the agro that went with it.
The TR7 died in 1981. The X1/9 carried on, unchallenged until 1984 when suddenly you could hear the X1/9’s market share fall apart much like what happened to the car itself after its first winter.
Launched in 1972, the X1/9 saw very little development. The main changes came in 1979 with larger US federal style bumpers and a 1500cc engine from the Strada. There were some changes to paint schemes and specs but overall, very little changed.
Suddenly, Japan enters stage left. It comes to the party with its MR2. A dinky looking 2 seater with a rev-happy 1600cc engine packed with 16 valves and twin cams. It was what the X1/9 had been calling out for.
Toyota’s new car was a runaway success. What it lacked in practicalities over the X1/9, it more than made up for it by keeping up with the new hot hatches on the block. There was even competition in-house from the Corolla GT-i 16. Basically the same engine dressed in a 3 door hatchback style. It was competent and reliable but didn’t set the pulse racing with its Corolla looks.
The X1/9, having surpassed the128 3P and still going strong considering Fiat’s Strada Abarth offering, it had finally met its match. Back to back, in everyday situations, both cars are similar. The engine sits behind you and both are vocal. In those traffic light Grand Prix trials, it’s quite fun. On a run, it can be both tiring. Both cars come with low gearing though it feels like the MR2 has the lower set of ratios. Using the Fiat Strada engine and gearbox, the X1/9’s are just a little bit taller all round.
Those lower ratios are no bad thing though. The MR2, with its 16 valve engine has 3 stages of power delivery like boiling an egg. 1-3000 it’s all gentle, warm, nothing really happens. 3-4000 andsomething is happening. There are bubbles at the bottom of the pan and it’s getting hot. 4000 and beyond and it’s boiling. Stomp on the throttle and you feel a shove from the 128bhp engine that will happily spin up to the red near 8000rpm.
There is no such gauge to be had from the X1/9. It’s 85bhp is way off what the Toyota has. All is not lost though. Despite its twin choke carb fed single cam unit, it develops all of its 87Ib/ft of torque lower at 3200rpm. This makes the X1/9 a more flexible car than you would expect and feel the more rapid in the twisty bits. It’s far easier to keep the power on.
With maximum bhp’s coming up high on both engines, it’s where the torque is that counts. The X1/9 doesn’t have to have the engine singing loudly to get where it wants too quickly. In contrast, the MR2 needs to be spinning at 5000rpm to get its 105 Ib/ft. The downside to the 16valve engine is that it needs revs to get the power.
You’d expect the handling to be similar for both cars too. Well no. They differ in quite a lot of ways and both are winners and losers. Where overall comfort comes into it, it is the X1/9 that wins. Its ride from the all-round MacPherson struts is soft and comfortable. This makes it the more civilised cruiser over long distances despite its cramped cockpit and close to the controls driving position.
On the other hand, the cornering safety goes to the MR2. Approaching its limits, it will gently understeer and the steering wheel will communicate this back to the driver effectively. The X1/9 has no such virtue. Instead, you can be caught between a rock and a hard place. It’s near-neutral handling is great. The steering loads up and its adhesion with the road is lost. Be quick though because the steering is not as quick in the rack as it is in the MR2, nor is it as light. And this issue is down to 1 factor alone. The MR2 wears wider 185 section tyres with a lower sidewall. The Fiat’s 165 sections cannot compete with 185’s.
So who did it better? Both have plus sides over the other. At its limit, the X1/9 will try and kill you. You can’t drive it without 100% concentration all the time. The MR2, on the other hand, will allow you to be foolish and reward you without going backwards into a ditch unless you are really stupid.
It’s like the Minogue sisters, you can’t, apparently, like them both. The MR2 is like Danni. It can be a little bit diva and a little bit pop in as much as it will satisfy you no matter what your mood. The X1/9 is Kylie. It’s full-on disco diva, 100% of the time. Just don’t show it her years with Deconstruction records. It gets messy, much like its handling can.
Which would I choose? I’ve had a liking for both since I was a child. I just happen to own the Fiat. Having now driven both in almost all driving situations, (the MR2 I did manage to get on the Silverstone racetrack) would I change my own X1/9 for the MR2? If I had the chance to use it more, I would. The MR2, despite its lack of luggage carrying ability, is the more useable car. It’s both fun and easy to live with. It doesn’t feel as delicate as the X1/9 and that also goes for all-round weather ability.
It’s just that my X1/9 tends to spend a lot of time looking at me from the garage, not broken I might add, and much like its handling on the limit, its looks are a killer!
Many thanks to Toyota GB’s Graham Bothamley for the loan of the MR2 from their heritage fleet.
If you’re looking for a quickie or even some picture swapping there are plenty of apps out there where gay and bi guys can hook up, but what if you want something deeper (get your mind out of the gutter).
This was a question recently posed on Reddit and it got people questioning where they could get a good date rather than a quick session of “fun”.
Back in 2015 our columnist Scott Sammons tested out all the major dating apps to find out which offered the best services and dating opportunities.
For dating opportunities he recommended Tinder, saying that the app was “designed to “match” people based on their personalities and likes/dislikes”. The app asks users to fill out a survey and then based on those results shows you profiles of guys you’re likely to want to date.
Sammons also added, “there are very little opportunities to declare your sexual preferences or put on your profile that you’re horny”. So if you’re after dates than quick hookups this might be a solution.
He also suggested Gaydar and Plenty Of Fish as alternatives to the likes of Grindr, Hornet and Jack’d.
Otherwise, users on Reddit suggested OKCupid, with one user admitting that he had had a lot of “success on the platform”.
So what’s the best way of meeting someone new?
Readers on our Facebook page, however, were less hopefully when we asked the question about the best dating app – not for hookups.
One user wrote, “All of them are hook up sites” while another added, “It would be nice if there WAS one you could actually connect & chat rather than just sex…..but I don’t see it happening lol”
Back in 2018, we asked our readers whether they had found love on a dating up. Thirty-six per cent said that they had found love and were still together, while 39 per cent said that they used them only for short-term relationships or hookups.
