Privacy controls for the LGBTQ+ community

Controlling who can see your profile

If your profile is set as gay or bisexual, you can opt to not see or be seen by straight people, regardless of what your Looking For settings say (for example, if you're bisexual and are interested in men and women, you will only see non-straight men and women; or if you're gay and looking for friends of any gender, you will only see non-straight folks). This can be turned on in your OkCupid account's "Privacy" settings.

Also see this article on other general privacy controls.

Photos and privacy

We do require a photo of your face in the Profile Photos section of your profile (see our photo rules for more details). However, if you feel as though it's not safe for you to show your face publicly along with your orientation or gender, Incognito is an option. Incognito will completely hide your profile from everyone until you have Liked them first. 

If it's important that you remain anonymous but purchasing Incognito represents a hardship for you, get in touch and we'll work with you to make sure you can feel safe on our site.

LGBTQ+ Travel

Be careful while traveling. We recognize and believe in the importance of being inclusive of all gender identities and sexual orientations, but the reality is this: nowhere in the world is without potential risk, and some countries have specific laws that target LGBTQ+ people. Check out the laws around you when you travel to a new place and research what types of legal protection, if any, are available to you based on sexual orientation. In the event that you’re in unsafe territory, we suggest disabling your OkCupid account or going Incognito. It’s important to exercise extra caution if you choose to connect with new people in these countries - as some law enforcement have been known to use dating apps as tools for potential entrapment. Some countries have also recently introduced laws that criminalize communications between individuals on same-sex dating applications or websites and even aggravate penalties if that communication leads to sexual encounters.

Visit ILGA World to see the latest sexual orientation laws by country, and consider donating to support their research. Source: ILGA World, Updated March 2019

If you need help, you can email a friendly human.