Continental promo
||  News  ||
 
June 05, 2007

California lesbian sues eHarmony.com for discrimination

A Northern California woman sued the online dating service eHarmony on Thursday, alleging it discriminates against gays, lesbians, and bisexuals.

Linda Carlson said she tried to use the Internet site in February to meet a woman but was refused based on her sexual orientation. When Carlson wrote to eHarmony to complain, the company refused to change its policy, according to the lawsuit filed on her behalf in Los Angeles County superior court.

The lawsuit claims that by offering to find a compatible match only for men seeking women or women seeking men, the company was violating state law barring discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

''Such outright discrimination is hurtful and disappointing for a business open to the public in this day and age,'' Carlson said in a statement.

The lawsuit names Pasadena-based eHarmony.com Inc., company founder Neil Clark Warren, and his wife, Marylyn, the company's former vice president, as defendants. It seeks class-action status, a jury trial, and unspecified damages.

The company, which conducts extensive personality profiling before introducing couples with matching values and interests, denied the allegation.

''The research that eHarmony has developed, through years of research, to match couples has been based on traits and personality patterns of successful heterosexual marriages,'' a company statement said. ''Nothing precludes us from providing same-sex matching in the future, it's just not a service we offer now based upon the research we have conducted.''

Warren is a clinical psychologist who has written several books about dating and relationships. (AP)

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

  • Name: Ms. R
    Date posted: 2008-09-02 9:50 AM
    Hometown: Mechanicsville

    Comment:

    There are so many other dating sites out there that don't have objections to the gays and lesbians, so why even worry with eharmony! Does everything have to be considered as discriminatory to not only the homosexuals, but to anyone! Why can't there be a dating site for straight people? There are numerous Gay & Lesbian sites, and other sites geared to different beliefs and races! I personally don't understand why this always has to be an issue! Do we realize that this country is involved in a war? Let's focus on the important things, not which dating site will let you join!


  • Name: CJ
    Date posted: 2008-07-13 2:45 PM
    Hometown: Tinton Falls, NJ

    Comment:

    This lawsuit is NOT part of an agenda. It is within the rights of lesbians and gays (or any American citizen, regardless of orientation) to speak of discrimination when discrimination is quite obvious. My issue with eHarmony is that although I cannot become a member, I receive no less than 30 emails (spam) a day from this website. I believe that this woman is totally within her rights by instituting this lawsuit and would love to see it gain class action status. The site "prides itself on its diversity." That is a false and misleading statement on their part and if this were the case, the LGBT community would not be excluded. And just out of curiosity, for those who commented above, if you are against the LGBT community, why are you reading "The Advocate?"


  • Name: Sal
    Date posted: 2008-06-30 1:18 AM
    Hometown: Houston

    Comment:

    eHarmony.com is a website for straight people. I know lesbians think that they're the center of the universe and that every woman secretly desires lesbians an that every man thinks that "lesbianism is hot". Get OVER YOURSELVES, you're not the center of the universe. I myself find lesbianism about as boring as watching paint dry. Lesbianism is natural for some women, but don't try and shove down everyone elses throats. There are sometimes where a straight guy would like to go without lesbians constantly hitting on his lady, or to express interest in a lady without having to wonder if straight or a lesbian. Lesbians invade all the straight clubs, yet want to have all the lesbian clubs and bars all for themselves.


  • Name: Joy Donahue
    Date posted: 2008-06-28 1:42 PM
    Hometown: Indianapolis

    Comment:

    This lawsuit is complete nonsense. It simply shows the "agenda" of a certain group of individuals wanting acceptance for an aberrant lifestyle which reflects the individuals hate for self! The "gays" believe that changing laws will make them feel satisfied. This group will never stop trying to change society to fit their divient lifestyles.


Back to top

Submit a comment for this story:

*Type your comment here (Required, 1000 characters max. HTML formatting and hyperlinks are NOT permitted.):

*Name (Required): 

*Hometown (Required): 

*E-mail address: (Required, but will not be displayed)

Is this comment for publication? 
Yes   No

Daytime phone number: (Required for print publication only and will not be displayed)

Please enter the words you see in the box, in order and separated by a space. Doing so helps prevent automated programs from abusing this service.

  

If you would like to submit a comment for posting, please fill out the form above. 

All comments submitted via this form are subject to posting or publication. (To send a private letter to an Advocate editor or writer, please use the e-mail button at the top of the page, or use snail mail.) If you would like your comment considered for publication in The Advocate magazine, please include your full name, your city of residence, and a phone number where you can be reached during business hours so that we can confirm your identity. Your e-mail address and telephone number are strictly confidential and will not be shared or used for any purpose other than to contact you about your comment.

See the Contact page for sending comments for reasons other than responding to Advocate editorial and news stories.

Please note that comments sent by fax or snail mail are unlikely to be posted, although they will be considered for publication along with all letters received via e-mail or via this Web page. Comments that chiefly concern Advocate.com content will be considered for posting only on the Web site. The Advocate reserves the right to edit submitted comments for grammar, spelling, obscenities, or libel; we will, however, do our best to preserve the original comment's style and intent. Comments considered for publication in The Advocate magazine may also be edited for length.

More Exclusives
  • View From the Hill: The End of DADT?
    Defense Secretary Robert Gates revealed that lawyers are exploring ways to ease enforcement of the military's gay ban, but cautioned that the law doesn't leave much wiggle room. He need look no further than DOD history for a lesson in altering the policy.
  • Hot Sheet: Week of July 5
    When you get back from that big 4th of July barbecue, unwind with Sacha Baron Cohen's Bruno and your favorite B-movie-mocking, basic cable robots.
  • Hungry Like the Wolf
    A master of viola, ukulele, piano, and harp, Patrick Wolf is a music prodigy -- one who, the night before this interview, spit on a cop and got himself arrested.
  • Soapside: Advocate's Guide to Daytime
    Forbes March talks about playing gay, Otalia fans outraged, update on One Life to Live’s Patricia Maurceri’s firing over gay plot point, Phillip Chancellor III big reveal, and Erica Kane goes to Africa.
  • The Faces of Federal Prop. 8
    With the federal challenge to Prop. 8 moving full speed ahead, Advocate.com sits down with the two couples named as plaintiffs in the suit.
  • Mommy, the Gays Are Coming
    After a year of advancements and celebration for gay and lesbian Colombians, the community takes to the streets of Bogota for the country's biggest pride ever.
  • The Pride of Antwerp
    Advocate.com hits the gay-friendly streets of Antwerp with openly gay police commissioner Serge Muyters.
  • Excerpt: Mean Little Deaf Queer
    In an excerpt from her humorous and harrowing new memoir, Mean Little Deaf Queer, Terry Galloway recalls her early childhood, describing feelings of ugliness, confusion about gender, and being one of the boys.
  • Top Political Blogs
    From Joe.My.God to The Daily Beast, Advocate.com spotlights a few of the best blogs that cover politics, inside and way outside the Beltway.
  • The Diva of French Television
    A hot young screenwriter who has made gay OK for millions of French viewers, Nicolas Mercier sips champagne, dons a feathered hat, and says he wants to see Colin Farrell and Jude Law go at it.