eHarmony, the popular online dating service, is being sued for refusing to offer its services to LGBT singles, Reuters reported on Thursday. A lawsuit claiming discrimination based on sexual orientation was submitted to the Los Angeles superior court on behalf of Linda Carlson, who says she was denied access to the site because she is lesbian.
This is the first lawsuit of its kind filed against eHarmony, which has been criticized for not offer a "men seeking men" or "women seeking women" option to its subscribers. Carlson and her lawyers are hoping to raise awareness of the situation.
eHarmony was founded in 2000 by Neil Clark Warren, an evangelical Christian with strong connections to the conservative religious group Focus on the Family. With more than 12 million registered users, it is one of the nation's largest online dating sites.
Carlson, who lives in the San Francisco Bay area, tried to use the site's services in February but was denied access when she attempted to list her sexual orientation. According to Reuters, the lawsuit states that she promptly wrote to eHarmony explaining that its policy was discriminatory under California law, but the company refused to change it.
"Such outright discrimination is hurtful and disappointing for a business open to the public in this day and age," Carlson told Reuters.
Carlson's lawyers expect a significant number of LGBT people to join the lawsuit, which aims to force eHarmony to change its policy and pay unspecified damages for those denied its services based on their sexual orientation. (The Advocate)
