Dating apps like Tinder get a lot of slack.
Accused of being ruthless sites of hook-ups and dick-pics, they make modern dating seem like a bleak place.
But, although it is most-certainly useful for the above, it is also true that a lot of successful friendships and relationships are formed on the app.
We all know a couple or five who found love through their wi-fi.
And it turns out its equally friendly for same-sex couples as heterosexual ones.
Many have noted that if Grindr was the somewhat overtly sexual, Tinder provided the friendly and romantic platform they needed.
Tinder was also one of the first apps to debut inclusive gender options for their users and has been aware of the inequality and undue danger that exists for the gay community on dating apps.
Tinder's sociologist Dr. Jess Carbino notes that, according to Tinder's very own LGBTQ+ Dating Survey results, safety remains a primary concern.
'We learned that gay male users are 31. 2 percent more likely than their cisgender male counterparts to feel unsafe showing affection publicly.'
Brit + Co reports that more than one in five lesbian women and over 40 percent of gay men say they don't engage in PDA because they fear for their safety.
That being said, more than half of the app's LGBTQ+ users do still think that the app will help them find that long-term relationship they strive for. Carabino said: 'Over the past several years, we've conducted many focus groups with members of the LGBTQ+ community, and I've come to learn that Tinder is seen as the app for LGBTQ+ singles seeking a meaningful relationship.'
So, to show the LGBTQ users their bravery and love isn't going unnoticed, Tinder have decided to give them a gift.
Whatever your thoughts are on companies like Skittles making a public gesture to the gay community, Tinder in the US has joined them in a similarly public display.
They have opened up a competition for LGBTG+ people to give one couple the wedding of their dreams.
And if you want to gauge how 'dreamlike' this wedding will be, it's going to cost $100,000 (£78,320).
Yep, you're not going to turn your nose up at that kind of cash are you?
To enter the competition, you need to share your Tinder success story on Instagram, using the hashtag #TinderSuccessStory and tag Tinder in the photo (and be from the US).
There are already 1,647 posts under the hashtag so far, but don't look if you're feeling slightly emotional. You will soon be weeping soon.
Daisy Murray is the Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, spotlighting emerging designers, sustainable shopping, and celebrity style. Since joining in 2016 as an editorial intern, Daisy has run the gamut of fashion journalism - interviewing Molly Goddard backstage at London Fashion Week, investigating the power of androgynous dressing and celebrating the joys of vintage shopping.
