First Dates star on reality of looking for love as a trans person
Steph Kyriacou, a trans man, has told PinkNews that his appearance on Channel 4’s First Dates was “one of the best dates I’ve ever had in my life.”
Before appearing on the Channel 4 show, which sees two contestants go on a blind date at a restaurant before deciding whether they want to see each other again, Steph pursued the world of online dating.
He describes these experiences as “quite good” and he believes it “help[ed] a little bit” to include his trans identity in his dating bio.
“It means I don’t have that risk of matching with someone, then they find out and have a meltdown,” he explains.
The video producer has dated other trans people which allows “comfortability” and “communication”, he adds.
“It’s genuinely one of the most beautiful parts that I found of being trans, having these interactions with people I think cis-het people wouldn’t ever quite understand.”
However, he has also encountered barriers when it comes to dating as a trans person, which can also extend to the reaction of a potential partner’s family.
“It’s not even people who are transphobic,” he says. “Obviously, some people are, but a lot of people are just ignorant or misinformed.
“I think people forget that we are just people. Even if you get on really well with someone, you date them, you then have to meet their family and they might not be cool with it.”
All in all, Steph is using his experiences on First Dates to increase trans visibility.
“Ever since I could dress myself, I’ve been a little boy,” he reveals. “I want us to be heroes and villains, doctors and astronauts. Sometimes it can be about our identity but sometimes we’re just a person who happens to be trans.”
First Dates airs at 10pm on Tuesdays on Channel 4.
