LGBTQ+ people ‘more likely to swipe left on Conservative dating profiles’

Tory voters are about as unpopular on LGBTQ+ dating apps as you’d expect, new research has found.

Data published in the Journal of Politics on the dating habits of LGBTQ+ Britons found that they overwhelmingly favour profiles which show support for historically left-wing parties.

Collating data from a survey of over 2,000 people in Britain, participants were reportedly shown over 20,000 fictional dating profiles with randomly assigned attributes, including political affiliation, and were asked to choose to match with them or not.

Conservative Party supporters came out the worst by far, with a -11 per cent difference in voter dating success compared to cis-heterosexual respondents. Comparitevly, Labour voters received a +12 per cent dating success.

Interestingly, Tories were far less successful than Reform UK voters who, while still more likely to lose out than succeed, had a success difference of -1 per cent.

Researchers noted that Reform UK voters were most likely to receive fewer positive matches overall, but the disparity between LGBTQ+ and cis-het respondents meant the percentage difference shifted significantly.

Lib Dem and Greens supporters were in the positive margins for match success, though they were still less successful than Labour supporters.

University of Southampton researcher and lead author of the study, Dr Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte, noted that the disconnect between Tory voters and LGBTQ+ respondents was more than just a turnoff; it was a matter of a “fundamental values mismatch.”

He said that the study revealed LGBTQ+ people are significantly more selective on potential partners based on political or social disagreements than any other demographic, especially when it comes to issues of “equality, inclusion, and rights.”

“Dating isn’t just about chemistry. For LGBTQ+ individuals, politics often maps onto identity and safety,” Dr Alberto Lopez Ortega, co-author at Harvard University, said. “When someone supports a party associated with anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric or policies, it’s not just a poltical difference – it’s personal.”

Researchers concluded that, especially among LGBTQ+ people, political and social values are a significant part of finding the right dynamic on dating apps and can act as a “revealing arena” for social norms and political division.

Dr Turnbull-Dugarte said that dating has become an increasingly political space, adding: “Our findings show that LGBTQ+ individuals aren’t just looking for someone attractive or interesting. They’re looking for someone who shares their fundamental vision of equality and belonging.”