Struck by Cupid’s Arrow: LGBTQ Dating Site

Believe it or not, there are many people in the LGBTQ community who are looking for more than the occasional date and hooking up. They want someone to love, and there are some devoted people trying to help make that happen.

Tony Smith is the founder and owner of the newly developed Denver’s Cupid, the only LGBTQ matchmaking service in the Mile High City. After an unsuccessful run for Denver City Council, he switched his focus to helping people in the community find “the one.”

“Just like I woke up one morning thinking I need to run for office, I woke up saying I need to be a matchmaker,” he says. “First, I thought, I am going to create the LGBTQ arm of a matchmaking company and take advantage of my 20 years of connections in Denver. I was with the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, and I have served on several city boards and commissions. The more I looked into this, I realized that most matchmakers are female, for whatever reason, and there are no matchmaking services based in Denver for the LGBTQ community. I immediately thought, ‘I want to help my brothers and sisters in Denver.’

“Through all my years of playing volleyball with younger people, I found that people are sick of apps,” Smith continues. “They are sick of swiping left and right; they are sick of how impersonal it is. I wanted to be a connector, but just for Denver’s LGBTQ community. So, Denver’s Cupid is the only LGBTQ matchmaking service based in Denver, and I specialize in the art of matchmaking and the power of connection.”

One of Denver Cupid’s biggest features is curated, virtual dating. 

“Part of the business model was in-person speed dating, but then lo and behold, COVID happened,” Smith says. “I started looking into how I could make that virtual and in a partnership with a company. So, what I mean by ‘curated’ is breaking people down in age groups, and perhaps by affinity. I met my husband of 18 years playing volleyball. I said, with all my experience in sports in Denver, there are thousands of genders and orientations playing sports. So, one affinity group could be people between 30 and 50 registered for a sports league. You instantly have something common. People who own pets like to date other people with pets. It goes on and on. 

“I strongly believe that everyone deserves love,” Smith continues. “In the LGBTQ community, we start out in a more difficult space because we are not like everybody else. That is one of my founding principles, everyone deserves love. The power of connection is allowing every, single one in our community to find love, friendships, and connections. So, curated, virtual dating allows people to find their silo, and it is going to include everyone. If you are gay, you probably want gay. Lesbian, lesbian, and there will be groups for the TQIA as well.”

The other major part of the site is personal matchmaking.

“Every community has a matchmaker, so I want to help be one of Denver’s matchmakers,” Smith says. “I become your headhunter. I dig deep. Once we have a one-on-one consultation and you decide to go for the service, I open my black book of 20 years and start digging deep to find potential people for that person to go on a date with. When I set up that date, it will be up to them if they want to do it in person or on Zoom.”

It is free for anyone to make a profile on Denver’s Cupid, and they are 100 percent private. 

Now, if someone is looking to date specifically within the trans community, Stefan de Jong can help you there. He is the creator of My Transgender Cupid, which began in 2015. 

“The story of My Transgender Cupid has kind of a sad touch attached to it,” de Jong says. “It was on my trip to the Philippines back in 2014 where I noticed a lot of transgender women and the difficulties they face in society. General tolerance is there for trans women, but they are not wholly accepted. Today, a majority of the people still hold intolerant views toward transgender people. 

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“I firmly believe that I can contribute in a positive way to make this world a better place, no matter your sexual preference or gender identity,” he continues. “The idea was born to create a decent dating site that is strictly focused on creating a long-term relationship between a transgender woman and a nice man. It started with My Ladyboy Cupid in 2014. While the term ‘ladyboy’ is very common and widely accepted in the Asian world, the Western world often associates it with sex and porn. That is why we opened the doors of My Transgender Cupid in 2015.”

The ultimate aim of My Transgender Cupid is to make the world a better place and highlight equal rights for transgender people. While the site’s main focus is on trans women, trans men are more than welcome to sign up. 

“We do our best to fight off the bad image that a lot of people have about transgender [people] that is mostly created by the internet and porn industry,” de Jong says. “Our site is created where the sexual aspect is not played. A true dating site with one goal in mind, to find happiness and romance that human beings deserve.”

Visit both denverscupid.com and mytransgendercupid.com for more information and to sign up. You can also follow both sites on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest news and updates.  

*Photos courtesy of Tony Smith