As part of a settlement in a suit filed with New Jersey’s Civil Rights Division, eHarmony agrees to provide same-sex matches. Now I wouldn’t call this a landmark victory, but that is most likely because of how silly I find the whole eHarmony “finding a perfect match” program. To be honest, if I go through the couples I know, including me and TheWife, I don’t think any of us would be couples based on eHarmony’s “29 dimensions that determine long-term success.” But I am not going to knock those that want to try it this way, then more power to them for giving it a go.

I am of two separate and distinct minds on this matter however. On the one hand, I don’t really understand how you can “force” a company into doing something like this. They have set their business model up one way and cater to the heterosexual community. There is nothing about eHarmony that would prevent some competitor or start-up to fill the niche of providing similar services to same-sex couples. This is not discrimination. If you don’t like the services that eHarmony offers, then go elsewhere (or start your own). As a matter of fact, according the msnbc story:
The popular online matchmaker has been sued before for discrimination.

Last year, a Northern California woman sued the online dating service. She also alleged discrimination against gays, lesbians and bisexuals.

In 2005, a San Francisco man filed a similar complaint to McKinley’s, but the state determined no discrimination laws were violated.

On the other hand, I am happy about the ruling in so much as with New Jersey agreeing and pushing this case as discrimination, it is recognition in a sense that there is no real difference between heterosexual and homosexual couples other than the parties involved.

Of course, I am certain that Bill O’Reilly will offer this up as “proof” of his and Newt Gingrich’s arguments that as Gingrich stated: “I think there is a gay and secular fascism in this country that wants to impose its will on the rest of us.” So, I am curious, in a can’t look away when you see the trainwreck coming kind of way see where this is going to take us.

Filed under: Faux News, Wingnuts