OKCupid

I know that, with or without a partner, cooking will always be my first love.

How I Cooked Myself Out Of A Digital Dating Depression

When a Tinder lover ghosted me cold after a month, I fell into a deep depression. There was no accountability in the digital dating world, where you had zero real-world mutual friends to tie you together.

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This case is the perfect example of the dangerous sense of entitlement men often feel towards women.

Man Sues Date For Texting (And 5 More Examples Of Toxic Masculinity In Dating Culture) 

While some outlets are going so far as to call this man a “hero,” this case is the perfect example of the dangerous sense of entitlement men often feel towards women.

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I never realized that helping someone flip that internal switch may not lead to self-improvement.

Dating While (Semi) Damaged: Stop Trying To Change People

Dating While (Semi) Damaged is a column about returning to the dating world after an abusive relationship, offering insight and occasional advice.

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While my post-OkCupid elation was temporary, I still value it.

Dating While (Semi) Damaged: OkCupid And Self-Esteem

Online dating is a form of personal marketing, which is why so many find it inorganic and unromantic. But self-promotion forces you to ponder certain questions. Why would anyone want to date you? What do you bring to a relationship? After the abuse, answering such questions was healing. It’s similar to the glimmer of hope you feel writing a cover letter, even in the depths of unemployment, as the task forces you to play up your best qualities. You have to reflect on your self-worth. It is required.

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I realized that part of the reason I was constantly partnering with “broken” people was because that's how I viewed myself. Image: Thinkstock.

Becoming Bride: 4 Things I Learned From Online Dating

I do have one advantage when it comes to meeting people online: I really like dating. I like getting dressed up and going out. I even kind of dig meeting someone new. I know these are aspects of dating other people dread, but I’ve always enjoyed these things. Perhaps this is one explanation for (or else a result of) my sex work past, I dunno. I know that, in the beginning, I thought of dating as an adventure. I didn’t take it too seriously.

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She was my Mr. Miyagi — except she was a cute young woman and there was a lot less karate.

4 Things I Learned From Dating A Professional Dominatrix

In the spring of 2013, I met a woman on OKCupid. She was petite, with a kind smile and a voice so soft that it could melt all your troubles away. Her shock of red curls went down to her shoulders — and because of this, and the fact that we no longer speak, let's call her Ann.

Ann was a few years older than I, wise and mature. She also, it turned out, spent her professional life beating up strangers for their sexual satisfaction.

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It comes with its own set of challenges.

Trial And Error: Dating As A Transgender Woman

Dating is always weird. This is true regardless of gender or orientation.

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Talk about it.

5 Tips For Dating If You Have Mental Illness

A part of me gets it. If you’ve never had any mental illness, who wants to date a crazy person? Many people think of mental illness in extremes and stereotypes, i.e., depressed people never get out of bed or those with OCD will never leave the bathroom.

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