Are You a Candidate for Speed Dating?

In this day and age of various ways to meet someone for dating and possibly more, one of the oddest ways of doing this has stuck around and even expanded itself. It’s a fun little exercise known as Speed Dating, and is probably among the most unique methods of meeting new people there is. People seem to either love it or hate it, but rarely is anyone indifferent.

Speed Dating isn’t exactly “dating” but rather more of an interview process between two people to see if they may want to get to know each other better. These events are organized by various dating agencies. Some even specialize in Speed Dating events. They can be for any legal age or sexual orientation.  These events can be for a set age range, older women and younger men, older men and younger women, and everything else you can think of. Whatever taste exists in dating, there’s a Speed Dating event for it.

The way these work is people are either invited to participate or they discover an event on their own and want to register for it. There’s a fee charged per person and there’s usually a limit as to how many people can attend a single event. The number of attendees is an even one for obvious reasons. These are the people that are going to be spending a few minutes with each other during the Speed Dating event to see if they connect.

Usually, there are tables set up so that everyone sits across from each other when it’s their turn to chat. There will be a sound of some sort like a bell or whistle to indicate that the “dating” between the couples will begin. It’s during this time that the couples speak to each other for anywhere from three to eight minutes. They typically introduce themselves to each other and then either volunteer a bit of information about themselves or ask questions of each other. At the end of the time limit, the bell or whistle will sound again and new couples pair up to repeat the process.

At the end of the event, there is usually something social set up for drinks and snacks. During this time, anyone that was impressed with someone else they met through the speed date will give that name to the organizers of the event. This means that the organizers have permission to contact the person on behalf of the interested party.  If the person contacted isn’t interested, he or she will state that and it ends there. However, if there’s interest, then these two people will be given contact information so they can arrange for an actual date together.

Whether or not you’re a candidate for this way of meeting someone depends on the type of person you are and what your preferences are when it comes to getting to know someone. If you’re open minded and like to have some unique fun when it comes to the dating process, Speed Dating just may be a great way for you to meet someone that’s just as much fun as you are.

Bringing Your Gay Lover Home to Meet the Family

Nothing is better than finally meeting the partner of your dreams after you’ve firmly and completely come out of the closet. Families are usually split about half and half these days when it comes to how they react to being told that their son or daughter is gay. Some families are very supportive of their child’s lifestyle while others are hurt, angry and in denial.

Sadly, many people lose their families over their sexual orientation. For those that still have their families in their lives, there will come a day when you’ll want to bring home your lover to meet them. The only reason that this can be a bit different than any straight person introducing the love of his or her life to the family is because there are so many varied degrees of acceptance that a family can be at.

First of all, if you have a supportive and loving family that wants only your happiness, you’ll have an easy time of it when bringing home your lover for the first time. All you’ll need to do is to call your family well ahead of time so that they can prepare. This is no different from a straight person preparing to bring home a lover. You’re just being considerate in case there’s any cleaning or cooking that your family wants to do before your arrival. When you and your partner arrive, introduce him or her to your family and allow them some time to get acquainted.

If you’ve only recently come out to your family and they’re still grappling with the news, you may need to tread a bit lightly. Make a date for you and your partner to meet with your family ahead of time. This gives you a chance to gauge how your family really is taking the news of your lifestyle. If you feel safer on your own territory, host a lunch or dinner at your home. In this way, you give your family an escape route if they start feeling uncomfortable. Keep things light and don’t be overly affectionate with your partner until everyone has adjusted.

For families that simply refuse to accept who you are, there’s not a lot you can do. In fact, you probably don’t want to subject someone you love to the treatment that he or she will most likely receive at the hands of homophobic family members. Tell your partner about your family. Show him or her photos and tell stories about your childhood. Let your partner get acquainted with your family through your words. In that way, if your family ever turns around and decides to love you and accept you unconditionally, your partner will at least be somewhat familiar with them.

Families are meant to be important. However, if your family cannot seem to accept you and your newfound happiness, you may need to move forward in your life without them as a part of it. It’s not your fault. You deserve to be happy. If they can’t be happy with you, they don’t truly love you. Move on with your partner.