QUEERTY — Apr 1 — Just because eHarmony launched a same-sex match site doesn't mean they are out of legal trouble. A class action suit says the matchmaker hasn't gone far enough — and their current two-site approach amounts to "separate but equal." And violates law. "To stop discriminating and comply with the law, the defendants must allow people seeking a same-sex relationship to access all the services and features of eHarmony.com, not a separate site,” added Jeremy Pasternak of The Law Offices of Jeremy Pasternak, who is also representing the plaintiffs. FULL ARTICLE @ QUEERTY
Jeremy Pasternak is the kind of attorney that gives other attorneys a bad name. The whole separate or equal argument applies only when the two populations have the same needs and thus should be treated the same. Thus, it makes sense when you are talking about separate bathroomfacilities for whites and blacks in the 60’s.
However, heterosexuals and homosexuals have decidedly different needs. Dating is not the same. Dating services are not the same. Ask Patrick Perrine of MyPartner.com who has been studying Gay dating for years and developed a relationship site specifically for Gays.
If Pasternak’s argument holds, then one could easily argue that there should be no women’s clothing stores. Every clothing store must be unisex. The courts must eventually recognize the different needs argument, lest somebody will eventually take the argument too far and suddenly we will no longer have handicapped parking because after all, “separate is not equal.”
Frankly, it really angers me when lawyers try to make a moral stand when they are really just interested in the financial payoff. Perhaps William Shakespeare’s advice in Henry VI about how to handle the lawyers was correct.
Jeremy Pasternak is the kind of attorney that gives other attorneys a bad name. The whole separate or equal argument applies only when the two populations have the same needs and thus should be treated the same. Thus, it makes sense when you are talking about separate bathroomfacilities for whites and blacks in the 60’s.
However, heterosexuals and homosexuals have decidedly different needs. Dating is not the same. Dating services are not the same. Ask Patrick Perrine of MyPartner.com who has been studying Gay dating for years and developed a relationship site specifically for Gays.
If Pasternak’s argument holds, then one could easily argue that there should be no women’s clothing stores. Every clothing store must be unisex. The courts must eventually recognize the different needs argument, lest somebody will eventually take the argument too far and suddenly we will no longer have handicapped parking because after all, “separate is not equal.”
Frankly, it really angers me when lawyers try to make a moral stand when they are really just interested in the financial payoff. Perhaps William Shakespeare’s advice in Henry VI about how to handle the lawyers was correct.
When did a business stop being able to decide how to run their business?
I’m missing something. Instead of settling and creating the gay dating site, I wish eHarmony had opted to fight the suit to the finish. We all would have benefited in that case. I hope they refuse to cave in this time and give it their best fight they can afford.
You’re right. Lawyers like this are just slimy, plain and simple.
When did a business stop being able to decide how to run their business?
I’m missing something. Instead of settling and creating the gay dating site, I wish eHarmony had opted to fight the suit to the finish. We all would have benefited in that case. I hope they refuse to cave in this time and give it their best fight they can afford.
You’re right. Lawyers like this are just slimy, plain and simple.
I’m rooting for eHarmony on this one. eHarmony was founded by fundamental Christians so that Christian men and women can find marriage partners. I have no problem with them doing that. And if eHarmony would rather not run a dating site for people they consider to be sinners, why go where you’re not welcome? We sinners have our own web sites, and I’ll be damned if someone wants to force a gay web site to find marriage partners for eHarmony’s customers.
I’m rooting for eHarmony on this one. eHarmony was founded by fundamental Christians so that Christian men and women can find marriage partners. I have no problem with them doing that. And if eHarmony would rather not run a dating site for people they consider to be sinners, why go where you’re not welcome? We sinners have our own web sites, and I’ll be damned if someone wants to force a gay web site to find marriage partners for eHarmony’s customers.
Jonathan, you make a great point. If only more could see your logic. I don’t want to match atheists on ChristianCafe.com or gentiles on JewishCafe.com.
And, my wife doesn’t want women-only gyms to be forced to take men as members. Or, women’s washrooms to permit men, either. Or vice-versa.
Jonathan, you make a great point. If only more could see your logic. I don’t want to match atheists on ChristianCafe.com or gentiles on JewishCafe.com.
And, my wife doesn’t want women-only gyms to be forced to take men as members. Or, women’s washrooms to permit men, either. Or vice-versa.
We are here, we are queer…and yes, we are different. To ignore the differences between gay daters and that of heterosexual daters is just, well, ignorant. There are sites like ManHunt.net that serve a particular need for the gay male community, and there are also sites like myPartner.com that serve a different need. In both cases, we are both designed to cater to what gay men are specifically looking for in a partnership. I don’t think lesbian women would want to use either of the sites mentioned, and if they did, I know myPartner.com’s matching system wouldn’t work to provide compatible matches the way it is currently designed. They are a different segment of the population with different needs and wants.
Whether one agrees with fundamentalist Christians or not (even though eHarmony has stepped away from this association) they are a niche population that deserves to be catered to as well. The straight demographic just happens to be the popular majority…but that doesn’t mean it’s not a distinctively different niche.
We are here, we are queer…and yes, we are different. To ignore the differences between gay daters and that of heterosexual daters is just, well, ignorant. There are sites like ManHunt.net that serve a particular need for the gay male community, and there are also sites like myPartner.com that serve a different need. In both cases, we are both designed to cater to what gay men are specifically looking for in a partnership. I don’t think lesbian women would want to use either of the sites mentioned, and if they did, I know myPartner.com’s matching system wouldn’t work to provide compatible matches the way it is currently designed. They are a different segment of the population with different needs and wants.
Whether one agrees with fundamentalist Christians or not (even though eHarmony has stepped away from this association) they are a niche population that deserves to be catered to as well. The straight demographic just happens to be the popular majority…but that doesn’t mean it’s not a distinctively different niche.