Sued Into Submission, eHarmony Now Swings Both Ways
Hard to believe, but eHarmony, the dating site founded by a conservative Christian who said that he believes marriage should only be between a man and a woman, will soon serve bisexuals looking for relationships. Of course, it took a lawsuit, but still, who would have thought a site with such prim and proper origins would be swinging like it's 1979?
Pasadena-based eHarmony this week agreed to settle for a total of $2 million, including $1.5 million in attorney's fees, after plaintiffs named the company in a class action suit calling for equality for gay and bisexual users of its dating service. Under the proposed settlement the company must now allow users to access its straight and gay sites without having to pay twice. A judge must approve the deal.
eHarmony, long criticized for its gay-unfriendly policies, established a gay dating site in 2008 in response to a discrimination suit filed in New Jersey. That site is called Compatible Partners. eHarmony has kept it separate from its straight-date URL.
Under the likely deal not only would each person who signed on to the suit receive $4,000, but the company must display its eHarmony logo prominently on the gay site. A judge could sign off on the agreement Feb. 3.
The founder of eHarmony is Neil Clark Warren, who has been vocal about his opposition to same-sex marriage and has cited the biblical views of homosexuality.
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