Dating tips & relationship advice for gay men
Is online dating especially prone to bad guys? On gay websites, it's like looking through a filter — anyone can craft a perfect persona, leading to lies, manipulation, cheating, and emotional games. HEDER teaches you five key signs to spot a player before it's too late.
Are all your friends coupled up while you're still single? Every time you go out, you're always the 'extra' one — what was meant to be a friends' hangout mysteriously turns into a couples' date, leaving you as the lone light bulb.
No matter what dating channel you use, social skills are necessary to get someone to want to know you better. If you're not great at socializing, you should actually use dating apps more — to practice text conversations, invite people out, and practice face-to-face interaction.
Someone asked if you want to video call? Panicking?! You have no video call experience and you're worried it'll be awkward. Technology is meant to make life more convenient, not create distance. Dating is the same — remember, you're interacting with a person.
Many people say loving yourself is the most important thing in a relationship, but... how exactly do you love? "I have a perfectionist control freak inside me — I can't afford to show any flaws in how I present myself."
In the dating world, you actually don't need that many options. As a heavy gay dating app user, have you noticed that no matter how many people you match with, your conversations always stall at 'Hi,' 'Hello,' 'Wanna exchange LINE?' and then go nowhere?
Behavior that crosses the boundary of friendship is usually the first step toward catching feelings — but let's be real, who hasn't gone overboard at some point? Some people develop emotional feelings from a physical connection; others fall for someone they shouldn't.
The biggest cost of dating is time — and time is what we overlook the most, only to look back and realize we've lost the most of it. No matter what gay dating channel you use, from finding a match to chatting to meeting up, every stage takes so much time.
As modern technology advances, dating apps have become an indispensable channel for the internet generation. Among gay communities, the reliance on online dating exceeds 70% — far higher than the 25% for heterosexuals.
No. 1: Awkward silences — nobody dreads the 'dead conversation' guy more. This person is basically the app's 'three-question interview' in real life: height? weight? age? neighborhood? Every possible background check — but never seeks common ground.
The struggle with gay male dating isn't a lack of opportunity — it's a lack of initiative. From mixers to gay bars to dating apps, everyone is waiting for a sign to appear, waiting to be noticed, waiting to be approached, waiting to be rescued.
What do you think the mainstream type is in gay dating? Most people would say it's handsome, muscular, sunny/masculine — the type everyone likes. But mainstream vs. non-mainstream is a false issue. The underlying value is: 'I want to be liked by the majority; I want to be accepted.'
Everyone knows that gay men are famous for caring about physique and working out. Some say it's biological instinct — to boost your 'market value' in the social marketplace, like a peacock displaying its feathers for mating.
The proportion of single gay men in Taiwan is consistently higher than those in stable relationships, yet most gay men genuinely hope for a committed partnership. Why does the single population remain so high? HEDER's Director Henry analyzes ten reasons.