OKCupid has been the go-to dating site for some non-monogamous folks over the years, but a new poly-specific dating site might change that.
KōTangle is a global dating site for the ethically non-monogamous created by Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethá, authors of Sex at Dawn. It's currently in the alpha phase, but new features and functionality are being added soon. The site will eventually include options for content publishing, events listings, forums, and groups.
Ryan and Jethá explain why they chose to embark on this project:
Traveling around the world talking about Sex at Dawn these past two years, I've come to the painful conclusion my audiences were more interested in meeting each other than in watching me give a Power Point presentation about prehistoric sex and monkey balls. Shocking, I know . . . A Sex at Dawn lecture provided an excuse, and a filter, that made it easier for our readers to find each other.
But other than a Sex at Dawn event, where to meet other people who get it? . . . the #1 complaint about our book is that we don't say anything about how to put these ideas into action. Turns out, a lot of people are looking for a sexy, intelligent community without the sleaze and shame typical of many conventional dating or swingers sites.
Ryan and Jethá have big plans for KōTangle. It will be a safe and respectful, Safe for Work community that sponsors regional events and supports sex-positive initiatives. It will be completely free, save for some optional advanced features. These advanced features, which will include access to special events, will be available to anyone who sets up an account prior to the official launch.
Ryan and Jethá are currently looking for recommendations on contributors to the site, as well as suggestions on how best to feature events.
Meanwhile, a Ning-powered poly social networking site called myPolyplace has also sprung up. There are currently over 150 members, with options for blog posts, forums, groups, events, and media sharing.
I’ve been reading Sex and Dawn and listening to podcast interviews of Ryan lately so the timing of this is a surprise to me. I find it interesting that Ryan generally avoids prescriptive suggestions for how individuals and couples should take his and Jethá’s research. He has frequently used the analogy that vegetarianism imposed on omnivores does not make humans into herbivores…just omnivores eating vegetarian diets. So, this all said, I am surprised and happy to see Ryan and Jethá initiate this effort.
And for those poly people who identify in the LGBTI communities, there is Datebound.com, a free dating site with poly options. It’s a dating and relationship-focused site, and has lots of great free features including chat, email, and members can even create their own groups, like a poly group for instance :)
– Nick
Matchmaker Extraordinairre