Britain's gay singles turn to the web for love

Britain's gay singles turn to the web for love but at heart they're old-fashioned

Online dating services and chatrooms have become the most popular way for gay people to get a date.

More than 87% of gay men and 58% of gay women claim to have used them over the last 12 months.  

Yet research suggests that the right match remains elusive in Britain's gay community: over the same period only 18% of men and 27% of women have had a serious relationship.  

A major move towards redressing the balance is the launch of 'gay-parship.co.uk', the UK's first online dating service geared specifically to gay men and gay women who are looking for a serious relationship. The secret lies in the scientifically researched psychometric test that is the basis for the service's matching process.

According to the study, commissioned to mark the launch of the site, 47% of gay men and 41% of gay women are actively looking for a serious long-term relationship.  Just 16% and 18% respectively are looking for a series of casual flings.

Over the past 12 months 71% of gay men and women have visited a chatroom or registered with an online dating site, while 47% have placed or responded to a personal ad and 12% had joined a more traditional dating agency.  

But all this activity hides an undercurrent of pessimism as when questioned further, two thirds of people who are looking for something more serious. 72% of gay men and 59% of gay women said they often doubted they would ever find someone.

Nearly a third (29%) of gay men and women admitted that high standards and excessive expectations were proving a barrier, while a further 32% claimed they just didn't attract the right people.

The biggest barrier to meeting someone is shyness, cited by 42% of gay men and 29% of women.  In general 87% said they like to flirt, but fear of rejection prevented them from making the first move. 32% had trust issues, having been hurt in a previous relationship and 21% put it down to work-life balance with a pressured career leaving little time for the pursuit of love.

Dr Victoria Lukats, psychiatrist and dating and relationship expert for PARSHIP, the established and fast-growing dating brand behind gay-parship.co.uk, said: "Our research finally dispels flawed stereotypical assumptions that gay men and women are less likely to want to form a serious relationship. Until now, the gay online dating services haven't catered for those looking for a more serious relationship."

Unlike other online dating services, which tend to encourage users to select dates largely on the basis of photos, self-descriptions and potential sexual attraction, gay-parship.co.uk uses a unique psychometric compatibility test.

It is a key method, which ensures that the service's members are only matched with people who could be genuinely right for them.