E-Harmony Lawsuit

[Wio]

This is some what of a serious topic, I guess, but anyway...
E-Harmony is this dating site that allows men to meet women and vise versa with the intent of having an intimate romantic relationship.
However, the site doesn't have a feature that allows men to meet other men and women to meet other women. Because of this, a lesbian woman decided to file a lawsuit against E-Harmony because she sees it as discrimination against homosexuals.

Personaly, I don't believe E-Harmony should be forced to provide the service for homosexual relationships. A lesbian can still join; it's just that she would end up meeting a man, and she probably wouldn't want to. I think also that it's possible that homosexual relationships don't have the same factors of compatibility.

What do you guys think?

[Lunafreya Fleuret]

o_0 ...D00d. This makes no sense whatsoever. WHY are you discussing another site on here?

[Wio]

Well it is true that E-Harmony is a website, but that isn't what I think is important. It is the lawsuit that is important to this topic, and I think it's an interesting thing to discuss.

[Exquiro]

I don't think they should. If a homosexsual person wants to date online there are plents of other sites available.

[The Dom]

1. they shold close this
2. homosexual are usualy discriminated against
3. e harmony has no sighnthat says homos welcome

[Wio]

1. they shold close this
2. homosexual are usualy discriminated against
3. e harmony has no sighnthat says homos welcome

I have to disagree with you here. There was another topic about the million dollar pants lawsuit and it wasn't closed, but anyway...
I don't think they have a sign that says 'hetero sexuals welcome' either, nor do they have a sign that says 'homosexuals not welcome'. The thing is though, that a man can't search for another man and a woman can't search for another woman.

[uchiha_siy]

There are plenty of sites specifically for gay people to find other gay people and straight people dont sue them :/ i think this is just someone who has spotted a way to make some cash.

[Chris-san]

E-Harmony can choose whether or not it wants to offer its services to only straight people; it's a website, not a service you have to pay for or anything, and nobody's forcing you to use that specific service. If it doesn't have what you're looking for, go somewhere else.

This is almost just like an anime fan going to Smoaky or something and starting an anime thread, and then not expecting to get bombed to Hell and back for being at absolutely the wrong place.

[Anpan Hayase]

There are plenty of sites specifically for gay people to find other gay people and straight people dont sue them :/ i think this is just someone who has spotted a way to make some cash.

My words exactly.

[Kewii]

By the way, for those who are back seat modding right now.

This is a good topic for discussion. It will not be closed and you should appreciate that someone who has brought up a new topic that actually requires formulating an opinion.

[unspun]

If they're going to be a dating service, I believe they should accommodate ALL of the peoples. In my opinion, she has a right to sue.

[Wolfwood]

there's plenty of sites for guys to meet guys or girls to meet girls. lets sue them for discrimination against straight people :P

people will sue over anything these days, this should be thrown out of the courts at the first possible moment to make way for more fat people going after Mcdonalds for making them fat >_>

=[[Wolfwood]]=

[Mugetsu]

Suing them for "discrimination" is stupid. As was mentioned there are plenty of online sites where homosexuals can meet other homosexuals. Just because E-Harmony has a commercial doesn't mean it should be a target.

Thats like me filing a lawsuit against a lesbian club because they wouldn't let me in or I felt "unwelcomed". People are way too lawsuit happy these days. Just find something else thats better for you. The people at E-Harmony obviously have a formula for matches that they feel is geared toward heterosexual people. Why not just find someone who wants to do it instead of trying to FORCE someone to hook you up?

[Myrra]

I should like to say that eHarmony doesn't just discriminate against gays & lesbians, but also anyone that they feel doesn't meet their specifications. As to what those are exactly, I've no ruddy clue, but I guess if they feel you aren't good enough for their other members, then they don't have to take your money.
As to eHarmony being "just a website" it's a dating service just like any other. You have to pay a fee to join, just like all the other crappy dating services you see around town. Sure, they'll give you a few "freebies" tossed your way, but they rarely if every refund your money if you fail to make any sort of "connection". And as it's a place you choose to join to find a date of the opposite gender, I fail to see why a lesbian would choose to foist her preferences on the site. They make it quite clear in their advertising the type of people for whom they want to make "connections".
The lawsuit is, in my opinion, without merit and should be thrown out. If that woman wants to meet other people who share her preferences, then she should find those sites/places that meet them, not sue a site that refuses to kowtow to her unreasonable request.

[BoldMushroom]

1. they shold close this
2. homosexual are usualy discriminated against
3. e harmony has no sighnthat says homos welcome

So... are you saying that, because people usually discriminate against gays, it's OK for people to discriminate against gays? In the context of your other two statements, that's the implication I'm getting...


While I think it would be great if eHarmony did offer services for LGBT, and it certainly must be hurtful and disheartening that they can't use the site... I don't think eHarmony is actually obligated to provide a service to match same-sex couples.

One of the bases for this lawsuit, from what I've read, is that this woman tried to use the site, but was denied because her answers to the personality survey did not provide any accurate prediction of whom she would be compatible with. According to the site, this happens to 20% of the people who fill out the survey, regardless of their orientation.

The service itself seems to be rather strict, anyway. Apparently, anyone who has more than three failed marriages or suffers from "severe depression" is excluded from the service as well. By that logic, people who are depressed or have had more than three marriages can sue the site, too. But in this case, it's part of the formula the site has for matching people - so while it's unfortunate, they can't be forced to allow everyone in.

Considering that, as well as something the original poster said...

I think also that it's possible that homosexual relationships don't have the same factors of compatibility.

This sentiment is true, according to the creators of eHarmony. They issued this statement regarding the lawsuit.

"The research that eHarmony has developed, through years of research, to match couples has been based on traits and personality patterns of successful heterosexual marriages," a company statement said. "Nothing precludes us from providing same-sex matching in the future, it's just not a service we offer now based upon the research we have conducted."

So... basically, it's not that they don't want to, it's that it's not part of their formula, because they don't know how to. But... maybe they will offer options for same-sex matching in the future, if they develop their research further. Especially if this lawsuit puts pressure on the company.

(But who wants to use a service that uptight, anyway...?)

[Ichiro Matsuchani]

There's nothing wrong with this thread... Except for the obvious. o_o

But yeah, it sounds to me like she's finding an excuse to complain and file a lawsuit about. I find this whole case absolutely ridiculous, because whenever you see the commercials about E-harmony, you always see a male and a female couple. That's what the site is about.

There are plenty of other sites that are for gays and lesbians, and it's not that hard to reach them. Just simply punch in a few keys lady, and you'll find what you want. =/

[Regex]

The thing about eHarmony is that they take great pride in their ability to match people. The way they keep their statistics up is by limiting the people they accept.

This is acceptable business practice. Nowhere does it say "We accept anyone and match them to their chosen gender."

[unspun]

One of the bases for this lawsuit, from what I've read, is that this woman tried to use the site, but was denied because her answers to the personality survey did not provide any accurate prediction of whom she would be compatible with. According to the site, this happens to 20% of the people who fill out the survey, regardless of their orientation.

If that is the case (and obviously we weren't presented with information leaving us to dig on our own) then I think the lawsuit should be thrown out, retracting what I said before to an extent. In the event that a dating service allows anyone without discrimination to their personality except that of the homosexual genre, then I think she has every right in the world to be upset, and feel free to change the course of history with a lawsuit.

"The research that eHarmony has developed, through years of research, to match couples has been based on traits and personality patterns of successful heterosexual marriages," a company statement said. "Nothing precludes us from providing same-sex matching in the future, it's just not a service we offer now based upon the research we have conducted."

So... basically, it's not that they don't want to, it's that it's not part of their formula, because they don't know how to. But... maybe they will offer options for same-sex matching in the future, if they develop their research further. Especially if this lawsuit puts pressure on the company.

I believe this is really just a 'read between the lines' statement right here to avoid further need for a suit, or slander from the press on the issue, because I'm not taking this the same way you are.

There are plenty of sites specifically for gay people to find other gay people and straight people dont sue them :/ i think this is just someone who has spotted a way to make some cash.

yes, lets say I'm a lesbian who's a workaholic and not an alcoholic and the lesbian bars are all meat markets for the same sex, I would rather go with a reputable dating service than one who doesn't have the references to guarantee me "success in love" yada yada.

The people at E-Harmony obviously have a formula for matches that they feel is geared toward heterosexual people. Why not just find someone who wants to do it instead of trying to FORCE someone to hook you up?

maybe she felt like she needed to change the system so that gays have equal opportunity for success too? I dunno, you never hear about any of the other dating companies like you hear about Eharmony.

]=

not that I agree with the mcdonalds lawsuit, but the united states supreme court has made it abundantly clear that the only they will make an effort to change anything, is by taking it to the supreme court with a lawsuit, frivolous or not. on a side note, because of that mcdonalds lawsuit they now have "healthy" alternatives, a long with the nutritional guides at the disposal of any consumer who wishes to see it. They did not have this before.

[Ichiro Matsuchani]

not that I agree with the mcdonalds lawsuit, but the united states supreme court has made it abundantly clear that the only they will make an effort to change anything, is by taking it to the supreme court with a lawsuit, frivolous or not. on a side note, because of that mcdonalds lawsuit they now have "healthy" alternatives, a long with the nutritional guides at the disposal of any consumer who wishes to see it. They did not have this before.

Doesn't change McDonalds from being crap. AND it doesn't get rid of the unhealthy foods. Just because the healthy alternatives are there, doesn't mean that people are going to accept them.

It's just like the time when a man sued McDonalds because he burned himself with some of their coffee by spilling it on his lap while driving. First off, don't drinking a beverage while driving. Second, it's COFFEE! OF COURSE IT'S GOING TO BE HOT! It's just a reason to sue someone and get money.

I can see what you mean by bringing change, but that's not the case here. Just some petty attempt to get some cash. The sad thing is, she has a good chance of succeeding, seeing how these other people succeed in court. (Million Dollar pants. -_-; )

[Ωmega]

Doesn't change McDonalds from being crap. AND it doesn't get rid of the unhealthy foods. Just because the healthy alternatives are there, doesn't mean that people are going to accept them.

But it does mean that they cant sue McDs again, because they let the consumer know that its bad for you, and they gave you alternative choices.
"It made me fat."
"Well, you shouldve had the salad then."

As a business, they have the right to aim sales towards one group and not another. I work for a home school, which can be argued that theres "age discrimination" involved, since you have to be at least 16 to do one program, and be at least 18 to do the faster program.

There are dozens of "match making" websites, EHarmony just happens to be one of the top sites. As Mugetsu said, theres a several site dedicated to JUST homosexual coupling. Lets say one of them becomes extremly successful and joins the high-ranking status of EH. Would it be ok for me to sue them because they dont supply survices to heterosexual people??

[Manhattan_Project_2000]

Let's all start suing people for not offering every possible service. Greyhound doesn't have train service... and how can they call themselves a transportation service without them? They are obviously discriminating against people who like riding trains.

[BoldMushroom]

If that is the case (and obviously we weren't presented with information leaving us to dig on our own) then I think the lawsuit should be thrown out, retracting what I said before to an extent. In the event that a dating service allows anyone without discrimination to their personality except that of the homosexual genre, then I think she has every right in the world to be upset, and feel free to change the course of history with a lawsuit.

It's both ways at the same time, kind of. On the one hand, 20% of the people who aren't compatible with anyone based on the results of the survey don't get in, and in that respect her orientation has nothing to do with it. On the other hand, as has been mentioned before, the site also specifically caters to "men seeking women" and "women seeking men"... and in that respect, she is being excluded based on her homosexuality.

And yeah, I did a bit of digging on my own about the site after hearing about this story.

This blog entry about eHarmony is written by someone who is one of the "1 in 5 rejected" by eHarmony.
This news story mentions the company's official stance on the lawsuit.
You can find a few other sites on Google that feature these statements.

I believe this is really just a 'read between the lines' statement right here to avoid further need for a suit, or slander from the press on the issue, because I'm not taking this the same way you are.

Well, it's definitely not slander from the press, because a bunch of news sites and other sites reporting the issue have that statement (or parts of it).

I only meant to state what their position is on the issue (though I think it screwed it up). I can understand why you'd be upset. Their defense is that the research only applies to heterosexual couples because they only researched heterosexual couples, and not homosexual couples... but how does that make a difference?

But, again... as MaruDashi said, the business has the right to aim towards a specific demographic. So while their reasoning may be confusing or even offensive, they may not necessarily have to change. But I guess the ruling will decide that.

maybe she felt like she needed to change the system so that gays have equal opportunity for success too? I dunno, you never hear about any of the other dating companies like you hear about Eharmony.

That's exactly what it is, from what I can gather. From this site reporting on the story:

"This lawsuit is about changing the landscape and making a statement out there that gay people, just like heterosexuals, have the right and desire to meet other people with whom they can fall in love," said lawyer Todd Schneider, who represents Carlson.

I've heard of things like this happening before, too... there was a thread on this story a while back, which parodies the state of Washington's gay marriage ruling in the hopes of causing a change.

[Manhattan_Project_2000]

This really isn't an example of discrimination.

Discrimination would be if there was a disclaimer on the site that was something along the lines of "lol no gayz". Homosexuals are in no way prevented from using the site. However, the site's modus operandi is to survey people and find matches for those people with members of the opposite sex. It’s perfectly alright if that’s all they want to do.

For example, let's say I open a night club, and I play a lot of Industrial, Rock, and some of the cooler Techno in it. Most black/Hispanic people don't like these genres and because of that they probably don't have any reason to go to my club, but you can't say that just because I've aimed my business at young white people that I've discriminated. If I were to actually prevent any black/Hispanic people from going into my night club, then that would be discrimination. But simply aiming at one demographic? No way. That’s simply finding a niche.

[Mugetsu]

"This lawsuit is about changing the landscape and making a statement out there that gay people, just like heterosexuals, have the right and desire to meet other people with whom they can fall in love," said lawyer Todd Schneider, who represents Carlson.

I've heard of things like this happening before, too... there was a thread on this story a while back, which parodies the state of Washington's gay marriage ruling in the hopes of causing a change.

This lawsuit seems to be more about “Your doing something that you have every right to do but since I don’t like it I will use my rights to take away yours”. And since E-Harmony has commercials and is considered good at what they do, she feels that they should change the way they do things so that it works for her too. Just because something doesn’t work for you the same way it works for others (or at all) doesn’t mean that your being discriminated against.

If you have a size 12 foot and you see a size 6 shoe you like, are you gonna try to cram your foot into it? That wouldn’t make sense. Your going to look for something that fits you. So why would you (a homosexual) insist on using a dating site that is tailored to heterosexuals, especially when you have other alternatives. It’s not about discrimination, your just being unreasonable.

Ah, yes. I remember that marriage thread. It was very interesting because they were not actually trying to win the case. But at least with that one there was a somewhat logical reason as far as I can remember. This just seems to be whining.

This really isn't an example of discrimination.

Discrimination would be if there was a disclaimer on the site that was something along the lines of "lol no gayz". Homosexuals are in no way prevented from using the site. However, the site's modus operandi is to survey people and find matches for those people with members of the opposite sex. It’s perfectly alright if that’s all they want to do.

For example, let's say I open a night club, and I play a lot of Industrial, Rock, and some of the cooler Techno in it. Most black/Hispanic people don't like these genres and because of that they probably don't have any reason to go to my club, but you can't say that just because I've aimed my business at young white people that I've discriminated. If I were to actually prevent any black/Hispanic people from going into my night club, then that would be discrimination. But simply aiming at one demographic? No way. That’s simply finding a niche.

ZOMG!!!111L!! I am insanely offended by that example!!! I'm going to sue you just for posting the possibility of opening a buisiness that does not cater to my specific needs and wishes. You are a bad, bad person for not thinking about my wants/needs in every thing you do in your life.

But honestly I would soooooo go to your club just because.

[unspun]

But, again... as MaruDashi said, the business has the right to aim towards a specific demographic. So while their reasoning may be confusing or even offensive, they may not necessarily have to change. But I guess the ruling will decide that.

Their side of the argument sounds less offensive when you put it like that, I will say. (no, I'm strictly dickly in case you were wondering) I just believe in fair play I guess.