TECH CRUNCH - Lex, the hookup and social app that launched in 2019 with a nod to lesbian personal ads from the '80s, wants to change the look and direction. Come users fear that Lex will scrub away its beloved raunchy essence. The text-based service grew over the past few years into a queer community - a place for women, trans, genderqueer and nonbinary people to announce meetups, find concert tickets, share poetry, crack in-jokes or simply cruise. Lex publicized its redesign on January 26, emphasizing its role in helping people find "LGBTQ+ friends & queer community." A press release laid out the app's evolution "from a dating app to a vibrant social platform," while an Instagram post from the company highlighted a shift from personal ads toward group chats and meetups.
9 posts categorized "Lex"
'Keep Lex Filthy': Users React to Queer Dating App's New Direction
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The Obstacles of Non-binary Dating
BBC - In the US, ~1.2M LGBTQ adults identify as non-binary, according to a 2021 study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. Identifying as non-binary means, simply, not defining one's gender within the male versus female binary. While many dating apps allow users to identify as non-binary, their profiles still get lumped in with men or women when it comes to how other users of the app can view them. Users on Bumble can choose who they'd like to be seen by on the app, like if they want to be seen by "women, men, non-binary people, a selection of two options, or everyone". Then there are dating apps such as Lex, which primarily target users who identify as "queer, trans, gender non-conforming, two spirit, and non-binary".
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Top 8 Relationship Apps
STARTUPS MAGAZINE -
- Thursday - This dating app only opens its doors for matchmaking on Thursdays, aiming to eliminate dating app fatigue and stop endless scrolling and make dating exciting.
- Cobble - A virtual planner for all friendship groups.
- Paired - An app for couples to improve their relationships.
- Grazer - A matchmaking app for people who want their friends and romantic partner to be plant-lovers too.
- Hang5 - An astrology-based matchmaking app.
- Blink - A voice-first speed dating app. Blink's two-part matching process relies on chemistry through conversation, and physical attraction.
- Lex - A text-centred social app connecting queer, transgender and non-binary lovers and friends.
- FITFCK - A fitness dating app, designed to connect like-minded gym lovers.
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Mozilla Privacy Report Singles out Grindr for Serious Security Lapses
TECH REPUBLIC - Feb 10 - 21 of the 24 dating apps examined were tagged with the "*Privacy Not Included" warning label, noting that apps like Grindr are a "privacy and security nightmare." Mozilla researchers dug deep into the privacy policies and security practices of dating sites, pressing companies with questions like "Can this app or product snoop on me? What data is being collected and who is it shared with? What is the company's track record for protecting users' data? And, What could happen if something goes wrong?" Grindr continues to share other user data, like location, with third parties. Plenty of Fish is also mandating information like users' vehicle ownership and their parents' marital status," the study noted. Lex, built for the lesbian, queer, trans, and non-binary community, collects minimal data, and doesn't share it for marketing purposes. Further, their privacy policy is crystal clear. eHarmony is another app that respects users' privacy and security.
by Jonathan Greig
See full article at Tech Republic
See the top news on Grindr See the top news on POF
See the top news on eHarmony See the top news on Lex
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Deals During Covid and Investing in Founders Without Meeting IRL
FORBES - Oct 27 - VCs now take their pitches over a safely-distanced Zoom call. But VC funding for female founders has dropped to a three-year low. Firms invested ~$434M in Q3, the lowest figure since the Q2 of 2017, according to PitchBook data. The Q2 total also amounts to a 48% drop in funding from Q2, when female founders received $841M across 132 deals. There are VC firms that focus exclusively on female founders, such as Female Founders Fund (FFF). Founded in 2014, the NYC-based firm has raised two funds to date (~$6M and ~$25M) and counts 40+ companies in its portfolio. One deal FFF closed during the lockdown is Lex, a text-based social app for queer, non-binary and trans communities. Other investors that joined in alongside FFF include Peanut's Michelle Kennedy and the Bumble Fund. Through her app, Lex founder Kell Rakowski is reframing the dating experience from a visual-based to a text-based experience, bringing back old-school personal ads to social media. The current version of Lex has zero photos and no swiping. The NYC-based startup recently closed its seed round of $1.5M, which was led by FFF.
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Lex Is the Lesbian and Queer Dating App That Puts Language First
ALLURE - Feb 24 - Lex, the text-based dating app, launched in November of 2019. The app was inspired by newspaper personals. "Language is really key in queer communities", says Lex's founder Kelly Rakowski. Instagram photos aren't loaded into Lex profiles.
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Personals Instagram Account Became Wildly Popular for Its Queer Personal Ads
WASHINGTON POST - Dec 27 - After starting in 2017, Personals Instagram page became a hugely popular place for people to meet a partner or to make a friend, attracting 60K followers. Last month, founder Kelly Rakowski took the next step of turning it into its own app, Lex, creating a rare queer-centric platform for romance and friendship. Lex was financed by a Kickstarter campaign that raised $50K. The profiles look similar to those on Personals - minimalist, no photos - but users can message privately and set geographic boundaries.
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Dating Apps Are Turning to Message-free Meetups
INSIDER - Dec 2 - Dating app creators are experimenting with old-school dating methods. Video "speed dating" features, text-only profiles, and apps that ban in-app messaging have emerged recently. The League, which launched in 2014, recently announced League Live, a feature where users can go on two-minute video "speed dates" with potential matches. People who use League Live are four times more likely to match with someone than people who use the non-"speed dating" version of The League, according to an emailed statement from the League. The new app Bounce also emphasizes face-to-face meetups. It allows users to "check-in" at specific locations as a way to say they're interested in going on a date around that geographic area. Lex, a new dating app for the queer community, takes another old-school approach by allowing people to scroll through a feed of personal ad-style call-outs. People who use Lex can't post photos, so the connections have to go beyond physical appearances.
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Lex - New App That Offers Text-based Personal Ads
THE CUT - Nov 12 - Last year, Kelly Rakowski started Personals, a modern reimagining of dyke-centric ads from the pages of the '80s and '90s lesbian erotica magazine On Our Backs. In early November, she announced Personals would be making a major move, launching its own app with a new name: Lex. After months of beta testing from Kickstarter supporters, Lex (as in "lexicon") is now available for free download, offering the same text-based personal ads and missed connections. Rakowski says an app was necessary based on the number of ads she began receiving. A 2018 Kickstarter campaign raised ~$50K, which all went to the development of Lex. Anyone who donated to the campaign were early beta testers of the app, providing crucial feedback. On launch day, Lex saw 6K downloads.
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