eHarmony Gets Squeezed in Suit, Will Market to Gays and Lesbians

LOS ANGELES — eHarmony next year will launch a matching service called Compatible Partners, which will be marketed to gays and lesbians.

The Pasadena, Calif.-based company’s announcement was the result of a settlement reached today with the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, which claimed in a lawsuit eHarmony violated the state’s Law Against Discrimination by not offering a same-sex matching service.

The New Jersey regulator got involved following a complaint by Eric McKinley, a gay match-seeker in the state, who now will be provided a free, one-year membership to Compatible Partners.

In addition, the settlement calls for eHarmony Inc. to pay McKinley $5,000, and to pay New Jersey’s Division on Civil Rights $50,000 to cover investigation-related administrative costs.

eHarmony faces another suit in California. It’s unclear how this settlement will affect that case.

“Now that we’re entering the same-sex matching market, we fail to see what the [California] plaintiffs could achieve through further litigation,” said Antone Johnson, a vice president of legal affairs at eHarmony.

eHarmony was founded in 2000 by Dr. Neil Clark Warren, a clinical psychologist with once-close ties to the Christian evangelical group Focus on the Family.

eHarmony offers its services in the U.S., Australia, Britain and Canada.

Its website says that 236 eHarmony members marry every day in the U.S. as a result of being matched on the site using eHarmony's patented "Compatibility Matching System."

With the settlement, eHarmony denied violating the law, claiming its business model has been based on its expertise. The company said it has researched thousands of opposite-sex marriages to understand what makes opposite-sex couples compatible.

Registration on the Compatible Partners site, slated to launch by March 31, will be free for the first 10,000 users registering within one year of its launch. After that, subscription pricing for the new site will be equal to that for eHarmony.com.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

2025 Pornhub Awards Nominees Announced

The list of nominees has been released for the seventh annual Pornhub Awards, which will be held May 8 in Los Angeles.

Carnal Debuts New Title 'The Americans Vol 2'

Carnal Media has released the first installment of its new feature title, “The Americans Vol 2,” from Staghomme studios.

Men.com to Drop New Limited Series 'Alpha Builders'

Men.com will premiere its latest three-part limited series next week, titled "Alpha Builders."

Men.com to Drop Latest Interactive Release

Men.com will release its second interactive scene, "The Plumber’s Cumming," starring Joey Mills, Reese Rideout, and Sage Roux.

Carnal Debuts New Title 'The Professor Vol 2'

Carnal Media has released the first installment of its new feature title "The Professor Vol 2," titled "Fresh Start."

Age Verification Watch: Patching the Holes

This roundup provides an update on the latest news and developments on the age verification front as it impacts the adult industry.

PeterFever Releases 'Hunk Harvest at Boyberry'

zBUCKz and PeterFever have released their latest scene, “Hunk Harvest at Boyberry.”

Falcon/NakedSword Re-Signs Sir Peter to Exclusive Contract

Falcon/NakedSword has re-signed Sir Peter, extending his exclusive contract another year.

Falcon/NakedSword Releases 'Exposed' on DVD, Digital Download

Falcon/NakedSword has released its latest title, "Exposed" on digital download and DVD.

Ofcom Fines OnlyFans Parent Company Over Inaccurate Age Verification Reporting

U.K. communications regulator Ofcom has fined OnlyFans parent company Fenix International Ltd. $1.36 million for inaccurate reporting of its age verification measures.

Show More