The Best Online Dating Websites for Gay Men Revisited

About a year ago, I published an article on Associated Content detailing what, at the time, I considered to be the best dating websites for gay men to meet one another. However, the online landscape quickly changes, and websites that were "in" last year are "out" this year. I'm pleased to report that since my last article I have found a great boyfriend. But, after searching the blogs and asking a few friends, I've come up with a new list of online dating websites that gay men will be talking about this year:

1) Gay.com - Gay.com was popular among the gay community during the early days of online dating, but was quickly "lost in the crowd" as more and more dating websites sprouted up. Recently however, thanks to slick advertisements in top gay magazines and newspapers, Gay.com has experienced a resurgence in its popularity. If you live in a big city or a small town, you're likely to find someone local on gay.com. And the search feature lets you search for men that are interested in friendship, casual dating, or serious relationships. If you haven't tried any dating websites, http://www.gay.com might be a good first stop.

2) Chemistry.com - Modeled vaguely after the popular eHarmony website, Chemistry.com goes a step further than most dating sites by giving you a detailed questionnaire when you sign up and suggesting matches for you. There's also a semi-guided communications process which can help make the initial stages of meeting someone online less awkward. Chemistry.com is for the gay man who is serious about meeting someone to settle down with -- if you're just looking for a casual date or quick fling, http://www.chemistry.com might not be the place for you.

3) PlanetOut.com - It made last year's list, but the fact remains that PlanetOut is still one of the premier destinations for gay men on the internet. You'll meet a wide variety of guys on PlanetOut, and can chat with potential mates via e-mails, instant messages, or even in a chat room format. Plus, the PlanetOut website offers lots of great news and content that makes it worth checking out even if you're not looking for a date. Head over to http://www.planetout.com and join the fun and active online community.

In closing, I'd like to share some good news that has happened since my last article. Until recently, eHarmony had been adamant that their service was great for matching only heterosexual couples up and they excluded gays from joining their website. Well, thanks to a discrimination lawsuit in New Jersey, eHarmony has announced that they will be launching a website dedicated solely to same-sex couples in early 2009. While some in the gay community has said it is too little too late, if you are interested in eHarmony's take on same-sex dating, head over to http://www.compatiblepartners.net and sign up to receive an announcement when the service is officially launched.