Transdr: The new dating app specifically for trans people

(Transdr)

A new dating app created specifically for transgender people has launched in the UK.

Transdr pegs itself as a Tinder alternative for trans people who have been discriminated against on other apps and hopes to make the dating landscape more comfortable for the transgender community.

Co-founder Sean Kennedy describes the app as a “new place for trans people who are looking for serious relationships”.

Kennedy was inspired to launch the app after Tinder was accused of banning transgender women from using the app, an accusation it has vehemently denied. Writing that “no one will ever be banned from Tinder because of their gender” in a statement, adding that it offers 37 gender identity options for its US users.

The app works in a similar way to Tinder (Transdr)

However, after discussing the issue with some of his trans friends, Kennedy found that the dating app landscape remained unfavourable for transgender people, even after Tinder added “transgender” to its gender options.

“Life has been so hard for trans people because they have to overcome the social stigma of being transgender,” Kennedy said.

“When it comes to dating, it’s even harder for them. They need a comfortable place to meet and date with other trans people without judgement. So we created Transdr - a Tinder alternative for the trans community.”

The app operates in a similar manner to Tinder, allowing users to swipe left and right on each other, determining matches under the condition of both users choosing the latter, after which a conversation can ensue.

Users can also narrow their preferences via a search feature, which allows them to discover new users they might be attracted to.

Transdr is not the first app launched specifically for transgender people, Teadate and Thurst are two others launched by US developers, however, the latter is not yet online.

“A specific dating community would make trans people more comfortable,” a Transdr spokesperson told The Independent.

“There are so many niche dating apps for different groups of people. For example, we have Wooplus for plus size people and JSwipe for Jewish people. Why not a dating app for trans people?”

Despite its inclusive intentions, some users have accused Transdr of being transphobic on social media due to the language used on the app’s landing page in the Apple app store.

There are currently more than 6,200 registered users on the app (Transdr)

Terms such as “tranny” and “shemale” appear to have been used in descriptions of the app, terms which some people have labelled derogatory to the trans community.

"’Transdr is a TS dating & social community for transgender, crossdresser people…’ and it goes on to use the words shemale, lady boy, and sissyboy. Wow, there's a hot mess,” wrote one person.

However, a Transdr spokesperson explained that these words were included to boost the app’s “search ranking”, adding that they were “used for SEO purposes” and that offence was by no means their intention.

"We have improved those terms after receiving complaints from our users," they said.

"However, it takes some time to change the terms and we need to release a new app version."