Dating During COVID
Dating is already hard enough for the LGBTQ+ Community due to the limited availability of safe spaces for LGBTQ+ people to be themselves, but when you add COVID to the equation, it makes dating even more challenging. Just when we thought COVID was starting to go away, new variants are starting to rise, and navigating whether or not to wear a mask while on a date or if you will only go on a date with someone who is vaccinated makes this challenge even more difficult. So what are you going to to do get yourself out in the dating world again while waiting for life to get back to “normal”?
Fortunately, dating apps have been an easy way for LGBTQ+ people to safely find others to date, and many popular apps—such as Tinder, Bumble, and others—are making it easy to identify if you are vaccinated on your dating profile, or if you are not, they even ask questions about your dating preferences during COVID (i.e. Are you comfortable with meeting in person?).
However, maybe dating apps don’t apply to you because you’re already in a relationship and you’re just trying to figure out how to have dates with your partner, but despite the country slowly opening back up from COVID, you still don’t feel safe to have dates like you used to pre-2020—I get it. That being said, here are some things you can do with your partner and still feel safe:
Have a nice picnic outside.
Order food to-go and take it home.
Watch your favorite movie together at home.
Go on a scenic drive together.
Go on a nice walk or hike.
Or maybe you and your partner are being extra safe for a particular reason (such as you aren’t able to get vaccinated/are unable to/don’t want to, you have a medical condition, etc.) and you need ideas of things to do when you can’t physically be with each other. Here are a few more ideas:
Video chat with your partner, even if it’s just a few minutes a day so you can at least see their face when talking with them.
Write your partner a love letter and send it in the mail.
Buy lunch or dinner for your partner and drop it off at their front door.
Whatever the situation is—whether you are single and dating, in a long-term relationship, or married—find creative ways to keep up with your love life. A great way to explore how to best show love to your partner is to practice speaking their Love Language in the best way you know how. If you don’t know what the 5 Love Languages are, click here to take a quiz to find out what your Love Language is (or give this quiz to your partner to take), and start finding new ways to have intimate moments with your partner, even amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic. I know times are tough right now, but you can do it. Don’t give up hope—better times are ahead!
