New Jersey announces anti-gay discrimination settlement with eHarmony

The New Jersey Division on Civil Rights announced on Nov. 19 it has reached a settlement with eHarmony after a gay man filed a discrimination complaint that alleged the online dating site refused to allow him to seek same-sex match-seekers.

As part of the settlement, eHarmony agreed to provide match-seekers who identify themselves "as male seeking a male" or "female seeking a female" on a new service-Compatible Partners--it plans to launch by the end of March. The company further pledged to provide gay and lesbian match-seekers the same services and technology it currently provides to its heterosexual customers. eHarmony also agreed to pay plaintiff Eric McKinley $5,000 and to provide him a free one-year membership to the site.

"I applaud the decision of eHarmony to settle this case and extend its matching services to those seeking same-sex relationships," Division of Civil Rights director J. Frank Vespa-Papaleo said in a statement.

The New Jersey case is not the first time eHarmony has faced these allegations. A California woman filed suit earlier this year after she said the site denied her access because she is a lesbian. And eHarmony founder Dr. Neil Clark Warren has ties with Focus on the Family.

As part of the settlement, eHarmony said it will post pictures of same-sex couples who met on the site under its "Diversity" tab. The match-making service further agreed to add sexual orientation to its anti-discrimination statements and pledged to hire a media consultant to explore how to advertise to potential gay and lesbian customers.

eHarmony legal counsel Theodore B. Olsen categorized the complaint as "an unfair characterization of our business" in a statement. He added, however, he feels it was in the company's best interest to settle the case with the state.

"eHarmony looks forward to moving beyond this legal dispute, which has been a burden for the company, and continuing to advance its business model of serving individuals by helping them find successful, long-term relationships," Olsen said.

Garden State Equality chair Steven Goldstein applauded the settlement.

"Until this settlement, eHarmony was more like eNeanderthal for its refusal to include the gay community," he said. "eHarmony was eDisharmony for being such a divisive force in shutting out so many Americans. Welcome, eHarmony, to the 21st century."