A dating site that listens to trans people
People first, from the beginning
Butterfly was built as a transgender dating site and app, rather than adding trans people to a design made for somebody else. Our aim is straightforward: help adults meet people who respect their identity and want to know them as a whole person.
That means welcoming trans women, trans men and non-binary people, alongside cisgender people who are open to dating them. It also means accepting that members will have different experiences, preferences and relationships with the language they use.
Founded by David Minns
Butterfly is part of the dm³ LTD network, founded by David Minns. David’s approach to niche dating is to build for a community’s needs and listen when people say something is not working. You can find more about his work on David Minns’s website.
This is Butterfly’s own account of its service, not an independent review. Our claims about the design are explained through the product tour, privacy guide and original articles.
A member changed our profiles
A member known as R explained that the available gender descriptions did not represent her properly. The resulting changes let members customise their displayed gender, symbol and default photo while retaining usable search preferences.
Read R’s feedback and the responseA community changed our language tools
Members identified terms they found offensive. Butterfly developed a messaging feature that crosses out recognised terms, adds replacement wording and marks the message as edited.
See what the feature doesTaking the message beyond Butterfly
David’s open letter to Apple and Google asked them to address offensive terms used to market dating apps. The original letter is available to read and download. We preserve it as a record of the campaign, not as proof of an endorsement or a policy change by either company.
Read the open letter. For reporting, logos and interview material, use the Butterfly press kit.
Help shape what comes next
If a profile label does not represent you, a feature could work better, or you need help with your account, contact Butterfly. Feedback is part of making the service useful, not an afterthought.
Our position is that you deserve both attraction and respect. Neither requires giving up your privacy or accepting language that makes you uncomfortable.