It is not easy finding the right guy for you. How many times have we gone out on dates with the hopes that this might be the one only for it not to be? Or how many times have we already been in a relationship and thought that it might be one that lasts for longer than a few months only for it to fall apart weeks later? It seems like it happens too often. In addition, the fact that meeting people is not always the easiest thing to do in the world means that there might be some lonely nights lying in wait for us.

However, with the growing world of online dating, you do not have to be alone unless you want to be. With just a few clicks of your mouse, you can have a list of guys or girls (or both), that meet the basic criteria you seek in a partner. However, what are some of the better sites? After all, not all sites are the same. Below is a list of five of the more popular gay dating sites. Check them out and see which ones are right for you.

Match.com

Match is synonymous with online dating, which is one reason why it is such a great site for gay dating. Let’s face it, most sites offer all kinds of dating, whether gay, straight, or otherwise, but what it comes down to is how many possible matches can you find. With Match, you have literally tens of thousands of opportunities because it is so popular.

If there is any knock against Match.com is that it is a pay site. Most sites are pay sites, so it is not that big of a deal, but if you are on a tight budget than you may want to look elsewhere. However, a great thing about Match is that it does offer free six months of membership if your first six months do not produce any results.

One of the other great features Match offers is an in-depth profile. Many other sites only require a few basic bits of information before a person can start searching other profiles. This can make for a higher failure rate because you do not have a good idea of who you are initiating contact with. With Match and its extensive profile questions, you can gain a very good idea of whom you are winking at or emailing. It makes for a much higher rate of success.

Zoosk.com

Zoosk is a great site for gay dating for a couple of reasons. The first is that it offers a free basic membership. Granted, it does not allow you full access to all of Zoosk’s great features, but at least it offers you a chance to meet people despite your current financial situation. If you have a bit of money to spend on your online dating search though, Zoosk does offer very reasonable rates for varying lengths of membership. Either way, with all the benefits that Zoosk offers, it is worth a look.

For example, Zoosk makes it very easy to access not only the site, but also other people. With the Zoosk app, you do not ever have to be disconnected from your account. You can know instantly who has messaged you or change your profile whenever you want. It also makes chatting extremely easy. As anyone who has done online dating before knows, chatting is a great way to make a connection. Well, with Zoosk messenger, you can easily keep track of and continue conversations with everyone you want to. Chatting it up was never so easy!

CompaitblePartners.com

CompatiblePartners (CP) is a great site for gay dating because, well, it offers it exclusively. Unlike the previous two sites where one can narrow their search for others who are seeking same sex relationships, CP offers only same sex relationship. What makes it even better is that the profile questionnaire is detailed and is also designed to determine personality types. This determination is then later applied in your searches. The ultimate effect is that you find more people who are more likely to be compatable. There is not any of that exchanging of emails or chatting for several weeks only to finally learn that there really is not a connection. With CP, you know right away whether the other person has what you are seeking.

If there is a drawback to this site, it’s that it’s a bit more expensive than the other sites. Unfortunately, there is no free basic membership, but with the exclusivity of the site and the great profile features, CP is definitely worth your time.

GayDating

As anyone could guess, GayDating (GD) is another site that is exclusively for those who seek same sex relationships. Mostly, this site caters to gay men looking for serious relationships, but it also offers plenty of features for women who are seeking other women.

A good thing about GD is that it is relatively inexpensive. There is a free basic membership, but it has limited options. However, with even the basic one-month membership (which costs a little over ten dollars) you can access to most of the sites wonderful features. And if you want a better per-month price and more features you can chose to get a longer membership. In addition, while other gay dating sites do not offer a full array of features that many primarily straight sites do, GD offers any feature you would find on any dating site.

SeniorPeopleMeet

While SeniorPeopleMeet (SPM) is not exclusively a gay dating site, it is a site that caters to those of us who are over 40 years old. After all, just because you have had a few experiences in life does not mean that you are ready to settle into a routine. Some of us still enjoy going out and meeting people. Well, SPM lets those of us who want to get into a same sex relationship but aren’t right out of college to do so.

Now, while there are some membership costs, there is the option of browsing the profiles for free. This can give you a good idea of who is on there and whether you want to invest any time, money, or energy.

Possibly the biggest benefit is that you know there are other people your age on the site. It can be a bit demoralizing to go onto some other sites and see profiles of only twenty year olds — many of who set their date parameters to no one over 30. With SPM, you can rest assured that most of the other people there are like you.

Summary

It is not easy finding the right person or getting into a healthly long-term relationship. Thankfully, there are plenty of sites available for those of us who seek an exciting and stable same sex relationship through their collection of great profiles and useful features. It makes the idea of finding someone — and not just anyone but the right person for you — all the more appetizing. The only question remains: What are you waiting for?

If you have been at some online gay dating sites and now you want to meet up with your matches and see what they are like in real life you may be wondering where you can go. There are many great places to have a first date but the best are dates that occur during the day. You will find that there is less pressure on a day date than there would be on a night date. It is much easier to relax and be yourself while getting to know your match.

Coffee Shop

A coffee shop is a great place for a first date because it is much easier to chat over coffee during the day to see if there are any sparks between you two. This is a much more relaxed atmosphere where you can relax without the pressures of figuring out what to do at the end of the night. Those night dates that may end with you two together should be left until you have really become friends with your match first. While you may have a favorite coffee shop, you should pick one that is in between where the both of you live so nobody does the bulk of the driving. At your regular shop you may run into someone you know and that can make the date awkward for your date. You do not want your date to be intimidated and unless you are ready to introduce them to your friends a neutral place is much better.

Museums or Art Galleries

A great casual date is going to an art gallery or a museum where you can walk around and chat while looking at artistic pieces. The art and artifacts are great conversation starters and can keep the conversation light and can show you each other’s personalities by the way you perceive the artworks. You do not have to get into any deep conversations but you will still get to know each other very well over a short period of time. Most of these places also have a café either located inside or near the location where you can have a bite to eat and discuss the artwork or any other topic you choose. If you like the person you could begin learning more about them and their other interests while letting them know you are and what you are about.

Wine Tasting

A wine tasting is a great place to get to know a new love interest and is a great place for a first date. You can enjoy each other’s company while trying new wines out without any pressure of having to carry a conversation. This is the perfect date for those who are shy and need some time with another person to be comfortable enough to open up to them. Since you do not normally drink the wine at a tasting, you spit it out instead; you do not have to worry about becoming intoxicated unless you really want to. If you and your date find that you like each other, you can pick up a couple of bottles of wine for your next date or to take to the beach, lake or park to have an impromptu picnic.

Sporting Events

If you both share a love of sports, you can always meet and go to watch your favorite team play. If they do not play in your city you can always find a local team to go and watch even if they may not be your favorite. It is the act of going out to these games and spending time together that is more important. It would be great if you liked the same team and could cheer together but there is also something to be said for being rivals who get to make friendly jokes about each other’s teams. You could even start the date with a tailgate party before the game so you are relaxed and ready to spend time watching the game together. There is not as much time to talk while watching the game so the tailgate is your perfect opportunity to talk and to get to know each other.

Amusement Park, Carnival or Zoo

These three are all great places for a first date because they are busy, you can go during the day and there is a lot of activities that you can do while getting to know each other. You can play games that allow you to send your date home with a little trinket of your date or watch the animals in their habitats. Conversation again comes easily at these types of venues because there is so much to see and do. If you choose an amusement park or carnival, do not force or belittle your date into going on rides that they may not enjoy even if you do enjoy them. They will not appreciate it and not everyone likes to go up high, upside down or at fast speeds. Instead, find out what they like and do that instead.

Conclusion

There are many things that you can do to enjoy a first date without feeling pressured to have long conversations. Not everyone is a talker and those who are shy might find this intimidating so these dates is perfect for getting to know each other without the need to have serious conversations. Once you decide you both want to see each other more then you can have those long drawn out conversations that seem to last forever.