eHarmony could make millions

As homosexuals, we can learn a lot from the success of eHarmony’s “dimensions of compatibility.” On that popular heterosexual dating site, the premise is that the more alike the partners are, the more likely the relationship will succeed. In fact, eHarmony claims that 90 couples get married every day due to the success of their compatibility profile.
Apply this logic to gay and lesbian couples. Just by virtue of being the same sex, we have an amazing level of compatibility over heterosexual couples. Here are 5 “dimensions of compatibility” that all homosexuals share:

Sex drive. It’s a well documented fact that, on average, men have a greater sex drive than women do, due to testosterone production. This is best evidenced by the testimony of female-to-male transgender folks who start receiving the hormone and suddenly experience a revved up sex drive. That is not to say that any given gay or lesbian couple has the same sex drive, but that they are more likely to be in sync than heterosexual couples are on average.

Emotional Intensity. If men are more sexual, women rate higher on the emotionally intuitive scale. This similarity allows gays and lesbians to connect with each other on a level they are most comfortable with. Lesbians are renown for their deep levels of emotional attachment.

Communication. Men and women simply communicate differently. Men tend to share experiences and women share feelings and thoughts. Men use conversation to establish position; women use conversation to form consensus. An excellent book on this subject is You Just Don’t Understand, by Deborah Tannen. Homosexuals have an advantage in that they are communicating on the same level and with the same intent.

Dominance. Heterosexual relationships are not built on a level social field. Whether we like it or not, men have more status in our society than women do, as evidenced by salary discrepancies, corporate glass ceilings and political representation. This skews the power in heterosexual relationships toward men. Power imbalances also exist in homosexual relationships, but they may be more fluid or based on personality needs rather than the accident of one’s gender.
Shared social experience. Gays and lesbians can be considered ethnic groups. As such, we share a certain humor, culture and experience. We are drawn together and made stronger as a group by social marginalization. Homosexual relationships can benefit from this by having more in common with each other.

So what is the significance of these compatibility advantages? They potentially allow gays and lesbians to experience a much deeper level of connection than heterosexual couples do. Given these points, imagine how many successful matches eHarmony could claim if they accepted gay and lesbian customers!