Right off I'll admit that I'm not the target audience for transgender dating apps.

I'm still firmly rooted in the old-school way of meeting people face-to-face. I appreciate the connectivity of social media for making initial contact, but the anonymity provided internet interaction makes me highly wary of any blind dating. And a few uncomfortable dates have only confirmed my doubts.

Still, it's a dilemma for many trans people who want to meet someone. Meeting people in traditional ways is often difficult for us. Unless you only have trans friends, being the sole trans person in a mainly cis crowd puts you in an unwanted spotlight. Cis people aren't sure what to say or how to act around you, so they tend to be standoffish and guarded. And worse, you never know if any interest shown in you is legitimate or born of a creepy cis male fetish.

It's that last point that hangs over any transgender-cis dating like a dark cloud. It is the added troubling aspect that doesn't infect cis-cis dating. They don't have to wonder if every person they meet is only interested in them out of some deep-seated sexual curiosity of what it's like to "get with" a trans person. If you're like me, you probably have received numerous DMs and messages from random guys trying to solicit you for sex simply because they've "never had a tranny before." (I got two such messages yesterday alone)

So what to do?

In a perfect world, we would be able to assimilate, blend in at any social situation, and interact with the predominately cis crowd without clumsiness or fear. But we don't live in that perfect world. So the problems remain and alternatives are few.

One of the reasons why I encourage trans people frequenting this sub to introduce themselves to the group, is to allow them to have a safe space to meet other trans people. If they end up dating someone they meet here--lovely! But this is a very tiny venue and it only works if members participate and make it clear they are seeking friendship.

It remains, then, that the vast majority of trans people have few alternatives to find dates.

That ultimately leads us to dating apps. Once again, I have very limited knowledge of such sites. I've never been on Tinder or Grindr or used any other dating app. The idea of signing up and uploading personal information to an easily-hacked site, has steered me away from them. If you think that's an overreaction, just ask the people caught up in the 2015 Ashley Madison data breach about the impact it had on them. No thank you.

That said, many of you, mostly younger than me, are attuned to using dating sites. You grew up using Tinder and Match and it's just the way your generation finds dates. So be it, no judgment. But what does that mean for you now that you've made your transition and you want to find a suitable date?

My cursory research reveals you options are limited.

Grindr is probably the largest and best-known LGBTQ dating app. And they seem to be making an effort to allow transgender-specific dating a possibility. Their "Gender Filter" allows people to "to search (and be found) by gender identity."

However, I've asked many trans people I know who have used Grindr for their feelings about it, and have gotten mixed reviews. Some have met and formed long-term relationships because of the app. Others have just gotten unwanted attention from "chasers.' You'll find similar varying reactions all over social media about it. I'm not going to offer an opinion because I have no experience with it. I would like to get the opinions of our sub's members, though.

Another popular option is Translr. This app is more trans-specific than Grindr and touts itself as being "for transgender people and their admirers only. We remove all cisgender males or cisgender females."

"No matter you are a transgender woman looking for a genetics or transgender man, or a transgender man looking for a intersex or transgender woman, TRANSLR app is the right transgender community where can find and hook up with a FTM or MTF."

Again, my knowledge of Translr is anecdotal, derived solely from personal stories I've read on various social media forums. I will say most of these express positive results and I've seen very few negative comments about it. Personally, if I were to use a dating app, it would probably be Translr based upon what I've read so far.

Another app with a large membership is Taimi. Like Translr, Taimi is aimed at the transgender community.

"Transgender women and men may have trouble finding their place on other transgender dating sites, but on Taimi, those struggles are over. Unlike any other online dating site, our search filters are limitless regarding gender and sexuality."

"Whether you're looking for a serious relationship, a meaningful friendship, or something more casual, among all dating apps and sites, Taimi is the most inclusive."

Taimi boasts some 18 million users in 138 countries. Pretty impressive. Once again, my information is second-hand, so approach this app with that understanding.

There are a bunch of similar, lesser-known a trans dating apps popping up all the time. A Google search displays some possibilities. Curiously, Ashley Madison is among them. Make of that what you will.

Google search results

I find this all a bit overwhelming. It's not that I'm not computer savvy, but honestly unsure. I've already expressed my trepidation when it comes to signing up for any dating site. Your mileage may vary.

I do, however, hope that anybody with experience with using any of these apps, chimes in and gives a fuller review of them. Tell us what do and don't like about them. Let us know if anything came of using them.

--- Anni