'Finding Prince Charming' Dispels Stereotypes

I watch pretty much every reality dating show, so of course I tuned into the premiere of Logo's gay dating show Finding Prince Charming . In a not-so-surprising turn of events, I was immediately hooked. One aspect that really stood out to me was that prince charming himself Robert Sepúlveda Jr., host Lance Bass, and the suitors are all doing their best to make sure that Finding Prince Charming dispels gay dating stereotypes.

The guys all made it a point to emphasize to the viewers that so-called "gay" dating and straight dating really are the same. I feel so dumb typing that out in 2016, but there are plenty of negative stereotypes that still exist, and that's a shame. When it comes down to it, dating is dating and love is love no matter who is involved and what their sexual orientation may be.

From the very beginning, Robert explained that he has every aspect of his life together, except for his love life. He expressed a desire to live out that dream of the "white picket fence" and emphasized that he is looking for someone who shares his same sense of family-oriented values.

Robert and some of the other contestants talked about the importance of finding a monogamous relationship for themselves and dispelling the stereotypes that gay men are not seeking out that type of relationship. Obviously, there are plenty of LGBTQ people who want to be monogamous and also some who don't, just like with straight people. Another contestant talked about how he "gets the same kind of butterflies" as a straight person would when he meets a guy that he likes, and he gets nervous when he has a crush— aka not that different than when a straight person falls for someone.

Unfortunately, stereotypes keep some people from understanding that monogamy, dating, love, and all that comes with that is not a singularly straight experience, nor is every "gay" dating experience the same. Any stereotype that lumps a whole group together is harmful, and it looks like Lance Bass' show is looking to put an end to some of that.

At the end of the day, these are all guys who want to be with someone they have chemistry with. They want to be with someone who makes an effort to get to know them. They want to be with someone who helps them grow. This is just how dating works no matter what gender you are attracted to. It's kind of great that the show closely mirrors popular dating shows like The Bachelor, because it's then easy for viewers go see that nothing is really that different just because the lead is gay. There will still be drama, nerves, connections, and all the other makings of a great reality love show.

Essentially, these contestants are normal people looking for love (duh), and I appreciated that Finding Prince Charming treated them as such. Hopefully the show can help open some other people's minds too.