People Who Support The ACLU On OKCupid Actually Get Way More Dates Than Those Who Don't

There's good news for progressives seeking romance and justice. OkCupid's Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Hobley told The Hill that OkCupid users with ACLU badges got more dates than those who didn't display their support on their profile.

"100 percent you are more likely to go on a date with the ACLU badge," Hobley said, noting that discussing politics on the popular dating app had become even more routine in this political "climate." The blog for the dating website also discussed the same subject.

Hobley added, "What helps inform our decisions on our partnerships, like the ACLU badge, is what we see our users talking about."

In June, the dating website offered users the option to display their political causes, like supporting the ACLU, on their profile. In a way, Hobley told The Hill, the display of such badges and causes acted like a filter for those seeking people who may politically align themselves on the left side of the political spectrum. ACLU tweeted the statistic about the trend on its Twitter account.

Hobley added that the display isn't to single out those who do not support the American Civil Liberties Union. "We welcome all political leanings and all types of people," she said. "You can use our 'filters' about Trump and other things to find people who might not be on the progressive side."

On OkCupid, questionnaires listed in the quiz section of the app and website operate as filters for users. The questions range from everyday issues to deeper and perhaps controversial political matters, including users' opinions on abortion rights, reproduction, climate change, war, immigration, race, language, sexual orientation, and much more.

These filters are then rated along a scale of unimportant to the user to highly significant to his or her preferences. Based on that personally-selected range, the app's algorithm then shows users people who share approximate interest in the same issues. The idea is, according to its blog, "match people over what they care about."

One of those questions now focuses on the current president of the United States of America, Donald Trump. "The question is actually, 'Trump?' It's very simple," Hobley said. "The options are 'hell yes,' 'hell no,' 'yes,' and 'no,' and you can skip it. And then you're asked how important that question is to you. By answering that question you are essentially creating a filter."

Users who carry ACLU badges on their profiles, OkCupid's blog reported, were twice as likely to hit "hell no" for the Trump-based question and four times more likely to tout themselves as supporters of feminism. They're also, the blog noted, environmentally-conscious with their belief in climate change.

The dating website and app company has also claimed to put action behind their verbal support for the ACLU. According to The Hill, the company vowed to give $50,000 to ACLU based on its users' support for the institution and told the publication that it has already gone beyond its goal.

Here's how it works. For every user that says "yes" to the question of whether they support ACLU, the company donates $1 to the organization.

The company's CEO, Ariel Charytan, wrote in the company blog, "At OkCupid, we’re proud to be a champion of inclusivity because we believe you should be able to love whomever you want, regardless of your gender, sexual orientation, or ethnicity. Nothing is more attractive than people who believe in every individual’s #RightToLove who they want to love."

The badge in favor of ACLU is expected to be an available option throughout the summer of 2018. But from the looks of the outpouring of support it has received (and the romantic success it has reportedly created), OkCupid might just extend the option beyond its designated time.