TGIF, let’s gooo. Scroll down for an interview with a queer matchmaker who’s opening up another round of their services! But first up, the events of the day…

Events for Friday, March 22

The Usual Suspects

The Bush : Julie Mango, dance party featuring vibrant and diverse musical traditions of the Caribbean, presented by Funky Reggae House Party, 10 PM–4 AM

3 Dollar Bill : Y2GAY Emo, 10 PM–4 AM, $15+ »

The Center : LOVELAND, be yourself, celebrate queer joy, and dance the night away while supporting The Center’s mental health programs and services, $50+ »  

Lovejoys : Celebrating Female Icons of Y2K, hottest 2000s jams and more, 10 PM, $15 »

The Stonewall Inn: Girls Upstairs, head upstairs for dancing, drinks, and mocktails

Want to submit an event? Email [email protected].

People You Should Know

Alex Sideros is the brains behind Queerly Beloved Matchmaking, a queer matchmaking service that is launching a second round of virtual pairings for NYC-based, sapphic people. They graciously answered a few of my questions about their matchmaking process.

What inspired you to start a matchmaking service? 
Honestly, I love love. I always have, and I always will. I find relationships, both romantic and platonic, to just be such strong and incredible feelings. I want everyone to be able to feel them, but with all these apps these days, I’m afraid real connections are so hard to find. All we do is swipe left and right on people’s photos that they altered to “look their best,” and all we have is a bio that we all took too long figuring out how to sound witty or interesting. I like all natural meets, so I wanted to find a way to promote that while also making it fun and low effort. 

What do you think makes a good match? 
For me, a good match is someone who matches my values and is able to make me laugh. I think everyone has different priorities of what they find important in a match, which is why the questionnaire is so extensive.

How many matchmaking events (in-person and virtual) have you organized, and what lessons have you learned from previous ones? 
I have organized almost a dozen in-person events, but I’m new to the virtual world! I love my in-person events, but having just one date and time can be tricky for people who work certain jobs or go to school, or have other priorities that require them to be somewhere else at the time I select. Virtual is an inclusive way to offer the same kind of service! 

I’ve learned that people are ultimately driven by beauty, so I do have a little bit of a physical element involved. It’s not much, as there’s still no photo sharing until you’re matched, but there’s an optional photo element or a self description section.

How do you organize everything for your services? Do you have a wild spreadsheet? 
Looking at the spreadsheets I have makes me want to cry sometimes, but luckily I am getting help from my partner this time around, so I’m anticipating this going much smoother.

Do you have any matchmaking success stories you’d like to share? 
I have too many to count, but one I’ll choose is from a mixer/dating event I threw. There was someone there who had just recently come out and didn’t know where to meet people. She tried dating apps but had trouble keeping conversations going. She went to lesbian bars, but felt out of place, as everyone else was so comfortable in their own skin, when she was still coming to terms with things. 

I checked in on her every now and then, and it looked like she was mingling just fine. A week after the event, she sent me an email saying she has her first ever “girl date” and that they connected at the event. I could tell how excited she was, and it just warmed my heart.

Even if you don’t find true love or your soulmate, Queerly Beloved Matchmaking is a very intentional way to date. After being on and off the apps for over a decade, I’m burnt out on swiping. I participated in Queerly Beloved Matchmaking during the last round and thought it was a fun process! I found even filling out the questionnaire helped me set intentions while dating, and I was matched with a really cool person who I got to know a little over email before meeting up. Venmo Alex $15-20 (sliding scale) at oatmilkcreamer with your email as the Venmo comment to sign up for their matchmaking services!