This article was published on January 24th, 2022

Are you tired of seeing the same old love shows on tv? You know – the ones exclusively made for straight people and avoided our community altogether? Well, you aren’t alone. We know more than anyone how oppressive it can feel to be left out of mainstream media. There are misconstrued images about our community and lifestyle when we are in the mainstream media’s eye. Hell, when producers say they cannot make a show about our community because of logistical difficulties, it almost makes us feel like we aren’t valued or important unless we are giving money (which we usually have more of) in some way. That’s all about to change, though!

In February 2018, Border2Border Entertainment announced their upcoming dating show, Dating Unlocked, which follows members of the LGBTQ2S+ community competing for the chance at finding true love. You can check out the show on February 11, 2022, on OUTtv and Vimeo.

Dating Unlocked hopes to unite hopeful romantics and shorten their search for love. The goal is to remove them from curated scripts that honestly sound like they were written by old white straight men anyway and remove the toxic social media component for those looking for love. Well, we know that they may not find love, but hopefully, they will at least find a hot hookup! Can you imagine the talent they will have found? It never ceases to amaze us how beautiful the men on these shows can be. 

How does Dating Unlocked work?

Every episode will have a similar setup. The lead dater goes on a date with three pre-selected dates, and then the fun begins. The contestants on the reality show could compete in a game or complete a steamy activity meant to showcase their personalities and interests and possibly create a connection or some sexual tension. Intimate moments will, of course, be present because – who wouldn’t want to see two hot guys in an intimate state? After this, the lead dater will extend a secret invite for the person they had the most connection with. Then, the ball is in the other court. Will they leave the lead dater hanging, or will they free the butterflies fluttering in their stomach and show some flirtatious personality on screen? Well, there’s only one way to know! Tune in and check it out!

Charlie David, the producer of the show, desired to change the way LGBTQ+ people are represented in mainstream media. Despite the format of online dating shows being more popular than ever, there is a serious lack of quality shows made for our community. It can indicate that we are not deserving of love or incapable of a meaningful, lasting relationship. Sure, sometimes our relationships are a bit less conventional than our straight counterparts, but at the end of the day, we just know how to have fun – and it’s not our fault apps like Grindr have changed our perception of relationships.

Well, we couldn’t agree with you more, Charlie. Our community needs to be portrayed in a more positive light. It’s appalling how much our community remains marginalized in 2022. TV shows may not even notice how oppressive they’re being – but that is why it’s our job to let it be known that we will not let it continue to occur. 

Charlie mentions that even living in very progressive countries. Our life can be much more difficult. It isn’t a surprise, though. We already knew this. Still, it is great to have it recognized. Period. Dating Unlocked shows that love, dating, and relationships are available to anyone who wants them regardless of their gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, socioeconomic status, body type, etc.

The show has an incredible cast and crew working on the show, and the producer’s goal is to engage the hearts and minds of the audience. Are you wondering how they will do it yet? They hope to achieve this by amplifying the stories of people who feel alone in our world. 

Can we all think of the show as one big and needed valentine’s day cocktail? At its core, the show is trying to help some in our community get a cock in their tail. What do you think about the show? We think it is fantastic! Let us know in the comments.