“You know full well a vow of celibacy is not the answer” and “thou shall not give up dating and become a nun” were among the catchphrases used in the dating app’s billboard campaign.
People on social media referred to the campaign as “tone-deaf,” “patronising,” and “unbelievably insulting.”
The business has now issued an apology and acknowledged that “we made a mistake.”
It stated: “Our ads referencing celibacy were an attempt to lean into a community frustrated by modern dating and instead of bringing joy and humour, we unintentionally did the opposite.”
The US advertisements drew criticism for misrepresenting the reasons behind women’s choice of celibacy.
Celibacy has been attributed to trauma by some, and chosen refusal to “settle” by others. Asexuals have the freedom to choose to remain celibate while still dating; for some, this is a matter of faith.
