Teen Seeking Prom Date Faces Size Discrimination by Dating Sites

An 18-year-old from Illinois is petitioning several dating sites to reinstate his dating profile. 

Last month, Jack Timperley posted his first profile on a dating site on his 18th birthday.  He excitedly looked forward to potential matches in the hopes of finally taking a date to the prom. 

But one by one, each dating site began to flag and delete his photos and ban him from their websites. Why? Because he is short and thin for his age, and does not fit into cultural gender norms.  Jack was born with a genetic disorder called Fanconi Anemia that required him to undergo four dozen surgical procedures and a bone marrow transplant. At four foot eight inches and 55 pounds, Jack is shorter and weighs less than your average 18-year-old young man. 

Erroneously believing Jack’s photos were of an underage child, dating sites like Plenty of Fish, Zoosk, Bumble, Badoo, and even PetiteMates (which is designed for shorter people) said Jack had violated their terms of service. Tindr (which authenticates the age of its Facebook users) even went so far as to ban his account.

While it’s certainly important to prevent minors from inappropriate situations, one size doesn’t fit all!  There should be room in our automated technology forums for individuals who don’t meet expectations.

It’s not too late!  Jack’s prom is May 19th, 2017.  Please sign this petition to get his dating profiles reinstated!  It will be sent to the corporate officers at Zoosk, Badoo, Bumble, Tindr, and PlentyOfFish.

Thank you!!