Be Different. Love Different.

10 Times Love Won

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We want to highlight your stories – whether it started with small talk or a big gesture ​– no love is the same. There’s never been a better time to be different, love different.

“Love conquers all,

no matter our differences”

Almost 5 years ago (wow!) my then boyfriend and I matched on Bumble. ​We were in a cis gender, heterosexual relationship. From the start, we ​bonded over almost everything and it seemed too good to be true... I ​knew this was the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Yes, ​we’ve had our ups and downs, but pushed through them all. In the ​meantime, my partner came out as a transgender woman, and has ​undergone gender affirming surgery. Me? I'm a proud lesbian, and we're ​happily engaged. – Tara

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“I was able to get back

to the real world.”

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I have spent most of my teen years in the hospital because of my cancer diagnosis. ​Connections with other people are what matter most to me. Usually, it’s just me, my ​family, and doctors. On good days, I can get outside and go for walks, and on bad ​days, well, those are just the bad days. I wasn’t really involved in school, but I’ve ​always had a passion for learning, especially French. I worked on learning a language ​when I had the time and energy. Being on Bumble made it possible for me to make ​connections outside of my hospital bubble, specifically with people who have the ​same interests as I do. When I got better, I was able to meet up with my matches and ​get back into the real world, my way: speaking French with new friends. – Alicia

“Dating someone I like

makes me so happy.”

My parents don't see my boyfriend and me as long-term. They think I'm “wasting my time” dating someone who ​isn’t the same race as me. They ask me about him a lot, but it just feels like they are suggesting we should break ​up. My years of being set up are over. They can keep looking for someone all they want. But I refuse to give up on ​a relationship that makes me so happy, regardless of what anyone thinks. When we met on Bumble, there was no ​pressure to put on a facade. I could be myself and find people who have the same interests as me. Dating has ​become what I want, not what someone else thinks is right. – Maddie

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“We met in church,

but we prayed for Bumble.”

My girlfriend and I grew up in different towns ​and went to different schools. We met ​through church, so I only got to see her on ​Sundays. I was afraid to talk to her or get her ​number because I didn't want anyone to think ​I was flirting (you know, the whole gay thing ​doesn’t fly in my religion). One day I was on ​Bumble and she popped up, so I could finally ​have the confidence to talk to her. After going ​on a few dates, she helped me talk through ​my fears about opening up to my family. God, ​dating is stressful! Bumble, thank you for ​making it easy. – Anna

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“I’ve dreamt of falling in love ​and it finally happened.”

I immigrated to the U.S. when I was 18, so I didn’t know ​anyone when I got here. At home, in China, I only had ​friends from school and choir. When I downloaded ​Bumble, it was a way for me to reach out to people, on ​my own terms. In true American fashion, I capitalized on ​this opportunity and met so many different people, and ​worked on growing my network. I know my parents ​would prefer I sit back and work on my career, but that’s ​impossible to do when I feel so alone. I met my current ​boyfriend on Bumble, all by myself. My whole life I ​dreamt of finding love, and now that I finally have it, it’s ​something I want to celebrate. It’s been hard juggling the ​expectations of my family, but I need to give myself the ​chance to grow. Putting on a nice face and pleasing my ​elders got tiring, and I realized I needed to focus on ​connections that actually made me happy. – Charlotte

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“My disability is not ​an inability to love..”

I have been paralyzed since age 13. Society didn’t see ​people like me dating at all, let alone think it was ​possible. They would glance at me with a mix of pity and ​discomfort, assuming that being in a wheelchair ​prevented me from loving anyone. My disability is not an ​inability to love. But they could not be more wrong. My ​partner is not “brave” for loving me, and is not ​“sacrificing” anything because I can’t walk. In fact, it's ​quite the other way around – I can’t stand when he leaves ​the dirty dishes in the sink and expects me to clean them ​– jokes aside, I am able to do whatever I want, including ​find love, because I am not just disabled. – Gabby

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People think I have nothing to say, that all I want to do is ​watch from the outside. Apparently, I’m the “quiet” one. ​The truth is, I just like to observe the world around me, ​because I find beauty in the small things. It’s not that I’m ​shy, I just like to keep things in my head. When I met my ​husband on Bumble, I asked if he would go stargazing ​with me. He said yes, and we stared into each other’s eyes, ​which is totally my definition of romantic. In fact, we barely ​spoke out loud all night. But he gets me, and I get him. The ​thing is, I believe our eyes speak louder than words and ​listen more than our ears. I’m glad I made a lifelong ​connection with someone I love. – Alyssa

“Our eyes speak louder ​than words and listen ​more than our ears.”

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“Time is on our side.”

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I initially didn’t have time to date, from working ​3 jobs to taking care of my siblings and being a ​student. I was so busy, it was hard to find time ​to date someone, and someone who respected ​my priorities. I initially got on Bumble just to ​make friends, but I ended up meeting my ​partner, who is somehow busier than I am but ​understands how precious time is. Even ​though we don’t have time to see each other ​during the week, and our work schedules are ​the opposite, we make sure to spend every ​weekend together. – Monique

9

“Deep down,

we knew all along.”

As it turned out, my best friend isn't so straight after all, ​and neither am I. I had my sneaky suspicions, and a huge ​crush on her too. For context, everyone in my friend group ​is straight, except for me. I didn’t tell anyone I was ​bisexual, not even my close friends or family. It was a ​complete secret. But, I set my Bumble profile to bisexual, ​hoping to experiment with dating women. I didn’t think ​any of my “straight” friends would run into me there. One ​day, my crush came up as I was swiping, and found out ​that she was bisexual, too. All it took was a simple text ​and I asked her on a date. It turns out she had liked me all ​along. Now I’m dating my best friend, even though we ​both thought the other was straight. – Eleri

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“It had to be him.”

A few years ago, I started losing my hearing, and I got really lonely and I felt isolated. I was always ​asking people to repeat what they were saying, and couldn’t keep up in conversation. I felt like ​people thought I wasn’t listening to them, but I just couldn't hear them. I’ve been on a bunch of ​dinner dates where I had to turn on my hearing machine so I could hear what was going on. But, It ​felt like a big turn-off, with this big clunky thing next to my drink. I got on Bumble, I felt safe ​expressing myself through messages and photos. I could also include my deafness in my profile, ​so people would know that about me. Dating is all about finding the right person, but for me, the ​right person is one that knows how to listen. I matched with a guy who surprised me and started ​signing ASL on our first date and made me feel so heard. We’ve been dating for a year now. Gone ​are the days of scribbling notes and saying “what” almost a thousand times. Communication ​really is key in all relationships, but crucial when it comes to deaf-hearing couples. – Courtney

Your Love, Your Way