Image by OkCupid

By Aviya Kushner February 6, 2017

Right after the “Muslim ban” began to dominate the headlines, the dating site OKCupid issued a statement promoting non-discrimination — and outlining a definition of American values. Daters received a highly unusual email reading:

“At OkCupid, we believe that judging others based on their sex, religion, country of origin, or orientation is un-American. There is no room for intolerance.”

The email continued with a statement on national origin, gender, and religion:

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“Instead, we’ve celebrated individuality in all its various forms since we were founded. Our users live in 214 countries around the world. They identify as 22 genders and 13 orientations. They are Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Atheists, Buddhists and Agnostics.”

It’s not often that a dating site feels the need to write up what it thinks America is about, but that’s how the email ended.

“We strongly believe that America’s history of welcoming others not only represents the best of American values, but it also defines the core of what has made our country the great place it is, and has been,” the email said. “Love, not hate, is the solution.”

Maybe in addition to Teen Vogue and The National Parks Service, the “resistance” now includes OKCupid.

Aviya Kushner is The Forward’s language columnist and the author of The Grammar of God. Follow her on Twitter at @AviyaKushner

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