Conservative dating site backed by Peter Thiel announces launch next month

A dating app for conservatives called The Right Stuff will launch next month, seeking to open up a new door for the political right who hope to find more like-minded people in the romantic world.

The upcoming debut was announced in a video featuring Ryann McEnany, the younger sister of former Trump White House secretary Kayleigh McEnany.

The Right Stuff is a free application but can be accessed by invite only, according to the promotional video. Moreover, female users can achieve a premium subscription service on The Right Stuff by inviting other people onto the app.

McEnany added, however, that “male” and “female” would be the only gender identity options users can select on the app, meaning those who identify as transgender, nonbinary or another gender identification would not be accepted.

“The Right Stuff is all about getting into the right dating pool with people who share the same values as you,” McEnany said in the announcement video. “We’re sorry that you’ve had to endure years of bad dates and wasted time with people who don’t see the world our way. The right way.”

The Right Stuff will be in competition with popular dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble and Hinge, services that conservatives often complain cater to the left more than the right.

Tinder, for example, has rolled out numerous changes since the pandemic, including allowing users to post their COVID-19 vaccination status or affirm they support abortion rights, updates that have roiled some conservatives.

The new dating service will also have to fare better than other conservative dating apps that have failed or largely gone unnoticed in the past, including DonaldDaters.

The Hill wrote about The Right Stuff in detail in July, noting the app was created by former Trump White House staffers and is backed by conservative tech billionaire Peter Thiel, who has invested $1.5 million into the app.

Daniel Huff, who served in the Trump administration in the Department of Housing and Urban Development, told The Hill that The Right Stuff “has really not been done before.”

“It’s an important, underserved market,” Huff said. “Liberals own the education, media corporations, and we can’t let them control our personal relationships.”

The Right Stuff could face some backlash for the exclusion of the transgender community. The app is also currently focused on heterosexual relationships, Huff said, but added it may expand to accept same-sex relationships in the future.

The website appeals to young conservatives, displaying messages advertising the ability to “connect with people who aren’t offended by everything,” and to “view profiles without pronouns.”

McEnany said users will have more unrestricted access than Tinder and Bumble, which block who you can see that liked you without a premium subscription. Users can immediately see who liked their profile and connect with them.