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Queerantine: Social Distance Date Ideas For You And Your Crush

Just a few socially distant dating ideas that might help you get through this time and bond with new or old loves in the gayest way…

By: Emily Norton

Dating in the age of a global pandemic is weird. There’s really no better, more poetic, or romantic way to put it. Everything is weird and we know it.

But, given the uncertainty and stress of the time we’re living in, the last thing we should do is shy away from human connection. Even if those connections are happening from a distance.

A lot of us, as queers, are struggling exponentially during this time. Some of us might be quarantined in homes where we don’t feel safe and accepted, and a lot of us just rely on being able to interact with our community to cope with life and embrace our identities.

In my experience, some of my most successful dates usually start with bonding over queer stuff. It’s no surprise that the immediate connection our community gives us is a catalyst for relationship growth. Whether it be digging up our coming out stories or gushing over perceived-queer characters from our childhood, those moments can build the foundation of a great new relationship.

I’ve come up with some fun, socially distant dating ideas that might help you get through this time and bond with new or old loves in the gayest ways I could think of. And of course, you can do these things with new friends too!

Virtual Drag Brunch
Tons of people are taking advantage of Netflix Party, a Google Chrome add-on that lets you watch the same thing on Netflix with multiple people and chat while doing so. This opens a ton of fun quarantine dating options!

My first idea is to host a virtual drag brunch using this platform. Pull up some of your favourite RuPaul episodes, sit yourself down on facetime and enjoy your brunch from a distance. You can even cook together and try a new recipe.

And since multiple people can join in on the Netflix party, you can even make it a group date!

Compare Birth Charts
The gays love astrology. This is a well-known fact. What better way to get to know each other than pulling up your birth charts on facetime and “testing” your compatibility?

This can be a super fun way to get to know someone and laugh at the sometimes- ridiculous things that are written in the stars.

Get all dressed up with nowhere to go
One of my favourite parts of going on dates is getting all dressed up to be (hopefully) fawned over. But, obviously the lack of going out we’re doing prevents this. Still, it’s fun to get dressed up just because. And a virtual date is even better justification.

My first quarantine date involved putting on my best lipstick while my crush ordered me a burger to my house and did the same for themself. We both sat at our respective tables, ate and talked on facetime, looking adorable in our fancy date clothes. Not only was it nice to get all dolled up and feel a sense of normalcy during these crazy times, but it was undeniably cute.

Check out what local queer spaces are offering online
A lot of queer spaces are doing their best to still offer a sense of community and comfort despite not being able to actually open their doors.

One of my favourite queer spaces in Toronto, Glad Day Bookshop, is hosting queer movie nights, drag shows, Q and A events, and more that you can tune into on Zoom.

It’s a great idea to check out what some of your favourite queer spaces are doing during this time. Not only is it a fun thing you can tune into with your crush, but it might offer you the chance to support local spaces that mean a lot to a lot of people.

Start a mini gay book club
As a writer, this is one of my favourite socially distant date ideas!

You can read the same book at the same time and update each other on it, or you can take a different approach like I have been doing. Me and my crush are taking turns reading books and then swapping! Right now, I’m reading Fun Home and annotating the copy with any thoughts or putting emphasis on things that stick out to me. Once I’m done, I’ll send them the copy so they can do the same and have my thoughts with them while they read so it’s like we are reading it together.

There are tons of great queer books out there. Some more light-hearted, some a bit more intense. Whether poetry, fiction, or non-fiction. You can read them as e-books too to make things a bit easier!

Slumber Party Games
As queers, we often miss out on quintessential adolescent experiences. So, what better way to make up for those losses by revisiting some classic teen fun with your crush during quarantine?

Truth or dare is a classic slumber party game. And even though you might have to play it over video-chat, it’s still sure to be silly and open opportunities to get to know each other. The barrier of a screen might even make you feel a little more compelled to answer the hard truths.

Do a playlist exchange
I’ve always said that exchanging playlists is lesbian first base. No matter who you’re dating, getting to know each other’s tastes and consequently having a better look into who they are is such a cool experience.

You can swap a “get to know me” playlist or even a playlist of song recommendations you think the other person might like. You can always catch up on FaceTime after listening to them too to share your thoughts!

Ready to connect?
Regardless of the circumstances, it’s still possible to form and build connections. It might seem intimidating, but I swear it’s worth it.

Having fun virtual dates to look forward to and the promise of meeting in person when this all blows over is incredibly motivating and might just help you hang onto some optimism during such a turbulent time.

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