“Blerd Dating” Is The Newest Trend In Dating — And It’s All Happening On Twitter

While it may seem like there's a dating app for everyone, that's not the case when it comes to dating support groups. All experiences are different, but the hashtag #BlerdDating is making a space for one group in particular: Black nerds. In an interview with Essence, creator Leesa Dean describes it as a "Twitter stories/chat mash-up party," and has partnered with filmmaker Nicole Franklin to create an interactive experience made up of themes, interviews, and stories. While "Blerd" was a term originally exclusively for Black nerds, recently the creators have expanded the definition to include nerd culture with an urban point of view, featuring women, LGBTQ users, and all people of color. "A Blerd is the anti-cool individual whose nerdy anti-hero characteristics makes her the hero/heroine of her own stories," Franklin tells Essence. Examples include Donald Glover, Ava Duvernay, Shonda Rhimes, and, of course, Michelle Obama. Some of the struggles of Blerd life including being introverted and having interests that might not be mainstream. However, Dean points out this means relationships are that much stronger when Blerds find other Blerds who do have those things in common. When it comes to Twitter, the chats take place in "episodes" every Monday at 9 p.m EST. The creators want the chats to feel more like interactive podcasts where people can ask questions and talk to guests like Rain Pryor, Karyn Parsons, Rodney Perry and Jamie Broadnax. Participants can also share their "confessions," or personal stories about dating as a Blerd, as well as connect with other Blerds to inspire and, sometimes, commiserate. The first four episodes include the themes "The Elephant in the Room," "Dating Somebody Who’s Married," "My Date Ghosted (I Was Stood-Up)," and "New Year’s Eve Dating Resolutions I’ve Already Broken." You can catch up on the conversation over here.