Dating in Atlanta is serious business. While many singles are swiping left or right on dating apps to find their person, those who can afford to are turning to Atlanta’s elite matchmakers to find love. And Black gay men are no exception.
On “Love Match Atlanta,” the new reality show debuting on Bravo on May 8, viewers are given a look into the professional and personal lives of a group of highly-sought after matchmakers as they use their charm and skill to compete for the hearts and dollars of Black Atlanta’s most eligible singles. The cast includes professional matchmakers and business owners Ming Clark, Joseph Dixon, Kelli Fisher, Tana Gilmore, and Shae Primus.
In a city that has developed a reputation for simultaneously being an oasis of Black wealth and opportunity, and for some Black gay men, a consistent disappointment where quantity outweighs quality in terms of finding a potential partner, the dating experiences of both gay and straight singles in Atlanta provides more than enough source material for the one-hour show.
Lamont White, owner of Better Way To Meet, an Atlanta-based gay matchmaking service, is a friend to the show and appears on several episodes during the first season along side Primus. White says he is hopeful that the inclusion of Black gay men on “Love Match Atlanta” will be a game-changer in terms of Black queer representation on television.
“I want to show a different narrative of Black gay men who are successful, who are in healthy relationships, who raise children, who are committed, that has not been seen before,” White says, whose own life as a married man raising two children with his husband reflects the life many of his clients desire.
“It does change the narrative of what people typically think about gay men,” Primus says. “These people are serious and they're serious about finding love. They're paying a matchmaker to help them find love. That says a whole lot.”
The owner of Middle Class Matchmaker, Primus, who identifies as straight and is the mother of two children, is an LGBTQ+ ally and is frequently seen on screen with White. Primus says the two maintain a friendship that transcends the stereotypical friendship commonly seen between straight Black women and gay men on television.
“When you see our chemistry on the show, it is magnetic. We make each other laugh. We are hilarious together,” she said. “Lamont is successful on his own. He is a matchmaker. He's killing the game in this city. We just happen to be matchmakers and he just happens to be my friend. But it’s not like, ‘oh she has a gay best friend.’ I don't want it to look like that because that's not what it is,” she adds.
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