KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 — A 33-year-old woman from Tampa, Florida has created a dating application for people who abstain from sex, following a ‘calling from God’.
Shakia Seabrook started The Sexless Tribe last year as a hub for people who are sexually abstinent — a community she felt was being underrepresented, Daily Mail reported.
The entrepreneur, who decided to be abstinent when she was 13 years old, said the app was more than just a dating application.
“It is a place where abstinent people can ‘come together and connect’,” she said.
According to the Sexless Tribe App website, the application ‘makes it easy for sexually abstinent people to access abstinence resources, find accountability partners, form friendships, and make romantic connections.’
Seabrook said she uses the platform to give its 8,000 subscribers ‘encouraging messages’ and ‘late-night check-ins,’ and to remind them that if ‘they’re having a little itch, they can go to the application and listen to a song or a video or a podcast.’
Seabrook said she initially started with T-shirts before realising that it was not enough as people wanted community.
“I came across someone that had created an application and I was like that’s what we need: we need a home, we need a place where we can come together and connect.”
The application consists of two parts: a resource space for abstinence-based material and TST social — a community space where users can create profiles and interact.
Seabrook said she created the community space in September last year.
“Then, I realised that was not enough because people were still DMing me asking [if] I knew any books, podcasts, or YouTube channels about abstinence.
“I realised that they also needed resources and in the beginning of this year I created the resources part of the app and now it’s one big hub.”
Seabrook said the app hosts events every month via Zoom while every day, they get an encouraging quote to their phone, and they get a late-night check-in just to hold them accountable.
Seabrook also said the application was not exclusively for Christians and everyone was welcomed to join.
“Some people ask, “Is it a Christian app?” It’s not a Christian app. “I’m not a virgin, can I join?” Absolutely,” she said, adding that she created the application for anyone who’s living this lifestyle.’
The Sexless Tribe application and store can be found at thesexlesstribe.com.
