‘Talking about your ex,’ What’s a red and green flag when dating in Toronto? Locals spill it all

Red means stop, green means go, and only one can lead to a happy successful relationship. For dating hopefuls, first impressions can make or break a relationship, so in this edition of This is Dating Now we caught up with Toronto locals to see what’s a green flag when dating, and most importantly, what’s a red flag.

One local woman tells us that a green flag is given when a man forms a positive relationship with her mother.

“Wanting to meet my mom, or talking highly about my mom,” she said.

But be careful who you talk about with her, because she says that could also result in a red.

“A red flag would be talking about your ex on the first date,” she added. 

Money talks, and that talk better not be cheap, because another woman says there will be no second date if there is.

“A red flag would be, if on a first date he’s cheap, that’s a big red flag to me,” she said. 

But don’t be late to that first date, because for one Toronto man that could be a major sign to abort the mission. 

“A red flag, if they’re late, I like someone who has good time management,” he said.

But, all he hopes for is to find a partner that can match his energy. 

“A green flag, they gotta have a positive vibe,” he said.

One woman we caught up with also agrees that positivity means everything.

“Green flag, positive energy, positive vibes, like a nice smile. Red flag, bad vibes,” she said.

It may seem easy for a lot of these singles to decide when someone might not be the best match, but they have to strike up a conversation first, and many people we spoke with say that can be tough especially when they don’t have a go-to pickup line.

“I don’t got one, I got none, I got no game, I just got the vibe… I got nothing,” one man said.

One local we caught up with says he does have  game and shared his go-to pickup line with us.

“If the sky is blue, why can’t I have you,” he said.

One woman says she uses her bilingualism to her advantage by speaking Spanish when she approaches a man.

“I think boys here like a Spanish girl and Latin girls for sure,” she said

So, while everyone has their own idea of the perfect partner, it seems Torontonians we spoke with are peeling back the layers and putting personality traits at the forefront. 

Want to share your own story about dating within Toronto’s queer community? Email your dating chronicles to news@nowtoronto.com!