"I had a dream": A Danish single’s unique approach to finding love

Commuters slow their pace, some smiling, others averting their gaze. His simple act, bold in a city where dating often happens behind phone screens, is hard to ignore.

Jan Mikkel Nyonyintono is deaf and part of the LGBT community. For him, approaching strangers in person is not just about finding love but reclaiming visibility.

In Denmark, the use of online dating has doubled across ten years, with nearly 500,000 users in a population of 6 million, in 2024.

Kay Xander Mellish, an expert in Danish culture says “here in Denmark, sex is easy to get, but love less so”. 

She believes that many people resort to dating apps, as “you can make it clear that you're looking for a romantic and sexual partner”. 

“I think everyone has been on at least one or two bad app dates!”, says Mellish. 

Nyonyintono’s act is motivated by his dislike towards the gap between digital connections and real-life encounters. 

Nyonyintono had a ‘dream’ inspired by a lady that he saw, holding a sign that said ‘seeking a boyfriend’.

He says, “I like to date old-fashioned”, and believes dating apps are a “waste of time” and a “hook up culture”, particularly “when the date stood [him] up at the cafe”. 

A study by the online dating platform Tinder found that 65% of women think men are only looking for casual flings, but only 29% of men said that was true for themselves, in 2024.

During Nyonyintono's time on the street he had “one success”, which he has “moved on” from.

He says, he will continue “fighting on” to pursue his ‘dream’ of finding love on the Copenhagen streets.