Grindr creating ‘Gaybourhoods’ in countries where being LGBTQ+ is illegal

Grindr, the social networking and dating app for LGBTQ+ people, has explained how it has set up a safe, digital ‘Gaybourhood’ worldwide – even in countries where being gay is illegal.

Speaking exclusively to PinkNews at LGBTQ+ music festival Might Hoopla, where Grindr held its own “Gaybourhood” section, Tristan Pineiro, Grindr’s senior vice president of brand marketing and communications, explained how the platform is hoping to be seen as a “global Gaybourhood in your pocket”.

“We want to provide anything that you find in a physical Gaybourhood digitally,” Pineiro explained.

“Of course, if you’re lucky enough to live in a city that has its own [physical, gay neighbourhood] then of course that’s where you should be going, that’s where you should be supporting. However, in the majority of places, that’s not always possible. Grindr exists in 60 countries where it’s actually still illegal to be gay.”

By existing in regions where it’s still socially unacceptable to be LGBTQ+, Grindr hopes it can bring a sense of community through the online world, if physical connectedness isn’t possible.

Pineiro is fully aware that there are safety concerns related to Grindr operating in regions where same-sex activity is either illegal or rejected. There have been reports in recent years of local police or criminals using the app to target gay men in sting operations or robberies, yet the platform firmly believes that the benefits of existing in such regions outweigh the possible risks (a cyber-security expert recently told PinkNews how users can stay safe on the app).

“We’ll get asked often, ‘Should you even be [in those countries] while you’re putting people at risk?’ And we’ll always consult with local NGOs and human rights organisations, and the answer is always a resounding ‘Yes, you need to be here because you’re providing [queer people with] access to each other.’

“Otherwise members of the community would be completely isolated. It’s not easy for them to go out in the street to a festival, a bar, at work, at university, wherever they may be and find each other.”

Pineiro thinks it’s essential for people in anti-LGBTQ+ countries to still be able to connect with each other via Grindr’s online “Gaybourhood”. As such, the app is working to make sure it can operate as safely as possible.

“In those markets, we collaborate with organisations to provide all kinds of information on sexual health, safety, on legislation. That’s one of the roles that Grindr plays that isn’t that known, but it’s something that I’m very proud exists.”

Grindr operates a social impact initiative called Grindr for Equality, where the brand partners with roughly 180 NGOs worldwide, particularly in areas where acceptance of LGBTQ+ people is minimal.

“We provide funds, but the thing that is the most valuable to them is providing access to the community in a way that they can’t through other means, because [their] government won’t allow it, you can’t broadcast it, you can’t talk about it in media.”

Still, Pineiro emphasises that safety in these areas – and for all Grindr users worldwide – is paramount, and stresses that there are a number of ways to stay safe when speaking to other members in the Gaybourhood.

“We provide all kinds of advice and information through our resource centre on making sure that if you can, you have a video call with the person [you’re talking to] to make sure that they are who they say they are before you meet them. [It’s a] very simple [function] within the app as well, so you don’t have to share your personal data,” he says.

Plus, he suggests not organising a first-time meeting in someone else’s home.

“Check out [their] social media, meet them in a public space, to make sure that the vibe’s there and that it all feels right.”

Find out more about Grindr as the “global Gaybourhood in your pocket” now.

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