Why is the gay community so toxic
For starters, queer spaces are subject to the urban developmental pressures that all inner city, previously industrial and lower income, working class neighbourhoods face. And if so, how can Grindr work to fill this gap that it itself has had a hand in creating?
The most recent victim? Last modified February 7, Last modified March 25, Last Modified June 21 Last Modified December 6, Last Modified May 5, Previous Post Next Post. While the app presents itself as a meat market of people looking for quick hookups, many individuals use the app for reasons ranging from just chatting and networking to seeking long-term relationships.
They say they're for inclusivity and welcome everyone but I hope you aren't cis or straight if you dare talk to them. Academic articles, the media and many in the queer community report that queer social media and dating apps like Grindr or Scruff are primarily responsible for the decline of queer spaces.
However, the changes that queer spaces are undergoing cannot be attributed to this one simple factor. And the hate towards cis/straight people is fucking toxic. But one thing that often goes unmentioned is how toxic the LGBTQ+ community can be to those within the community.
They're literally going backwards from what the original movement was. Grindr, the geosocial dating and hook-up app, has fundamentally changed the way that queer people interact, but can the app be used to fill the void it itself has contributed to? As inner cities again become desirable places to live, affluent and mobile city dwellers move into these areas and begin the process of gentrification.
They bash anyone who doesn't believe exactly in the parameters they've set. Some even argue that hookup apps are destroying queer culture all together. While these two factors are significant in the effects they have had on queer spaces and the queer community, Grindr and other dating apps get most of the flak for causing the decline of queer spaces.
Combined with the sex-oriented nature of the app and its users, it makes it hard for anyone to see the app as a potential way to build community and fight social isolation. There’s a fear of not being treated well by law enforcement, especially with BIPOC community members, and a lack of shelter.
This platform uses virtual space to form real-world connections and communities. First, there are stigmas that go with the LGBTQ+ community – a “boys will be boys” attitude when the abuse is in a gay male relationship, and with lesbians, the idea that if there’s no man, there’s no abuse.
If physical queer spaces are set to disappear all together a sad but realistic possibility , it is the responsibility of those who have a stake in their decline to create viable alternatives. Rents rise, and poorer people and businesses that cannot afford to keep up are pushed out to areas on the periphery of the city.
Grindr and queer-focused websites and apps need to answer this call, adapt, and take the initiative to provide a viable alternative. Agree Privacy policy. The Gay Community’s Obsession With Status and Looks Has Huge Mental Health Costs Researchers are finding that racism, competition, and a fixation on sex within the gay and bi community are driving anxiety and depression.
While Grindr certainly has its issues, it is unfound to relate the decline of queer spaces solely to an app. Implementing a similar interest-based virtual community on Grindr could reach a larger queer audience, promote face-to-face interactions in physical spaces, and hence combat the social isolation in the queer community that Grindr has had a hand in fostering [6].