Two of the biggest gay dating apps are removing the ability for users to search and filter by ethnicity. Both apps, Grindr and Scruff, announced these changes on their social media platforms this week.
Grindr released a statement saying that they “stand in solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement” and that they are making donations to the Marsha P. Johnson Institute and Black Lives Matter. Because of that and user feedback, the company decided to remove the current ethnicity filters from their app.
“How can we celebrate Pride without acknowledging that we wouldn’t even HAVE a Pride month if it weren’t for the brave black, brown, trans, and queer folks whose uprising against the police at Stonewall gave birth to the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement?” read a statement from the company. “We will continue to fight racism on Grindr, both through dialogue with our community and a zero-tolerance policy for racism and hate speech on our platform.”
Grindr users can currently search for other users by characteristics like age, weight, height, and ethnicity. The ethnicity filter has long been criticized for enabling racial discrimination and giving people the ability to filter out POC. Even the removal sparked discussion about how the company should have removed it a while ago.
“It’s 2020 and @Grindr JUST “decided” to remove the ethnicity filter from their app,” wrote former Out Magazine writer Rose Dommu on Twitter.
Scruff removed ethnicity as a default display option in 2018 and is now going even further. The company announced that they’re “making further changes to ensure that ethnicity is not searchable.” Scruff host Gabe Gonzalez took to Twitter to discuss the company’s decision.
“The overwhelming feedback from POC who use Scruff (or any dating app) is that filtering according to ethnicity enables the “it’s just a preference” logic that people use to try to justify their racism,” wrote Gonzalez on Twitter. “I’m a Latinx person and welcome this change. There are plenty of ways I can find my community on the app without a feature that people have used to exclude others and justify bigotry.”
What do you think of the updates? Should they have made these changes a long time ago? Sound off in the comments below.
Ridiculous This is getting absolutely asinine
Take off height
Weight Gender
Age
Why only ethnic?
You made a bad decision
This is why I don’t do internet dating, I want to know who I want to hookup with someone of my choice. I didn’t know it was regulated to date someone based on what is correct.
Forgot to mention another thing….having a preference is only considered racist to an actual racist.
So they’ll be taking out the age, height, build, and weight categories too? I mean, if one thing is discrimination, everything is, so……..
Talking about not being a dick?
This has nothing to do with anything
What about fat people you better takeoff weight as an option. Maybe to takeoff height too tall too short We don’t want them insulted either. Gender Seems totally inappropriate maybe take that off too! Maybe just close down the website
Yet when I lived in SF, I knew several white guys who were only into Asians/Pacific Islanders or only African-Americans, or only Hispanics. Likewise I knew Hispanics and Asians/Pacific Islanders who were only into white guys. Are they all racist? I tend to find gingers especially stimulating sexually. What does this make me?
I am going to rethink my Scruff Pro membership when it comes up for renewal.
Since when is not being into black guys or Asian guys being racist? This PC nonsense has really gone too damned far. There’s nothing more frustrating than connecting with someone online or through an app and finding he’s not your type, for whatever reason, time and energy wasted. This isn’t being racist it’s just a preference and it is what makes the world interesting. You’re into who you’re into and if others think this is ‘racist’ that’s their problem, not yours. On the other hand, some people might say gay men are mysoginists as they’e not into women.
I’ve said EXACTLY the same things before. Imagine being so full of privilege that your problems are not related to healthcare access, police abuse or penal system excesses. Imagine being so privileged that you’re concerned about porn themes and racial preferences within your hookup culture.
Foolish PC nonsense!
So let be real. So many gay men use “it’s a preference” to hide their racism. Some love men of color, just as long as they keep it a secret from their friends, and vice versa. There are many men of color that love other races also, but on the down low.
This is definitely bullshit. Will removing the ethnicity search options and filters make them more desirable for those who don’t like them? Clearly, they [apps] are simply making their users’ lives more difficult. I don’t see what the problem is, not to say I don’t like black, brown, yellow or orange if I really don’t like them. This is not racism — these are preferences. With or without a filter, I will not go out with black or have sex with him. But instead of being clear right away, there should be dumb discussions about what racism is and who racist is, and serious scandals should break out. The truth is that the so-called “gay” apps are not gay at all. Show me an option in grindr where you can declare that you are gay and that you are looking for gay? No such! What they need to remove in the so-called “gay” applications is gender identity — this is the real poison in the community. Transgenders to make their own applications. This will dramatically calm the situation. But no — some genius has decided that we are in an all-inclusive hotel. And don’t tell me I’m transphobic — I know that perfectly well. I have no problem with that, they have.
Time to cancel my subscription to both then I guess
To Universal Potentate,
Ah, I see you now. “Tricking people into fucking a black dude”. Like that’s a thing. Like that’s a BAD thing. I thought we were having a meaningful conversation, earlier. But, now I understand. You’ve stated who you are. Thank you.
I know you’re going to find some way to make it seem like you didn’t mean anything negative with your post. It’s a free country and you’re entitled to say what you want. Even if you’re one of those people who only bashes others, I mean, expresses his/her/their opinions online because you don’t have the guts to say this sort of stuff to actual people, understand that the impulse to put others down to make yourself feel better doesn’t do anything but make you a small person. Your post is an attack on all black men. You’ve not mentioned the point that we’re all humans, regardless of ethnicity.
This is the true reason the filter is being removed. It has nothing to do with a stunt related to George Floyd. Of course, based on your previous posts, it’s all political and companies are reacting to extremists. The fact that you read this article and landed on your opinion says more about you and how you think than what these companies are doing. But, of course, you already know that. It’s why you posted. You get to say negative things about blacks while also criticizing companies for being too political. You’re quite clever. Not very nice, but very clever. All I’ll say is, if you have any black friends, would you share this post with them? If you don’t have any black friends, then you’re missing out. Wonderful things happen when people from different backgrounds and walks of life are friends. One of the many benefits is an awareness of how others are impacted by posts which are offensive.
I have faith and hope in humanity, but not in some humans.
You have consistently misunderstood what I said yet feel a need to comment. This is referred to as the Dunning-Kruger Effect.
You don’t understand subtlety or sarcasm.
I am black. I didn’t insult myself, my family, my friends or anyone else.
Pettiness is my concern. Issues won’t be solved unless you get down into the heart of it. Unaccountable authorities with guns, that’s the problem, not if Karen is subconsciously racist.
If a post by some guy on the internet impacts you, you’re extraordinarily petty and small.
Dude, you need to work on your context. I’m black, too. Even re-reading your posts, it’s still hard to align with your way of thinking. But, you know what. It’s a free country. You do you.
Yes. I explained why it’s hard for you to align with my way of thinking: the Dunning-Kruger Effect.
This is so stupid. Tricking people into fucking a black dude is not standing in solidarity against getting gunned down or choked to death.
Why don’t they add an “I’m a cop” filter so that people know to never fuck them.
Brilliant! I don’t understand the ‘movement’ either. Removing a filter doesn’t mean racism is going away. Besides people will still ask questions and ask for pictures. It’s just going around in a huge circle for nothing. Not wanting to sleep with someone doesn’t mean I have anything against that person or that race, they are different subjects. People are mixing these things together and when you have a preference, you are deemed guilty already. Does it mean I have to sleep with anyone then?
Yes. You must have no standards or desires and fuck everyone. When 2 white guys who look like twins get married, it’s okay because they assure you they’ve each dated a black guy before and set their social media to the correct virtue signal.
And remember trying to discuss the influence of police unions buying their local governments so that police are unfireable and legally unaccountable for their actions is WWWAAAAYYYY too involved. So let’s shift the discussion away from unions (which liberals love) and police (who conservatives love) and onto the deep subconscious feelings that one white person (completely disconnected from the halls of power) might harbor against some other black person.
That’s how we solve this: together! Make sense?
So, you get that there’s this thing called “systemic racism”, right? Systemic racism is the reason there was an ethnic filter in the first place. You also get that Grindr and Scruff can’t effect change beyond their audience. Unless your post isn’t really about the ‘movement’ but about losing access to an easy way to filter out what you feel are undesirables.
Having a preference which excludes a particular guy isn’t racist if the guy is a different ethnicity than you. Having a preference is only racist if it excludes entire ethnicities. Besides, if you’re not racist, who gives a fuck what people think. You can’t be guilty for something you haven’t done.
OH, but wait!! You must have been USING that filter. Otherwise, why would you think you’d have to sleep with anyone? Let me check the article, again. Yes, definitely. Now that the filters are removed, you must sleep with every person in your area on Grindr. Because, there won’t be access to any of the other filters for age, body type, etc.
You poor thing. I weep for you. Seriously.