For those unfamiliar with the gay “dating” app, Grindr, think of it as a classic gay cruising spot, but digitized. As with most social platforms, there’s an added hurdle or benefit (depending on who you ask) of anonymity. For those not out to their families, this is part of the appeal; perhaps there is an argument that this could even be seen as a safety precaution. However, for others, anonymity acts as a shield for hateful/predatory behaviour.
My inspiration for writing this blog post comes from my interest in how queer archives operate as evidence of a community’s collective history and ways of knowing and doing. Though much of my work thus far in the archives has provided a rich queer history, much of it has also shown the problematic side of the mainstream queer community–mainstream here refers to white gay men and lesbian women. I am struck by how much of the content in the archives seems to mirror ideologies that I have personally experienced on Grindr.
Continue reading “No Fats, No Femmes: a Personal & Archival Exploration of the Racist, Femmephobic, and Fatphobic Facets of Gay Culture.”