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Rossman, Megan
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Fall 2021
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2021
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3249_Shannon_Goodman.pdf
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Abstract: On March 25, 2009, a popular IOS mobile dating app was released. Tech entrepreneur Joel Simkhai initially created Grindr for gay men to meet other gay men. However, the app has seemingly contributed to racial stigmatizing and body shaming. It exploits a non-inclusive gay space where overweight, underweight, gay, bisexual men and male minority individuals are highly unrepresented and treated as if they should be excluded from the community. The normalized body standard on Grindr is structured as slim, white, and muscular. There is little representation of overweight, underweight, and men of color in Grindr marketing ads. Without any form of representation, specific individuals feel inferior to those who happen to be slim. Without any form of representation, specific individuals feel inferior to those who happen to be slim. There is also an issue in which individuals of color who identify as gay or bisexual encounter racial discrimination on the app. The distribution of negative slurs towards these individuals is often applied. Racial hierarchies are established within same-sex dating apps, barriers within the gay and bisexual male communities. Minority men have racially stigmatizing, hyper-sexualization, fetishization ideals placed on them. Black men are racially fetishized and stigmatized for their physique. Asian men are considered "undesirable," feminine, and lack masculinity. Latino men are fetishized for their light skin color. This sexual objectification and stigmatizing ideologies can contribute to low self-esteem. These issues are present on Grindr, but these ideologies stem from the toxicity within the gay and bisexual communities and in racism.
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