Grindr Takes A Stand Against Sexual Racism And Discrimination
\nWith \u201cKindr\u201d Initiative<\/b><\/p>\n
LOS ANGELES – Sept. 18, 2018 –\u00a0<\/b>Grindr<\/a>, the world\u2019s largest queer mobile social network, today kicked off its \u201cKindr<\/a>\u201d initiative, which aims to foster a more inclusive and welcoming environment on Grindr and elsewhere within the queer community. The campaign is built around a combination of new community guidelines, stricter enforcement policies and awareness-raising videos<\/a> that highlight user experiences of discrimination in-app.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cSexual racism, transphobia, fat and femme shaming and further forms of othering such as stigmatization of HIV positive individuals are pervasive problems in the LGBTQ community,\u201d said Landen Zumwalt, head of communications at Grindr. \u201cThese community issues get brought onto our platform, and as a leader in the gay<\/a> dating space, Grindr has a responsibility to not only protect our users, but also to set the standard for the broader community that we serve.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cGrindr has a new suite of queer leadership – myself included – who share this same mission to take much-needed action, make impactful changes in the app and use Grindr\u2019s enormous power to do good for greater LGBTQ community,\u201c continued Zumwalt.<\/p>\n \u201cLike many of us, I was a user of Grindr before I started working here, so I was already familiar with the racism and issues faced by people of color or non-masculine identifying people on the app,\u201d said Zach Stafford, chief content officer at Grindr and editor-in-chief of INTO. \u201cI joined Grindr because I saw an opportunity for the company to be a leader and social change agent.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOnline discrimination has reached epidemic proportions affecting not only Grindr but other social networks. Our \u2018Kindr\u2019 initiative is a rallying call<\/a> for Grindr and our community to take a stand against sexual racism and all forms of othering. Together, we will work to maintain a welcoming and inclusive environment and end the need for people to include exclusionary statements on profiles,\u201d said Zumwalt.<\/p>\n Kindr is built around education, awareness and specific policy changes in the Grindr app. Its new community guidelines will serve as the first step of many Grindr will be taking to help foster a more inclusive and respectful community on its platform. As part of the video<\/a> campaign, Grindr partnered with notable queer leaders and activists, including The Vixen and Jai Rodriguez, in addition to a number of every day users to share their experiences with discrimination and speak to ways to engage in respectful conversations online. <\/p>\n Over the next five weeks, Grindr will roll out five videos<\/a> on Grindr, social media, media buys, and Kindr.Grindr.com<\/a>, a new landing page for the campaign. <\/p>\n Updated Community Guidelines Establish a New Standard <\/p>\n Grindr is setting a higher standard for its community and creating a safe and authentic experience for everyone. New community guidelines will allow users to freely express themselves while also maintaining a welcoming and inclusive environment. Here\u2019s what people should expect from Grindr\u2019s global community and most importantly, from Grindr: \u00a0<\/p>\n For access to the \u201cKindr\u201d media kit, including images and videos<\/a>, please click here<\/a>. For more information on the campaign and to view the updated Community Guidelines, please visit Kindr.Grindr.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n ###<\/i><\/p>\n ABOUT GRINDR\u00a0<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Headquartered in West Hollywood, California, Grindr is a Certified Transgender-Inclusive Business and encompasses a diverse and passionate family of makers, innovators, leaders, and most importantly, doers. Grindr employees are fueled by an endless curiosity, an ability to embrace change, a respectful and collaborative work environment, and a knack for crossing every finish line.<\/p>\n Grindr is proud to have been recognized by Fast Company as one of the ten “Most Innovative Social Media Companies in 2016\u201d and by Forbes as a \u201cmodel for corporate social responsibility.\u201d Grindr is available on the App Store<\/a> and Google Play<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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With 3.8 million daily active users in every country in the world, Grindr is the largest LGBTQ mobile social network. Since its launch in 2009, Grindr has grown to become a fundamental part of users\u2019 daily lives globally. The company continues to expand their ecosystem to enable all users to connect to the world around them. Through INTO, a digital content channel for and by the LGBTQ community, various events, and experiential opportunities, Grindr is helping users engage across the spectrum.<\/p>\n