Gay

BLK dating app has launched a new initiative in celebration of Pride which highlights queer event curators in select cities.

The campaign “It’s Giving Space: Celebrating Queer Event Curators” will offer three compelling narratives of LGBTQ+ party collectives, according to Black Enterprise Magazine. One such collective is Party Noire in Chicago, a cultural hub which celebrates Black femmes, Queer Women of Color, and Black womanhood along the gender spectrum with a focus on trans, queer, and genderqueer Black people.

Another collective, Global Warming in Brooklyn, is dedicated to uplifting Black and Brown queer and trans people by providing safe spaces where they can dance, celebrate “and experience joy,” according to Black Enterprise. It was co-created by DJs Adair and Boston Chery.

A new study by Bumble among single LGBTQ+ Filipinos found that a whopping 85 percent said that it’s important to them to find partners who accept them for who they are without pressuring them to change.

According to Adobo Magazine, nearly half (48 percent) of respondents feel that they need to conform to certain physical or personality ideals to be accepted by the LGBTQ+ community. About 28 percent of those surveyed went on to say that they felt pressured to change or conceal their gender expression to fit in or be accepted by the LGBTQ+ community.

The survey was conducted in partnership with Pride PH, the widest national network of Philippine LGBTQ+ organizations. Over 400 people participated in the survey.

Archer rolled out a new marketing campaign during Pride Month, focusing on the issue of unsolicited photos on dating apps and what the company is doing to address it.

The new campaign tagline is “Solicited D*cks” – and the company has a little fun promoting the benefits of consent, as well as Archer’s safety features. It will include cheeky phrases like “Do we use a dick filter? Yes, yes we do.” and “Working tirelessly to weed out the dicks you don’t want from the ones you do.”

According to Little Black Book, Archer launched the ad in partnership with ad agency Tombras. It will run on billboards across New York neighborhoods, including Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, and Williamsburg, as well as digital and social channels.

Image: Tinder

Dating app Tinder has added new stickers in celebration of Pride, specifically for younger LGBTQ+ users.

The new stickers include “My First Pride,” and “I Came Out Online” to “Save Queer Spaces” and “Proud Ally.” According to Mashable, the profile stickers give new dating app users a low-pressure way to be part of the community and display their identity for Pride Month.

The My First Pride and Came Out Online stickers help first-timers to better navigate Pride Month. The idea is to easily find others attending events for the first time so they can make plans and celebrate together.

The Save Queer Spaces sticker helps connect users with others who want to preserve bars, clubs, and community centers serving the LGBTQ+ community, as these are places where they can feel safe being who they are. The Proud Ally sticker helps users show support for the LGBTQ+ community.

Image: Grindr

Grindr has launched its new cross-country bus tour “Grindr Rides America” in celebration of Pride month.

“From the Castro to Stonewall, we’ll be getting around—hop on, get off, and get your dicks on Route 66,” Grindr’s cheeky press release reads. “This is all in celebration of YOU as we toast to 15 years and counting.”

Grindr’s bus tour is also in celebration of its fifteenth anniversary, and the company will offer free HIV testing, PrEP resources, and a full-service photography studio to LGBTQ neighborhoods on its route. According to Mashable, a team from medical service Q Care Plus will be along for the ride to discuss HIV and STI prevention with attendees, as well as screening, treatment options, and how to access prep and doxy-PEP to encourage discussion and support without judgment.

Image: Grindr

Grindr has announced it has partnered with Equality in Movement in Georgia and MPOWER in Ireland to connect its users in these countries with at-home HIV testing kits.

According to the company’s blog post, Grindr says it wants to address the global HIV epidemic by making it easier for its users to have access to testing. While many countries have local testing centers, they can still be difficult to access, expensive, and many people still don’t want the stigma of going to a public place to get tested.

Users in Georgia and Ireland will have dedicated buttons on the app’s interface to order at-home self-test kits, any time of day. The app wanted the access to tests to be as simple as Covid tests have become for most folks. The company also wants to encourage more people to test for HIV by alleviating the stigma with in-person tests and allowing them to test in the privacy of their own home.