In just over two years, Grindr has gone from upstart hookup site to a premier gay networking site with more than 2.3 million users in 192 countries. The genius of Grindr is in the way it combines a smartphone’s GPS with photo and text messaging to help users connect with nearby gay guys wherever they go.
Grindr creator Joel Simkhai says his creation has taken gay cruising mobile again.
(courtesy Grindr.com)
But the app’s success has sparked criticism from some quarters: those who say it censors profile pictures using a standard of morality that would make Victorian England chuckle.
As the company gets ready to launch a straight version of Grindr later this summer, Xtra spoke with company creator and CEO Joel Simkhai…
Xtra: How did you come up with the idea for Grindr?
Joel Simkhai: I always wondered who’s gay around me, and I’ve always wanted to find a way to figure that out. That’s largely what’s driven it. As a second piece to it, I’ve also used online dating sites throughout my whole life, and location isn’t quite a priority on them. You go in, put in a mile or kilometre, and that’s quite far. I always look: who are the guys in my building, in my block, right around me? That’s always been the nagging question for me. I looked for a way to solve that and it just wasn’t there. The second generation iPhone comes in with GPS and the app store and the ability to write native applications, and then it just became a race to get the app out as quickly as possible.
Xtra: But it is an app for cruising, isn’t it?
Simkhai: I would disagree with that. It’s an app for guys meeting guys. Some are for sex, some are just to meet people. From our own research, the number one thing people are looking for is friendship. Eighty-five percent of users have made a friend off of it. I’m less concerned with how people are using it. We’re quite comfortable with our users using the app in any way that’s lawful and safe. If they are going to have sex, I just hope it’s safe sex.
