On February 21, Mighty Hoopla, Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ music festival, makes its Australian debut at Bondi Beach during Sydney Mardi Gras. Grindr is partnering with the festival to bring EDGE, our new gAI-powered premium tier first piloted in Australia and New Zealand, to life on the ground.

Why This Partnership

Mighty Hoopla's debut in Australia lands during Mardi Gras, a defining moment for queer culture in Sydney. Grindr’s mission has always been rooted in the idea of the Gayborhood: creating space where our community can connect, express themselves, and feel like they belong. Sometimes, that connection happens on your phone. Other times, it takes place on the bright, sunny shores of Bondi Beach. 

EDGE brings that sense of belonging into the user experience, using smarter signals to help Grindr users find the right connections faster, with less friction and more intention.

Having piloted EDGE in Australia and New Zealand made this partnership feel especially deliberate: a chance to engage with the community helping shape the product, in an environment that matches its energy. We designed the activation to mirror how EDGE works, a layered experience that gets better the further in you go.

The activation is built in three tiers. Each one unlocks the next.

The Grindr Gayborhood

Open to all Mighty Hoopla festival-goers. The Gayborhood is Grindr's main presence at the festival, featuring games, interactive activations, and chances to win upgrades to Xtra, Unlimited, and a limited number of EDGE subscriptions.

The Bator Bar (Located between the Wet Dreams and Sandy Bottoms stages)

Reserved exclusively for paid Grindr subscribers. The Bator Bar is an elevated, club-inspired space inside the festival with DJs, an outdoor balcony overlooking Bondi Beach, product-led EDGE experiences, and additional giveaways. All of this is in service of what EDGE delivers in the app: a more intentional experience and functionality that serves your desires at every level.

Show your Xtra, Unlimited, or EDGE subscription in-app at the door to enter.

The EDGE Theatre

The festival's most exclusive space, located inside the Bator Bar and reserved for EDGE subscribers only. Expect surprise performances and unannounced programming. If you have EDGE, whether subscribed beforehand or earned on-site, you’re in.

How to Find the Bator Bar

Look for EDGE-branded signage, including Grindr masks and surfboards, along the main walkways. Follow them to the Bator Bar staircase, show your subscription at the door, and head inside to find the EDGE Theatre.

At a Glance

While there’s something for everyone, each level of our activation goes deeper, and the best parts are accessible only through Grindr.

• The Gayborhood: open to everyone
• The Bator Bar: open to paid Grindr subscribers. 
• The EDGE Theatre: exclusive to EDGE subscribers. 

See You at Bondi

Mighty Hoopla has been a cornerstone of the global queer calendar for nearly fifty years. Choosing Sydney for its first event outside Europe signals where queer culture is headed. Grindr being part of that feels right. We’re excited to continue showing up in Australia, a community that's already helping to shape what EDGE will become.

Mighty Hoopla Sydney. Bondi Beach. February 21. Get tickets.

See you down under. We’ll be edging in the meantime. 

A partir de março, qualquer pessoa que use o Grindr no Brasil deverá confirmar que tem 18 anos ou mais. Essa atualização reflete uma nova exigência do Estatuto Digital da Criança e do Adolescente (ECA), do governo brasileiro. A lei determina que plataformas e serviços destinados a adultos utilizem métodos de verificação de idade para garantir que apenas pessoas com 18 anos ou mais tenham acesso aos seus serviços.

— Esse processo de verificação de idade reforça o que o Grindr sempre foi: um espaço para adultos LGBT+.

Como o Grindr atende à exigência

Desenvolvemos a nova verificação de idade do Grindr priorizando privacidade e segurança, ao mesmo tempo em que mantemos a experiência o mais simples possível. Veja o que esperar:

• Escolha como verificar. Para confirmar que têm 18 anos ou mais, usuários do Grindr no Brasil podem concluir um rápido vídeo selfie ou combinar um vídeo selfie com um documento oficial com foto.
  
• Processo único, vinculado à conta. A verificação precisa ser feita apenas uma vez por conta do Grindr. Novos usuários serão solicitados durante o cadastro, e quem já usa o aplicativo — ou abrir o app enquanto estiver no Brasil — também deverá completar o processo.
  
• Sem acesso até a conclusão. Usuários no Brasil não poderão acessar o Grindr até concluir a verificação de idade.
  
• Em parceria com a FaceTec. O Grindr utiliza tecnologia de verificação biométrica da FaceTec, gerenciando de forma independente todo o processamento de dados para garantir que sua privacidade seja protegida e que o acesso seja restrito a adultos.
  

Documentos oficiais aceitos

Caso você opte — ou seja solicitado — a usar o método que combina um documento oficial com foto e um vídeo selfie, os seguintes documentos são aceitos:

• Carteira de Motorista
• Passaporte
• Carteira de Identidade
• Carteira de Piloto
• Carteira da OAB
• Carteira de Identidade Digital
• Carteira de Registro Nacional Migratório
• Carteira de Farmacêutico
• Carteira de Enfermagem
• Carteira Profissional / Carteira de Identidade Profissional
• Registro Nacional Migratório
• Carteira de Bombeiro Militar
• Carteira de Farmacêutico

Como sua privacidade é protegida

Para proteger sua privacidade, documentos e vídeos fornecidos são utilizados apenas para a verificação de idade, são criptografados de forma segura durante o processo e excluídos permanentemente após a conclusão. O Grindr não retém os documentos ou vídeos enviados, mantém apenas a informação sobre qual método de verificação foi escolhido e se o processo foi aprovado ou reprovado.

E fora do Brasil?

Se você estiver fora do Brasil, não verá essa verificação, a menos que abra o Grindr durante uma visita ao país. Nesse caso, o processo será aplicado da mesma forma.

Em resumo

Trata-se de uma verificação rápida, feita uma única vez, que ajuda a manter o Grindr seguro, protegido e exclusivo para adultos. Continuaremos acompanhando os padrões globais e evoluindo nossas ferramentas para priorizar a segurança, a privacidade e os direitos dos usuários.

Neste Carnaval, o Grindr marca presença em Salvador ao lado de Pabllo Vittar para promover a segurança, celebrar visibilidade, conexão e comunidade, e ajudar as pessoas a atravessarem um dos momentos mais intensos e alegres do ano com mais confiança e cuidado.

Salvador sempre foi um destaque para viajantes LGBT+ no Brasil. Dados recentes do Grindr Unwrapped confirmam o que a comunidade já sabe: a capital baiana está entre os principais destinos gays do país, e seu Carnaval é único. Este ano marca a primeira vez que o Grindr participa presencialmente da festa, levando o Seguro com Local para as ruas e para dentro do app, como forma de apoiar as pessoas enquanto planejam, se conectam e celebram.

O Carnaval pode ser intenso. As multidões são enormes, os dias longos e tudo acontece muito rápido. Por isso, neste ano o Grindr também lança no Brasil a aba Events, como parte de um lançamento mais amplo do produto — uma nova maneira de explorar o que está acontecendo ao seu redor, ver quem vai participar e se conectar de forma mais intencional. Seja um grande momento cultural ou algo menor e local, Events foi pensado para ajudar as pessoas a construir comunidade e se planejar com antecedência, muito antes da música começar.

O Seguro com Local parte da ideia de que liberdade e segurança podem caminhar juntas. Durante o Carnaval, o Grindr destaca algumas formas simples de ajudar as pessoas a se manterem no controle e se sentirem mais seguras:

• Proteja sua privacidade em espaços lotados com o Modo Discreto, que oculta o ícone do app e as notificações quando necessário.
  
• Proteja sua conta com PIN Lock e verificação de perfil.
  
• Controle o que você compartilha ajustando a Privacidade de Localização, exibindo a distância nos seus termos.
  
• Vá com calma ao marcar encontros, usando chamadas de vídeo no app e conhecendo melhor alguém antes de se encontrar pessoalmente.
  
• Fique atento ao circular pela cidade, observe o ambiente, modere o consumo de bebidas e confie na sua intuição.
  
• Pratique sexo mais seguro, com comunicação clara, consentimento e proteção.
  
• Use as ferramentas de segurança quando necessário, como ocultar, bloquear e denunciar, todas apoiadas pelo Centro de Segurança e Privacidade do Grindr.
  

No centro de tudo está o Grindr Trio, liderado por Pabllo Vittar, que leva o trio elétrico LGBTQIA+ SeráQAbre! ao circuito Barra–Ondina, em Salvador, na terça-feira, 17 de fevereiro, a partir das 19h30. Com acesso gratuito à pipoca e shows de Pabllo Vittar e Carla Cristina, o trio celebra festa, representatividade e cuidado — exatamente onde o Carnaval acontece.

“Eu amo ver pessoas de todas as identidades juntas, dançando e celebrando”, diz Pabllo Vittar. “É por isso que iniciativas como a ‘Seguro com Local’ importam. É uma ação que dá confiança e suporte para que as pessoas se divirtam, respeitando a si mesmas e aos outros. Poder ser ousado e se sentir seguro é o que faz com que esses momentos sejam inesquecíveis. Vai ser incrível participar do carnaval de Salvador!"

Por meio do Grindr for Equality, iniciativa de impacto social da empresa voltada à promoção da saúde e dos direitos humanos das comunidades LGBTQ+ em todo o mundo, o Grindr atua em parceria com a Aliança Nacional LGBTI+ para apoiar o bem-estar e os direitos da população LGBTQIA+ no Brasil, com ações de engajamento comunitário e mensagens no app durante o Carnaval.

“O Carnaval é um dos momentos mais potentes para a nossa comunidade ocupar o espaço público”, afirma Toni Reis, presidente da Aliança Nacional LGBTI+ e diretor da Rede Gay Latino. “Para pessoas LGBT+, grandes multidões podem trazer tanto alegria quanto vulnerabilidade. Quando plataformas como o Grindr dialogam e compartilham seu alcance com organizações LGBTQIA+, ajudam a garantir que esses momentos sejam vividos com dignidade e respeito.”

Seguro com Local, alegria, visibilidade e cuidado caminham juntos. Vamos fazer deste Carnaval inesquecível — pelos motivos certos.

Grindr is becoming an AI-first company. In practice, that means a faster, smarter, more personalized app that helps you connect with less effort and makes every conversation count.

We’re currently testing EDGE, Grindr’s newest premium tier powered by gAI™, Grindr’s proprietary AI stack built specifically for how our community connects. EDGE is designed for users who want a more efficient, higher-signal experience – less scrolling, better conversations, and stronger follow-through.

What makes EDGE different is that AI isn’t bolted onto a single feature. It’s embedded across the entire Grindr journey from discovery, to messaging, to reconnecting so the experience feels meaningfully better end to end.

What you get with EDGE

A-List

A recap of meaningful chats and missed connections, helping users re-engage with the people they actually care about – no matter where they are in the global gayborhood.

Discover‍

Personalized profile recommendations delivered daily, designed to reduce endless scrolling and surface more relevant, high-quality matches.

Profile Insights‍

Additional context and robust signals that help you understand who you’re likely to vibe with, helping you message smarter.

Together, these features are about outcomes, not novelty: connecting with greater confidence, better conversations, and more momentum.

Built with privacy at the core

EDGE is built with the same privacy-first principles that guide everything we do at Grindr. Users remain in control at all times. AI-powered features can be turned off in Privacy Settings, and sensitive health data is categorically excluded from AI use.

Starting small, learning fast

We’ve been piloting EDGE in Australia and New Zealand, where we’ve seen strong early engagement and encouraging feedback from our community down under. We’re now expanding this pilot to select U.S. cities and Canada.

This phase is intentionally designed for learning. We’re using it to refine the product experience and better understand demand across different markets and platforms.

As part of this testing, some users may see different prices. Pricing during the pilot is completely randomized across eligible users. Our existing subscription tiers remain unchanged, and EDGE is entirely optional to purchase at any time.

We’ll continue to listen closely, iterate quickly, and share more as we build a smarter Grindr that works harder for you. 

When the Olympics come around, athletes face a level of global attention that doesn't exist anywhere else — on the podium and off. For gay athletes, especially those who aren't out or who come from countries where being gay is dangerous or illegal, that visibility creates real safety risks.

Grindr shows users who's nearby and how far away they are. In most contexts, that's useful. In the Olympic Village where thousands of athletes are packed into a small area, those same features may become a liability. Someone outside the Village could browse profiles inside it. Distance data could be used to pinpoint someone’s exact location. And simply appearing on Grindr tells the world something about a person's identity that, in more than 60 countries, remains a criminal offense.

Athletes use the app during the Games the same way they use it at home. We're not changing that. But the Village needs different rules.

We first restricted location features at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and continued at Paris 2024. Milano Cortina 2026 will be our third consecutive Games with these protections in place.

Location Restrictions

Explore and Roam let users browse profiles in locations other than where they physically are. During the Games, we're turning these off within Village boundaries. No one outside the Olympic Village will be able to browse or message users inside.

Show Distance displays how far away other users are, often within a few hundred feet. During the Games, this defaults to off for anyone in the Village. Users can choose to share approximate distance, but it won't happen automatically.

Athletes can still connect. They just won't be broadcasting their location to do it.

Free Privacy Tools in the Village

During the Games, everyone in the Olympic Village gets access to features normally behind the paywall:

Disappearing messages delete automatically after they're read.

Unsend removes messages from both sides of a conversation.

Screenshot blocking prevents capture of profile photos and chat images.

Private video, which allows viewing only once, will be turned off entirely within the Village.

Report a Recent Chat lets users flag a conversation up to 24 hours after it ends. Names and photos are obscured during reporting.

Safety Communications

Being an LGBTQ+ athlete comes with challenges most competitors never face, especially for those from countries without legal protections.

During the Games, we'll send users in the Village:

• Weekly reminders about risks specific to the Olympic environment
• Links to our multilingual safety and privacy guides
• In-person and in app safety resources from the International Olympic Committee

No Outside Advertising

Users in the Village will only see messages from Grindr for Equality focused on health and safety. No third-party ads.

These protections go live when the Village opens.

We’ve Got Your Back

To the trailblazing athletes heading to Italy: we’re proud to support you and we can’t wait to see you shine.

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Before you read: The Grammys are this Sunday, and we made you a ballot. Download it here and settle some scores with your friends.

Once a year, on a Sunday night during the depths of winter, men across the US gather to watch their heroes duke it out on one of television’s most-watched events. Some come decked out in merch, others bring elaborate, crafted appetizers. There will be shouting at the television, live-tweeting, and that one guy in the back talking too loudly, who keeps getting hushed. After hours of waiting, plenty of commercials, and several show-stopping musical performances, a winner will finally be crowned, and a magnificent trophy will be awarded to the victor. 

No, I’m not describing the Super Bowl, but rather the Grammy Awards, although they have certainly been dubbed “the gay Super Bowl” in the past. Despite attracting very different audiences and championing very different sets of celebrities, the Grammys and the Super Bowl really aren’t that different. Both draw legions of fervent fans cheering for their favorites, both incorporate their own theatrics and traditions, and both ultimately end with a set of winners and a set of losers. 

So why, stereotypically, do queer people gravitate away from football, and why have they latched onto a music awards show instead? Well, the answer lies, at least in part, in the historical precedents set by the institutions of sport and music. 

Pop stars showed up. Sports didn't.

“Sports, while getting better, have traditionally been hostile towards queer people,” music journalist Alim Kheraj tells Grindr. “You can see this play out in the fact that there are so few openly queer sports stars.” Kheraj’s point seems especially relevant given the recent success of Heated Rivalry, a TV show about queer hockey players who feel unable to come out given the male sports world’s resistance to LGBTQ+ athletes. 

Alternatively, “the self-expression inherent in music opens up a space for queer people to also express themselves,” Kheraj continues. “Pop stars, especially women in pop, have actively supported the queer community.” Kheraj, who has written about music and queerness for outlets like GQ, The Guardian, and Gay Times, cites Madonna including a “The Facts About AIDS” leaflet in her 1989 album Like a Prayer as a prime example of this link. Britney Spears’ support of marriage equality, Lady Gaga’s unbothered response to being called a “hermaphrodite,” and Cardi B’s recent showcasing of her trans styling team are others. 

Of course, for many queer people, their aversion to sports is a bit more guttural. Music writer Anupa Otiv claims “gym class trauma” as the reason she isn’t in a hurry to watch the Super Bowl. “For many years, I associated sports with punishment, so I had no interest in watching them,” she says. “And while I have reframed that narrative as an adult, I still think there’s a surface-level performative masculinity present in sports fandoms that doesn’t exist in the same way with music fandoms.”

Finding Yourself In Fandom

Growing up queer, many of us feel a deep sense of otherness—one that is not assuaged in the rank-and-file training structure and he-man bravado often present in team sports. Isolated, we long to find community and discover ourselves. Often, a pop music fandom offers both. 

“Culturally, when we think about why young queer people latch onto musicians, it’s because they do not see themselves or their identities reflected in mainstream media or sports,” Tyler Baldor, Ph.D., a sociologist at Bryn Mawr College specializing in queer music spaces, tells Grindr. “Music fandoms revel in emotional vulnerability, aesthetics, and theatricality, which can speak to the queer condition.” 

Baldor also cites the work of queer theorist David Halperin, who argued that as queer people, we deconstruct and reassemble bits of heterosexual media to create our own. We flock to musicians, rearranging snippets of lyrics, on-stage personas, and fantastical fashions into versions of ourselves, all while connecting (both online and in person) with like-minded stans. 

“To be on Lady Gaga’s Tumblr back in 2010 was to truly be alive. It’s where I found my first music fandom community,” Otiv remembers. “Finding people who love something the way you do is such a rare and beautiful thing. Online fandoms saved me at a time when I felt deeply alone and misunderstood.”

Of course, the Little Monster fandom comes with its own perils.. “I went to the Monster Ball in Atlantic City when I was 16,” Otiv says, “And someone doing the ‘Bad Romance’ choreo accidentally punched me in the face. I had never been so happy to ice my face.”

Stan Culture is a Contact Sport

This fervent, all-encompassing, and choreo-fueled passion for a pop star is what makes the Grammys such a big night for gay people, much the same way the Super Bowl is for die-hard, life-long sports fans. 

“People are naturally drawn to things with an element of competition,” Kheraj cites as one reason why queer people are drawn to the Grammys in particular, “And in the era of stan culture, being a fan has become a competitive sport.” If you love Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, or Ariana Grande, you want to see them standing on the Grammys stage holding that Album of the Year trophy at the end of the night. 

But the Swifties vs. Bey Hive drama is only one part of the Grammys’ draw. “Mostly, award shows are camp,” Kheraj continues. “It’s pure pageantry, with the red carpets and outfits and performances. And in the reaction cam era, we’re eager to see if there’s any drama that might unfold, too. It’s basically a soap opera.” Lord knows that gays love camp. 

Showing Up Together

Most of all, though, the Grammys offer queer people a “collective emotional experience,” according to Baldor. Especially in an increasingly fractured world where humans interact less and less in person, there is power in gathering in a room with your friends to experience the thrills of victory and the agonies of defeat. It’s that shared sense of meaning and emotion that brings together both fans of the New England Patriots and fans of Addison Rae.

So, whether you’re attending a Super Bowl party, a Grammys party, or both this year, use it as an opportunity to connect, but please clear some space before you launch into your Gaga choreography. 

Before Plastique Tiara and Nymphia Wind became friends, the drag gods were already tying them together. While competing on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 9, Plastique, during a sewing challenge, asked producers for a needle and thread. She was handed a Ziploc bag with the name “Nymphia” written on it. Inside was a curved needle and high-quality thread, left behind by Nymphia Wind, who had filmed Season 16 of the main franchise on the same soundstage only weeks before. 

They would meet for the first time post-Drag Race the next year in Washington, D.C., in the lead-up to All Stars 9, but they’d already eyed one another as kindred spirits and prospective collaborators.

Now, nearly two years later, the pair are headlining “The Serpents Tour,” a 15-city American tour, inspired by the Asian folktale of the White Snake and the Green Snake, that promises “couture fashion, theatrical storytelling, and dynamic performances that celebrate Asian heritage, pop culture, and drag artistry.” The tour, which kicks off in New York City on January 25, will run through February 16, and feature the star power that won Nymphia the crown on Season 16 and made Plastique the Drag Race contestant with the most social media followers. 

Ahead of the tour’s launch, Plastique and Nymphia took some time out of their busy preparations to chat with Grindr.

Read the full interview with Grindr below: 

MH: How did you settle on the Green Snake and White Snake concept for the show? 

PT: I reached out to Nymphia because I was just amazed by her cinematic experience on Drag Race. It was the Year of the Snake when we first talked about this tour, and the story of the White Snake and Green Snake is so so, so popular in Asian culture. It's basically is our pop culture. Every opera. Every song. Anything that relates to the White Snake and the Green Snake—immediate cunt factor is added to the story. So when we talked, we were just like, “It's the Year of the Snake. Two snake sisters. You're the Green Snake, I'm the White Snake. Perfect. It's done.”

MH: How did you decide who was the White Snake and who was the Green Snake? 

NW: It’s pretty obvious. The characters already match our own drag personas naturally. The Green Snake is the younger one, and she's more chaotic, fiery, lively. The White Snake is more elegant and more poised, more like a goddess kind of vibe. I wouldn't want to do the White Snake myself.

PT: Truly typecasting. 

MH: Obviously, there’s going to be great fashion in the show. How many looks are there? How many quick changes? How has putting together all the costumes gone? 

NW: The main problem of this tour is, “How are we going to change in time?”

PT: Y’all don't even know. We’re like, “What if we put this over here, so I have time to go over here to change my costume?” Girl, there are so many logistics being put into this journey alone, just for me to change my costumes. It is insane. 

NW: But to give a number, we're working on five outfits each, but in five outfits, there's going to be reveals, so some of them are double.

PT: There's going to be theatrics, accouterments. 

NW: We’ve both been talking about this as our passion project. We're torturing ourselves, making this more dramatic, adding more to it, when we could have just put on a little body suit.

PT: No, truly we could have just gone out there, done a little number, and then be done, but no. 

NW: It’s like a RuPaul maxi challenge. This is basically how we're treating it. 

MH: What's been the most difficult part of putting this show together?

NW: For me personally, I'm making a lot of costumes, and it's just basically being the CEO, like, “Okay, I need this done, and I also need to do the music, and then the visualizer, and then the wigs, and then the heels. Okay, so what am I gonna wear, but also rehearsing, performing, and then choreographing, and then finding the dancers, booking the performances.” That's the hardest part, but I think when it actually gets down to the tour, it's just changing in time, because we went all out with the costumes. We need a behind-the-scenes film. It would be really funny. 

PT:  No, it's so hard. I've been on other tours before, but creating your own tour is insane, because you're in charge of everything. I'm in Vietnam. It's 1:27 a.m. I'm here to film visuals and pick up costumes. That's how serious I am about this tour. I think that's the attitude we both have. As Asian artists, we just want to be good work, represent what we're about and share our love of this art with the people we're presenting it to. So it's really important for us to do well. And honestly, I enjoy the work. I've never had so much fun creating a tour or a project. The last time I've had this much fun was Drag Race. 

NW: It's fun for me to be creative, and we don't have to answer to anyone. We're basically the creative directors here, so it's very rewarding work. 

MH: And neither of you is getting eliminated!

PT: Well, she never got eliminated, so good for you, sister. 

MH: So you have 15 stops on this tour in less than a month. What does that look like logistically? Are you in a van? Are you flying? How are you getting all of these costumes around?

PT: We’re Ubering. 

NW: We’re taking the bicycle. No, we're doing a bus tour, so that's going to be fun. We're traveling the whole continent. I've always wanted to do a road trip, so why not? 

PT: Yes, and 15 stops, I think, is the best amount of time. If it's 30 or 50, I'm like, “Oooof, this is a lot,” but 15 is perfect, and then we're planning to take it worldwide, so there's more to come.

MH: What's your favorite part about being on a tour?

NW: Well, I haven't technically been on a full-on tour, so this is gonna be my first. 

PT: I think the energy from the audience. You just get a high off of it. After a show, sometimes I stay up until four or five, just scrolling, looking through the reactions, and just wanting to be better. My favorite part is improving and seeing how people react to it.

MH: Since this interview will run on Grindr, I have to ask, are the queens using Grindr on tour? Are people messaging? What’s the vibe? 

NW: When I was flown around all over the place, I would go on Grindr, because sometimes you're just in the hotel alone, and you're kind of bored, not necessarily to hook up, but just to be a bit messy chatting with people. Sometimes it's funny interactions. Sometimes it's an eye roll. Sometimes it makes you laugh. It's just entertaining for me personally. At one point, I changed my profile to Nymphia's profile, and people were like, “Why are you using Nymphia’s photo?” So now I treat it as an entertainment source personally, because Mama don't hook up no more. She’s old.

MH: When I’m traveling, I’ll use Grindr to get recommendations for restaurants and stuff. 

NW: Yeah, like what’s around the area? I do that too when I’m in Europe. 

PT: Best brunch spots? 

NW: Portugal here I come. What are we doing? 

MH: To wrap up, if someone was thinking about coming to the tour but hasn’t bought tickets yet, what would you tell them? 

NW: Stop Asian hate. [Laughs] No, just have an open mind and come to experience culture, camp, Asian drag. It's really AAPI-centric, and it's just to have fun. We want to celebrate AAPI talent, and it's a story that's based on traditional Asian folklore. There's a lot of culture behind it, and we're really showcasing our background as Asian people.

PT: The things we do on this tour, I guarantee you've never seen on any drag tour before. I can honestly say that. It is really, really fierce, and it's just like culture, cunt, camp, everything wrapped up in one, and it's from our perspective. 

NW: And you know the fashion is going to be sickening. 

Tickets available for The Serpents Tour at NymphiaPlastiqueLive.com

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From “Abracadabra” and The White Lotus’s incestual handjob to “Protect the Dolls” and Jonathan Bailey (rightfully) being named People’s Sexiest Man Alive, 2025 has been a year brimming with gay culture. And, obviously, Grindr has been taking notes. We’ve been listening to gay music, reading gay books, and watching gay movies, so that we can bring you the gay best of the gay best. (After all, Grindr Unwrapped 2025, honoring everything from the year’s best bulges to the most important gay guy music videos, is just around the corner.)

So if you’re gay and you consider yourself a patron of the arts (or you just want to watch hot people making out in a cinematic way), I’ve hand-crafted a guide to the best queer films of 2025 just for you. After watching hundreds of movies this year, I’ve whittled down the list to a top ten for your viewing pleasure. So whether you want to host a movie night with your new situationship or to name-drop a queer arthouse film at the afters, I’ve got you covered. 

2025 may be coming to a close, but luckily for us, queer cinema is forever. So without further ado, here are the best gay movies of 2025. 

Cactus Pears (In Theaters)

Starting alphabetically, Cactus Pears is a delicate romance from first-time director Rohan Parashuram Kanawade. The Marathi film follows Anand (Bhushaan Manoj), an out gay man living in Mumbai, who must return to his rural hometown after the death of his father. While there, he connects with his childhood best friend, who is still in the closet. The pair rekindle their relationship, field arranged marriage propositions from their nosy relatives, and share one particularly intimate scene while herding goats (as one does). 

Come See Me in the Good Light (Apple TV+)

If you need a good cry (and only then), check out this stunning documentary, which follows acclaimed poet Andrea Gibson and her wife Megan Falley as they grapple with Gibson’s terminal cancer diagnosis. The film, directed by Ryan White, interweaves Gibson reading her own poetry with emotionally raw footage of the couple savoring life together. Stock up on tissues. 

Hedda (Prime Video)

Nia DaCosta’s adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s play dares to ask, “What if Hedda Gabler were a horny AF, chaotic bisexual?” The extravagant and lush drama stars Tessa Thompson as the messy, and lavishly dressed Hedda, acting opposite a balls-to-the-walls Nina Hoss as the gender-swapped Lovborg. Praying this film launches a new wave of batshit house parties, because I need this energy in my life.

The History of Sound (Mubi)

The Brokeback Mountain Award for old-timey gays having sex in the wilderness goes to Oliver Hermanus’ The History of Sound. The quiet romance follows two folk music archivists (sexy!) played by Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor as they travel rural Maine in 1920, collecting recordings of folk songs (and f*cking in a tent). The film is quieter and more contemplative than it is raunchy, but it’s a beautiful ode to our queer elders and their secret romances that have always existed. 

Kiss of the Spider Woman (Video on Demand)

Come for Jennifer Lopez in a series of exquisite wigs and gowns, stay for Diego Luna and Tonatiuh as prison cellmates in Bill Condon’s musical sensation. Lopez is Oscar-worthy while eating up this choreography, but it’s the intimate relationship formed between a crossdresser and a revolutionary that steals the show. Kiss of the Spider Woman deftly depicts the ways queerness and politics are intrinsically linked and why we, as queer people, can never stop fighting for what’s right. 

Pillion (In Theaters)

The award for horniest movie of the year easily goes to Pillion (which is the backseat of a motorcycle if you didn’t know). Harry Melling (aka Dudley Dursley from Harry Potter) stars as a timid sub, who begins a BDSM relationship with a leather daddy top played by Alexander Skarsgard. Backalley blowjobs, kinky forest fucking, and plenty of dom/sub play are all included.

Plainclothes (Video on Demand)

This 1990s-set thriller stars Tom Blyth as a closeted New York cop, tasked with entrapping gay men cruising in the bathroom of a shopping mall. As expected, he ends up falling in love with another closeted man, played by Russell Tovey, whom he meets in the stalls. A one-time encounter turns into a full-blown obsession that threatens to implode both their lives. 

Twinless (Video on Demand)

In case you missed the clip of Dylan O’Brien topping that circulated gay Twitter earlier this year, you’ll want to catch up with Twinless, which stars O’Brien as both Roman, a straight man in a twin grief support group, as well as Rocky, his gay twin who tragically passed away. In the group, Roman meets Dennis (James Sweeney, who also wrote and directed the film), who knew Rocky and is grieving the death of his own twin. The black comedy is packed with laughs, twists, and one particularly steamy sex scene. 

Viet and Nam (Mubi)

You know a queer film is good when it’s been banned in its home country, as this film did. The romance, directed by Vietnamese director Truong Minh Quy, follows two coal miners and lovers, played by Thi Nga Nguyen and Daniel Viet Tung Le, who are determined to leave Vietnam for economic opportunities abroad. The melancholic romance boasts some of the year’s most stunning cinematography, including a coal-heap sex scene that will stay burned in your brain for all eternity. 

The Wedding Banquet (Paramount+)

The Wedding Banquet is the feel-good queer comedy of the year. Fire Island director Andrew Ahn’s remake of the 1993 film stars Kelly Marie Tran, Lily Gladstone, Bowen Yang, and Han Gi-chan as two LGBTQ+ couples who also happen to be best friends and roommates. With a visa renewal hanging in the balance, the quartet must fake a lavender marriage to hilarious (if chaotic) ends. Joan Chen and Young Yuh-jung also show up for the biggest mother-off of 2025. 

Unless you jump-started your New Year’s resolution and have been in a deep social media fast, you’ve certainly heard about Heated Rivalry, the sex-forward, gay hockey romance that has taken the internet (and my TikTok feed) by storm. The Canadian drama, currently streaming on HBO Max, stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie as rival hockey players hiding a passionate (and gif-friendly) off-ice love affair. 

The series, based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novels, premiered in November and quickly flooded the internet with thirst traps, fan art, and memes of the stars in various states of undress. Unfortunately for the show’s thirsty fans, however, Season 1 will wrap its six-episode run on December 26 (just in time for you to watch unadulterated fucking while hidden in your childhood bedroom). While there is a Season 2 in the works, all of us newly minted hockey fans will likely have to wait at least a year before things heat up once again in the penalty box. 

Luckily for you, though, Heated Rivalry isn’t the first TV show to feature plenty of steamy queer love-making. Gay people have been getting it on on TV for quite some time if you know where to look. So while you’re waiting for Heated Rivalry to return and waiting for your latest Grindr crush to text back, here are ten other sex-forward, LGBTQ+ shows to get you hot and bothered. 

Dante’s Cove (Here TV)

While Dante’s Cove may not be a title familiar to you, if you were on a certain side of Tumblr back in the early 2010s, you’ve definitely seen a few screenshots from this “supernatural soap opera.” Dante’s Cove, which ran for three seasons on Here TV from 2005-2007, starred Gregory Michael and Charlie David as a young gay couple battling mystical, evil forces. Think Supernatural, but with loads of gay sex. While the scripts weren’t always the strongest, Dante’s Cove makes Heated Rivalry look like C-SPAN when it comes to nudity. 

‍Elite (Netflix) 

Spain’s answer to Gossip Girl, Degrassi, and Skins, Elite focuses on a group of (very dramatic) teens who attend an “elite” high school for the children of the rich and famous. While the show always featured plenty of sex, things really heated up in Season 4 when Patrick (played by the swoonworthy Manu Rios) appeared, quickly becoming the lover of both gay characters on the show. While yes, you’ll need to read subtitles, there’s also plenty of body language for you to enjoy as well. 

Fellow Travelers (Showtime) 

Before he was the star of Jurassic World Dominion or Wicked, and before he was named People’s Sexiest Man Alive, Jonathan Bailey was getting freaky on Showtime’s historical romance, Fellow Travelers. Bailey plays Tim, a young congressional staffer in the 1950s, who begins a passionate affair with Hawk (Matt Bomer), a closeted State Department suit. The drama spans a 40-year-long romance and includes one scene where Bailey puts Bomer’s whole foot in his mouth. 

‍Interview with the Vampire (AMC+)

Unlike the 1994 film adaptation, which largely erased the queer elements of Anne Rice’s book, this AMC series, starring Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid as fanged bloodsuckers, leans hard into the gay vampires of it all. Forever young and beautiful, the pair share an over-100-year-old epic romance while still managing to keep things interesting in the bedroom. But never fear, after 100 years, they’ve also opened their relationship to new partners, although some don’t survive the night.

The L Word (Showtime) 

When it comes to queer television, there’s nothing quite as iconic as The L Word, Showtime’s groundbreaking drama about a group of lesbian and bisexual women living in West Hollywood. Running from 2004-2009, The L Word was one of the first shows by queer women to depict queer female sex. While it may not always be quite as horny as Heated Rivalry (although it certainly can be), the emotional connections here will leave you gasping for air just the same. 

Looking (HBO Max) 

No show thrust Grindr quite into the public zeitgeist quite as much as Looking did. The HBO series, which only ran for two seasons, followed a group of gay men navigating life in 2010s San Francisco. Dating, cruising, and of course Grindr, lead to plenty of hook-ups, but it’s Patrick’s (Jonathan Groff) relationship with Kevin (Russel Tovey) that yields some of the hottest scenes in the series. 

Orange Is the New Black (Netflix) 

Before 2013, most Americans seemingly had little clue as to just how gay jail can be, but then came Orange Is the New Black, a dramedy set in a women’s prison, where seemingly everyone was down to be a little fruity. The Netflix original series not only launched the careers of Uzo Aduba, Samira Wiley, and Danielle Brooks but also reminded the world that sex will find a way. People are gonna get off, even if they’re trapped in a 6x8-foot cell. 

Queer as Folk (UK) (Prime Video)

While there have been several iterations of Queer as Folk over the years, the original British version (which ran for only 10 episodes) is still the one to beat. Starring Aiden Gillen, Craig Kelly, and Charlie Hunnam, the show focused on gay life in Manchester in the late 90s, with plenty of gritty, pre-Grindr hookups taking place. You can easily polish this off in a weekend. 

Sex Education (Netflix) 

If you’ve ever had sex questions, Sex Education is here to answer them. The British teen comedy focuses on Otis (Asa Butterfield), a teen who becomes his school’s underground sex therapist in an attempt to woo his crush Maeve (Emma Mackey). The show tackles plenty of sexual topics, from douching and masturbation to asexuality and STIs, with plenty of sex scenes (scaling from so cringe you have to shut your eyes to so hot you need to rewind) along the way. 

Shameless (Netflix) 

‍Shameless, which follows the unruly antics of the Gallagher family on the South Side of Chicago, offers many things, but perhaps the best part of the show is “Gallavich,” an epic, slow-burning love story stretched over 11 seasons. Ian Gallagher (Cameron Monaghan) and Noel Fisher (Mickey Milkovich) don’t start as lovers, but by the time the show wrapped in 2021, their enduring (and extremely hot) romance had become a fan-favorite. Oh, and this show also includes gay prison sex.

On December 10, Human Rights Day, we’re reminded of a simple truth: every LGBTQ+ person, everywhere, is born with the same rights to health, equality, and safety as anyone else. These rights are inherent, universal, and grounded in the dignity we all share. 

While many LGBTQ+ people worldwide still encounter barriers—whether in accessing healthcare, forming families, or simply feeling safe in their daily lives—our communities continue to show extraordinary resilience. The power of connection has always been one of the strongest forces for protecting and advancing LGBTQ rights.

Grindr’s Role in Supporting Health, Equality, and Safety

It’s been a challenging year for our community, with long-fought progress toward healthcare access and human rights receding in many places. It reminds us that these gains are never guaranteed—and that advancing equality requires daily effort in every corner of the world, including here at home. Yet even in a year marked by difficulty, our communities continue doing what they’ve always done: building systems of care for one another. In 2025, a year that brought real challenges for LGBTQ+ people worldwide, communities still shared resources, created safer spaces, supported LGBTQ-owned initiatives, and helped each other navigate challenges with creativity and courage.

And with over 15 million users across nearly every country, Grindr’s global presence ensures that even in places where LGBTQ+ people may be isolated, underserved, or far from community hubs, they can still find companionship, information, and support.

Grindr is proud to be a platform where this spirit of connection thrives. Through the Grindr platform, our communities can: 

• Access health information and services through in-app links, including HIV self-testing resources.
• Use in-app safety features designed to help people connect with greater confidence.
• Stay informed through local partnerships, where trusted community-based organizations share relevant messages on sexual health, safety, and wellbeing.
• See their identities and journeys reflected through stories and content that bring visibility to diverse LGBTQ+ experiences. 

Beyond the app and through our social impact initiative, Grindr for Equality, we partner with more than 300 LGBTQ-led and serving nonprofits across dozens of countries, reaching communities in places where services are limited. Whether it’s supporting progress toward marriage equality or strengthening safety tools within the app, Grindr champions the rights and well-being of our global community every day.

Human Rights Start With Community

Human Rights Day is a reminder that the strength of our community has always come from connection—how we support one another, share knowledge, and create spaces where everyone can belong.

This Human Rights Day, Grindr celebrates the resilience, joy, creativity, and everyday care that define LGBTQ+ communities worldwide. Whether you’re forming friendships, building relationships, accessing health resources, or simply finding a moment of rest, you’re part of a global network that looks out for one another.

What does it look like when millions of Grindr users spend a year lighting up the grid? You're looking at it. Welcome to Grindr Unwrapped 2025: a year where you logged on, acted out, and voted your way into making this our biggest report ever.

Let's talk numbers. 135 billion chats. 12.8 billion taps. Over 32,000 votes rolled in—tripling last year's count—on topics ranging from Lady Gaga to which city sends the most nudes. Democracy works when it's horny. And for our fifth year doing this, we can confidently say our users are showing no signs of slowing down. Don't stop 🥵.

Here are a few of our favorite 2025 stats:

1. Most Searched Profile Tag: Hung. (Some traditions refuse to die.)
2. Most Favorited Zodiac Sign: Scorpio. (Obsessive, secretive, and winning popularity contests—checks out.)
3. Country Sending the Most Nudes: Finland. (Nordic efficiency at its finest.)
4. Highest Percentage of Open Relationships: South Korea. (Multiple Seoul-mates welcome.)
5. Highest Percentage of Twinks: Switzerland. (Smooth as Swiss slopes in peak winter.)
6. Country Most Into Feet: Italy. (From head to toe, they know what they like.)
7. Most Hung Bottoms: France takes the crown, with the US and UK climbing into the top five after being MIA last year. (Roles are evolving in real time.)
8. Most Self-Proclaimed Daddies: USA. (We contain multitudes.)
9. Most Popular Song on Profiles: W.A.P. by Cardi B. (Bring a bucket and a mop.)
10. Top City to Roam To: Paris. (The grid stays international.)
11. Top Gaycation Destination: London. (God save the queens.)

And speaking of queens—let's talk pop culture.

This year, we also debuted new categories like "Mother-in-Training," "Press Tour of the Year," and "Wig of the Year," because the gay internet moves too fast for us to serve you the same categories twice. Here's who came out on top:

• Mother of the Year: Lady Gaga
• Mother-in-Training of the Year: Sabrina Carpenter
• Daddy of the Year: Pedro Pascal
• Hottest Man of the Year: Jonathan Bailey
• Girl Group of the Year: KATSEYE
• Album of the Year: Lady Gaga, Mayhem
• Best Bulge (Sponsored by Woodwork): Bad Bunny's Calvin Klein ad
• Porn Star of the Year: Joey Mills
• Gaymer of the Year: Dan and Phil
• Viral Sound Bite of the Year: Nothing beats a Jet2holiday
• Gay Gasp of the Year: Beyoncé winning Album of the Year at the Grammys. (Justice was served.)

And the numbers back the stanning: Lady Gaga's Monster Ball Tour had Grindr users tapping, messaging, and gassing up the grid, with app usage spiking nearly 7% on nights when she hit the stage. Mother knows best.

Hungry for more? Check out www.grindr.com/unwrapped for the full breakdown.

O Grindr acaba de lançar a primeira edição internacional do Grindr Unwrapped, e — obviamente — o Brasil era o único lugar caloroso, orgulhoso e gay o suficiente para esse debut. Lar da segunda maior base de usuários do Grindr no mundo e de uma das culturas queer mais vibrantes do planeta, o Brasil dita tendências LGBTQIA+ que reverberam das redes sociais às pistas de dança.

O Unwrapped deste ano mostra exatamente o que moveu a comunidade: os realities que todo mundo maratonou, os artistas que estremeceram os fandoms, as festas que definiram a temporada, os virais que incendiaram as redes e o caos icônico Coraaagy! que só o Brasil sabe entregar.

Para contar essa história completa, o Grindr Unwrapped Brasil misturou votos dentro do app, dados de engajamento e insights de comportamento — revelando não só o que os usuários amam, mas como eles se conectam, flertam e se expressam no Grindr. Das músicas mais usadas no perfil aos signos mais favoritados, passando pelas cidades que mais distribuem likes (e as que mais estão “procurando amigos”), os dados mostram como a cultura LGBTQIA+ brasileira move conversas online e offline.

Confira todos os resultados brasileiros abaixo — e visite nosso site para ver os destaques do Unwrapped global.

Horário mais ativo no Grindr Brasil

22h — o auge do “todo mundo online e planejando algo”.

Top músicas mais usadas em perfis no Brasil

• Vanish Into You – Lady Gaga
  
• 7 Rings – Ariana Grande
  
• Happier Than Ever – Billie Eilish
  
• Abracadabra – Lady Gaga
  
• Blinding Lights – The Weeknd
  

Signos mais favoritados do Brasil

• Escorpião
  
• Leão
  
• Virgem
  
• Touro
  
• Áries
  

Cidades que mais favoritam perfis no Grindr

• Porto Alegre
  
• São Paulo
  
• Vila Velha
  
• Recife
  
• Belo Horizonte
  

Cidades que mais marcam “Procurando: Amigos”

• São Paulo
  
• Rio de Janeiro
  
• Salvador
  
• Brasília
  
• Belo Horizonte

🏆 VENCEDORES

“Please Come to Brazil” (Artista mais desejado)

VENCEDORA: Beyoncé

Outros indicados:

• Rihanna
  
• Adele
  
• Britney Spears
  
• Cher
  

Momento “Coraaagy!” do Ano

VENCEDOR: As lentes de contato da Maya Massafera

Outros indicados:

• Silas Malafaia surtando em trio elétrico
  
• Qualquer pauta LGBTQ+ no “Casos de Família”
  
• Carla Zambelli na Itália
  
• Todos os gongos da internet sobre a maternidade da Ludmilla
  

Melhor destino gay do Brasil

VENCEDOR: Rio de Janeiro (RJ)

Outros indicados:

• São Paulo (SP)
  
• Salvador (BA)
  
• Recife (PE)
  
• Florianópolis (SC)
  

Reality show mais LGBTQ+ do ano

VENCEDOR: De Férias com o Ex

Outros indicados:

• Big Brother Brasil
  
• A Fazenda
  
• Jogo de Panelas
  
• Estrelas da Casa
  

Melhor representação LGBTQ+ em série ou TV

VENCEDORA: Beleza Fatal (HBO)

Outros indicados:

• Máscaras de Oxigênio Não Cairão Automaticamente (HBO)
  
• Super Drags (Netflix)
  
• Vale Tudo (Globo)
  
• Manhãs de Setembro (Prime Video)
  

Podcast mais gay do ano

VENCEDORA: Blogueirinha

Outros indicados:

• Bee40ona
  
• Santíssima Trindade das Perucas
  
• Põe na Roda
  
• Um Milkshake Chamado Wanda
  

Melhor bloco LGBTQ+ de 2025

VENCEDOR: Coruja (Salvador – BA)

Outros indicados:

• Minhoqueens (São Paulo – SP)
  
• Pipoca da Rainha (São Paulo – SP)
  
• Odara (Recife – PE)
  
• Ezatamentchy (São Paulo – SP)
  

Artista do ano que veio ao Brasil (2025)

VENCEDORA: Lady Gaga

Outros indicados:

• Katy Perry
  
• Mariah Carey
  
• Shawn Mendes
  
• Camila Cabello
  

Evento Off-Carnaval mais LGBTQ+

VENCEDOR: Ensaios da Anitta (itinerante)

Outros indicados:

• Halloween da Pabllo (itinerante)
  
• Love Noronha (Fernando de Noronha – PE)
  
• Fortal (Fortaleza – CE)
  
• Carnatal (Natal – RN)
  

Melhor recheio de sunga do ano

VENCEDOR: Amaury Lorenzo

Outros indicados:

• Cauã Reymond
  
• Os sungueiros do Grindr
  
• Xamã
  
• Marcelo Novaes