A picture is worth a thousand words, but great photography transcends language.

Texas Isaiah - who has built a platform on the foundations of mutual care and respect through the camera lens, reminds us of the beauty found in being different. From projects like Image is an Offering that centers Black trans and gender expansive people loving themselves to their recent work Intimacy in Isolation - which was in the New York Times -  Texas continues to affirm the idea that even in our darkest moments, there is much to be said with one snap of a photo.

“Doing photography has taught me about connectivity and establishing relationships,” he says, noting that photography isn’t just about getting the right photo, but about helping others to feel seen. “It’s about establishing community and images help me provide different methods of caretaking and mutual respect for those who look and live like me.”

Through his talent, he has been able to redefine representation by highlighting stories that are often left out of traditional media.

“Doing photography for me is about celebrating heritage,” he shares, noting that he knew photography was his calling after doing his first full length project because it gave him the space to think about the intersections of his identity. “When I did Blackness, It gave me the opportunity to document and celebrate the diversity of the African diaspora who also highlighted the spectrums across gender and sexuality. This was important for me as this allowed me to be more vulnerable with myself and the people in the project”.

For Texas Isaiah, being behind the camera is a testament to the power of Black trans people and how one photograph can redefine the definition of representation. “For me, it’s about the proximity to the art,” he says. “It’s knowing that so many Black trans people will never have the chance to work with someone who understands their story. I think that is what fascinates me about this work. There is really a talent for capturing Black (trans) people, specifically in their full image.”

While Texas believes there are many things that photographers can learn from his work, he hopes they also learn from his trajectory as a Black trans person. “I think we need to delve deeper into conversations around compassion for others and for self,” he shared.

“My work is not only about showing intimacy, but also about reminding people that they don’t have to choose a singular path to establish career artistry.”  

Following this idea has led to great success for Texas. Recently he had the chance to work with big names like Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union for Times, and his long time idol Janet Mock. “There is just something so magical about Black people,” he says, noting how working with them helped him better understand the need to think outside the box.

Upon asking him what advice he would give other queer photographers during this time, he noted how important it is to not feel pressured to be someone they’re not behind the camera. For Texas Isaiah, the most beautiful part of being a photographer is embracing the process.

“For young Black, queer, disabled, trans/gender expansive people I would say that the most important part of this process is being okay with time,” he explains. “It’s your right to protect your work and your legacy. Feel free to take your time in developing your projects and don’t feel like you have to rush the process. Oh, and always ask questions. It will save you in the end.”

Above all, his message continues to be one that is loud and clear.

“Community can be found in photography and always remember to follow your heart.”  

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As the dust from Election Day settles and we welcome Joe Biden as our new President-elect, we wanted to share some highlights from our partnership with Headcount for their 2020 Vote With Pride initiative. The stakes for our community were higher than ever in this year’s election—with COVID-19 still ravaging the country, police brutality and racial justice taking a national spotlight, and a new Supreme Court appointee casting uncertainty on recent gains for LGBTQ+ rights, it was more important than ever to make sure our users had the resources they needed to register, vote safely, and make their voices heard.

We focused our efforts on several key phases in the lead-up to the election. For National Voter Registration Day on September 22, we launched a messaging campaign to our U.S. users connecting them with Headcount’s voter registration and verification portal. By early October, as some registration deadlines began to pass, we switched our focus to state-specific campaigns providing people with info on how to vote early and by mail in their state. In the final run-up to the election, we added voting reminders and links to Headcount’s LGBTQ+ Voting Resources to the profile menu for all of our U.S. users.

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By Election Day, we had connected tens of thousands of Grindr users with crucial early and mail-in voting info for their states. That’s a fraction of the more than 1 million people who log in to the app each day in the U.S., but enough to make us Headcount’s most successful Vote with Pride partner for the 2020 campaign.

And we weren’t the only ones getting out the vote on Grindr—our users also made headlines by using the app to conduct voter outreach of their own, in what some called operation #DateSaveAmerica. Several beloved LGBTQ+ personalities also lent their time and talent to Grindr’s get out the vote efforts, including Latrice Royale, who shared how she was voting for the first time in two decades due to a former felony conviction that stripped her voting rights. And our Voting Is Sexy PSA, featured below with cameos by Boomer Banks, Aquaria, Chase Icon and more, proved once and for all that democracy, when exercised properly, is the ultimate turn-on.

With so much on the line, it was inspiring to see our users and the LGTBQ+ community at large come together to make sure their voices—and their votes—were heard this election.

Throughout American history, systemic racism has excluded Black communities from equal economic opportunity, creating a significant wealth gap. As a result, the net worth of a typical Black household in America today is just one-tenth of a typical white household, perpetuating a vicious cycle of oppression and white supremacy. This inequality reverberates through all aspects of American life, with far-reaching effects on hiring across all industries, including tech.

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Grindr is proud to announce that we have joined the 100kPledge, a public social contract for professionals and organizations committed to Black communities' economic empowerment through hiring, investment, and donations. Grindr has committed to provide a minimum of $500,000 in career opportunities for African American candidates and employees. Grindr has always been, and will continue to be, an equal opportunity employer.

For current job openings and opportunities, head over to our careers page.

HackerOne helps organizations identify and address vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. Over the past few years, Grindr has performed a series of third-party penetration tests as part of our cybersecurity strategy; and while regular penetration testing will continue to be a key part of our strategy, this partnership adds to our multi-layered approach for all of our cybersecurity functions.

We believe HackerOne will be an effective complement to traditional penetration testing. Traditional penetration tests typically rely on a small team of security experts with deep experience finding exploits in applications. They’re a mainstay, but there may be limits to what a small team can do. HackerOne approaches the goal from the opposite angle. They open up penetration testing to a wide range of hackers with varying levels of expertise and areas of focus. Given this, we’re carefully scoping our HackerOne program to maximize the value of the vulnerabilities it surfaces. And of course, our engineering team prioritizes fixing those vulnerabilities above all other priorities. If you’re a security researcher, you can head over to our vulnerability report page to participate in the bug bounty program.

As a further measure, we’ve created an improved process for security-related reports to escalate directly from our customer service department to our security team and engineers. An effective security program takes awareness and commitment from across an organization, and we’re making sure everyone on the Grindr team has the knowledge they need to do their part.

Grindr is a part of a vibrant community and we’re 100% committed to ensuring our users’ security. We’re taking a multi-layered approach to protecting our users by employing traditional pen testing, HackerOne, and improved security report escalation. The rapid identification of vulnerabilities is only one part of our cybersecurity strategy, and we look forward to sharing more with you in future posts.  

If you’re a security researcher with an interest in the Grindr HackerOne program, then check out the Grindr HackerOne directory page for more info.

-Tom Quisel, Chief Technology Officer | LinkedIn

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New Free Features

‍

We recently reviewed our XTRA premium subscription and decided to make a few of our previously paid features available for free to all users. You can now favorite as many people as you’d like each day, send multiple photos at once, and use Do Not Disturb settings without a subscription. These features help make the core Grindr experience more convenient for everyone.

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SEND MULTIPLE PHOTOS

You can now send up to five photos at once, instead of one at time.

REMOVED DAILY FAVORITE LIMIT

No more hitting a limit and having to wait until tomorrow to add someone to your favorites. Fave as you see fit.

DO NOT DISTURB

This feature is found in Settings and allows you to set repeating Quiet Hours or temporarily Snooze Grindr notifications when you need a break, or don't want to broadcast your activity to those around you.

This feature is only available on Android, but may be added to iOS in the future depending on popularity.

You know what really turns us on? Democracy. Watch your faves detail just how horny their constitutional right makes them.  

Register, check your status, and Grind the Vote: http://headcount.org/pride

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As coronavirus cases began to spike around the world, the number of new OnlyFans creators rose significantly. During an era of furlough and record job insecurity, it’s safe to assume this wasn’t a mere coincidence. In the UK, for instance, the amount of new OnlyFans creators rose by a hefty 42% between March and July alone — whilst in the U.S., the website reported an enormous 75% increase in fresh sign-ups, with over 170,000 new users joining each day at one point, the Huffington Post reports.

For those unfamiliar with the online phenomenon, OnlyFans is a platform on which subscribers pay a monthly subscription fee to access creators’ photos, videos, live streams, and beyond. Despite common misconception, OnlyFans does not specifically exist to host sexual content. However, many creators chose to go down this route, and the results can be very profitable indeed.

But what about the people behind the profile? Well, to gain some behind-the-scenes insight, I spoke to three LGBT creators who signed up to OnlyFans during lockdown about making money, navigating backlash, sexual liberation, and more. These are their stories.

Kieron

After documenting my fitness journey online a couple of years ago, I noticed people on social media were interested in seeing more of me. So, I mulled it over for a while, and after requests to “start an OnlyFans” became more frequent, I just decided to give it a go.

I first began making OnlyFans content as a way to express my sexuality, and even though I had a partner during the early days of lockdown, we decided not to post anything as a couple. Instead, I began to cultivate my ‘boy next door’ brand, with light, playful, and erotic content — and I had a blast. My following has always stayed small, probably because I prefer to keep advertising minimal. And in terms of money, my OnlyFans profit started to cover the costs of my weekly grocery shop, as well as some daily expenses for my partner. I guess we could have switched our marketing heads on and began to think about world domination, but that isn’t essential for me. I’m happy with the balance as it is.

I do plan on continuing with OnlyFans for a while after lockdown. However, I don’t see myself going much further with it. The platform helped me garner income during the pandemic, and so I’m thankful for that. But, for me, it’s not a life goal. It’s just a part of this phase of my life.  

I’m definitely not alone in starting an OnlyFans during lockdown, either. I think part of the reason the platform has become so popular is because people enjoy the allure of being wanted. This is especially the case on social media, where vying for likes and follows is the norm. Of course, there’s always the risk of backlash when you sign up to a website like OnlyFans. However, I haven’t really had any. It’s something I’ll use as an ice-breaker, and a lot of my friends tell me they’re tempted to sign up too. I just think it boils down to expression. Sexual identity is such a large part of us, and we’re drilled into thinking that it’s taboo. Sure, you can see some videos I’ve made, but you can’t fuck me, so are my morals really compromised? In the age we live in now, how is expressing your sexuality anything other than empowering?

I feel like I’ve found out so much more about myself since I’ve started listening and communicating with my sexuality — I recommend it. But for anyone seriously thinking about starting on OnlyFans, make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. Don’t do it to get back at an ex or to make a bit of cash. I’d say do it because you’re passionate about it, or because you simply want to have fun. And remember to always be comfortable. It’s your body, not anybody else’s.

Anonymous

The feeling of dread I experienced during the early days of lockdown isn’t something I’d wish on my worst enemy. Because of the pandemic, I lost the job I loved, and my decision to join OnlyFans for some emergency income was a quick one. I spend most of my days scrolling through Twitter, and was more than familiar with how profitable sexual content can be. After setting up my first account, I began making money almost immediately. Not a ton, but enough to cover rent costs and the occasional treat.

However, as any creator will tell you, publicly sharing nudes and jerk off videos online comes with great potential for backlash. Sadly for me, this was indeed the case, and when strangers began regularly mocking me online I made the decision to go anonymous. Surprisingly, my anonymous profile became more successful than the previous. Perhaps this was because I wasn’t worried about being too explicit anymore — and soon after I realized my OnlyFans would be longterm. I mean, the pay checks were nice and it was easy work.  

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After a couple of months, things seemed to be on the up. I was making regular income again and began pushing my creative boundaries whilst filming content. Sadly, my own worst case scenario became reality when a family member stumbled upon some of my older, less private videos. In a state of panic, I completely removed myself from the OnlyFans universe and haven’t looked back since. In the past couple of weeks I’ve thankfully managed to fall back into my preferred line of work, but I can’t help but feel a sense of disappointment. I was really starting to take off with new subscribers and felt like I was on the cusp of building my very own online community. I’ve also never felt so liberated, and, although my time on OnlyFans was brief, I’ll always be appreciative of that. Unfortunately for me, the fear of being found out was too much to bare — and I advise anyone with similar reservations to keep this in mind before putting yourself out there.

Tyler Wu

I began posting NSFW content online a few years ago, mainly through live cam shows on platforms such as Chaturbate. While working abroad last year, I met someone who encouraged me to start an OnlyFans so I could reach a bigger audience and I decided to go for it at the beginning of lockdown. Overall, it has been a very positive experience, having found a new outlet in an otherwise difficult time, and I am extremely grateful for the opportunities it has given me.

As with most things in life, you get out of it what you put in. I've seen some treat it as a get rich quick scheme and I think this could be what discourages some people from subscribing. There is a plethora of free porn out there, so paying subscribers rightly expect higher quality content.

Since starting, I've told a few friends about what I'm doing, and they’ve all been super supportive.

I do believe that stigma towards sex workers is decreasing nowadays, especially among the younger generation.

I have also noticed there is very little Asian representation on OnlyFans and the pornography industry in general — and I think the worry of judgement is magnified when you come from a culture where sex is a particularly taboo subject.

And to anyone who perhaps does take issue with OnlyFans should know that it’s real, and often very hard work. Creators are cameraman, producers, editors, marketers, social media managers, among other things. Working hours can quickly add up. My academic background is in business and languages, and these skills have undoubtedly helped, although I continue to learn every day. I would advise anyone wanting to start an OnlyFans to look at their own skillset and identify what can set them apart. I think the most important thing, however, is to take the time to build relationships with your followers and not to take them for granted, these are the people supporting you.

Since their introduction in Season 2 of Rupaul’s Drag Race, The Pit Crew has presented an idealized version of what a gay man’s body should look like: masculine, muscular, toned and well endowed. Insert Mina Gerges, the first plus-size member of the Pit Crew on the show's spin off, Canada’s Drag Race. Having Gerges in the Pit Crew is a huge step forward in correcting the show’s inaccurate portrayal of what the LGBTQ+ community looks like.

“Because guys actually look like us, and we deserve to be seen,”  Gerges responded when asked why they wanted to be in the Pit Crew. “I’m fighting for people to see the value in different versions of beauty and I think it’s important, especially when talking about body image that we don’t go ignored.”

And that is exactly what Makes Gerges a star; they continue to show up as their true authentic self, in spite of their struggles. “As a kid, I was often misunderstood and growing up in the Middle East, I felt like I couldn’t be my real self,” they explained. For Gerges, being visible wasn’t an option–it was their destiny.

“Growing up in a place where you can be killed for who you are, I had to make a decision that might have cost me my life. But, I decided to fight.”

That fighting spirit is what has continued to make them a success in the mainstream. From deals with Calvin Klein and Sephora to now being a member of Drag Race’s Pit Crew, Gerges says that none of it has been easy. “I’ve always fought for people to see my value in different versions of beauty,” they shared, noting that like many men of color, their voice was largely ignored prior to getting on the show. “No one listened to us...hence why so many of us feel so small. But I feel like the most beautiful thing I can do is to show the world that me and my body, our body, we deserve to be seen and heard.”

For Gerges, being on the show was their first step in showing the world that beauty comes in various shapes and sizes and has a multitude of colors. “When I heard that the show was happening, I thought, ‘well I’ve been doing all this work for inclusivity so why not?’” For them, being on the show was a step towards proving to themselves how much they had grown since the days of struggling with their body image and overcoming an eating disorder. “I had always been hard on myself in terms of how I look, so imagine walking into an audition room on a cold, rainy November day where there are 30 guys who look like the typical Pit Crew. They were taller than me, they were thinner than me. So it was very intimidating when they called my name.”

While Gerges shared that the hardest part of the process was being in the room, they also said that going for the opportunity is what helped them grow their confidence more than anything else they have ever done. “So, I’m thinking to myself that no one is going to find me attractive, something that very many gay men feel,” Gerges pointed out. “I kept looking at myself in the mirror and saying that I don’t look like these men, until I realized in that moment that I have something to offer too. I told myself to focus on my smile and how great my personality is. You know, that I am a good person. That me being there was not just about my looks.”

In this moment, it would have been very easy for Gerges to grab their things and leave, however it was a moment with a producer that really elevated their tenacity.

“A producer asked me why I wanted to audition and I told them plainly that in Drag Race, the Pit Crew is seen as the epitome of beauty, as something that all gay men should aspire to be. I said that my body is no less beautiful just because I have fat and stretch marks on my body...I deserve to be seen like everyone else.”

Though Gerges still struggles with the notoriety that the show has brought them (and all of the backlash that has come with it), they noted that they would do it all over again in a heartbeat. “Some folks say that I was a token hire and others have tried to knock me for being a bigger model,” they detailed when talking about the aftermath of the experience. “However, like I said before, I do what I do because though it has been hard to break through many of these glass ceilings, I want to use my platform to bring others confidence. I want to give and help open doors for other people.”

Gerges says that being so visible was hard, but it taught them the greatest lesson. “Doing the show taught me the importance of not comparing myself to other people,” they explained. “You have to be comfortable with owning the beauty you exude. I think a lot of queer people share the journey of being torn down and bullied our entire lives. We’ve been invisible and it is very easy to internalize all of that and feel like we are not worthy and feel like we are not beautiful. But I am here to tell you that you are.”

More, Gerges highlighted how important it is to never shrink yourself to make others comfortable. “For me, my entire life, I was told how to dress, how to act, and how I should behave,’ they shared. “People want to put you into a box because that is how the world operates. But remember that people want to force you into the idea of who they think of you are and who you should be. I’ve fought against that my entire life and plan to keep doing that in my career.”

When asking them what the greatest one should take away from their story, Gerges reminds us that liberation is about fighting to unlearn all of the negative things that society has put on to us. “We have to remember that the filth that we have internalized is not about us,” they noted.

“It’s about knowing that you are not alone. It’s about knowing that there is beauty in fighting to be seen because our super power is resilience.”  

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If you’re a fan of Rupaul’s Drag Race (RPDR), then you know the show is never without its fair share of drama. From moments of calculated eliminations (Shangela was ROBBED) to queens being ready to throw down (did someone say they were from Chicago?), RPDR always provides a good cup of tea when you’re parched on a late Friday evening.

But while the show’s juicier moments get dissected endlessly online, not enough attention has been given to how toxic and racist the RPDR fandom can be—and the impact this has on the queens. From The Vixen/Eureka fiasco to the multiple cases of Black queens being called the N-word and receiving death threats online, it’s often hard to find the “love” that Rupaul so often speaks about in said community.

For this month’s “You Better Werk” Bloop celebrates some of the queens who have stepped up to speak out about the racism and discrimination that lives within the fandom and has been perpetuated on the popular show.

Bob the Drag Queen

Hilarious RPDR Season 8 winner and host of HBO’s hit show We’re Here, Bob continues to amass a huge following on social media. But the fame and glory hasn’t come without its fair share of racism. Addressing issues ranging from the microaggressions the queens face online to the ways in which they are stifled on a professional level, Bob is here to remind us that in order for us to dismantle white supremacy, we have to reckon with the issues we have in our own community first.

Bob also reminds us that in order for there to be any progress, we have to remember that everyone in the queer community is on the chopping block when it comes to systemic oppression. “In America, this idea that racism doesn’t affect all of us is not true,” she noted. “We have to accept that racism is an American problem. The arch of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice and I’d like to see more of that.”

Peppermint

If you follow Peppermint online, you’ll quickly learn that she doesn’t mince her words. As a frontrunner for RPDR Season 10, Peppermint has been using her platform to not only speak up about the injustice that Black trans people face, but also to call out queer artists who are not speaking up.

“It bothers me the lack of public acknowledgement about what’s going on here & right now,” she posted to her Twitter feed. Considering that both she and Bob now host a weekly Instagram Live to talk about the issues that affect the Black queer community, there are plenty of reasons to continue stanning Peppermint her and her work.

Shea Coulée      

Fans of RPDR Season 9 know that simply calling Shea Coulee “fashionable and talented” would be an understatement. Now back on All Stars Season 5, Coulee is using her platform to spotlight why we need to give more attention to the racism that takes place in the RPDR fandom.

“We need to hold the fandom to a higher standard”, she told the A.V. Club, after explaining that being a Black queen means knowing that racism comes with the package of success. However, Couleé also reminds us that there is so much power in being a Black queen. “If I give racism too much attention, it’s going to slow me down,” she states. It’s time we start giving Couleé her flowers (no pun intended) for being such an outspoken advocate for anti-racism.

The Vixen

If there is anything that we learned about RPDR Season 10, it’s that some of the queens don’t have time for white fragility. We saw this with The Vixen, who not only challenged many of her peers to address the ways they treat Black queens, but also called out the entire franchise for the ways in which Black queens are portrayed on the show.

In a piece that she wrote for Pride.com, The Vixen got personal about her experience and about the ways in which we continue to perpetuate racism in both the fandom and the community. “A Blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl can wear jeans and a t-shirt and look all American, but we do it and we look ghetto,” she states. But beyond that, The Vixen continues to call out the show’s double standards toward Black queens. “Black excellence needs to be celebrated,” she goes on to highlight, explaining that the show will continue to do more harm than good if we don’t acknowledge the problem. “You can’t call it a fair race if the challenges don’t acknowledge the double standard. The playing field isn’t level.”

Mayhem Miller

Since her appearance on Season 10 of RPDR, Mayhem Miller has made a name for herself not only as the life of the party, but also for speaking up about the racism she encounters both on and off the stage. During her time on All Stars 5, Miller opened up about her own experiences with the police and why Drag Race needs to have a reckoning with the racism found in the fan base.

“With responsibility, there needs to be accountability,” she shared in a recent interview with The Advocate. “I think more people need to speak out. It’s not just about saying that their behavior is unacceptable-we have to take our power back as well.” Like many other queens, Miller wants other drag performers to stand up and start telling their fans that they need to do better by Black drag queens and Black drag fans. “The fans want to stand up for their queen and tear down another for them,” she explains. For Miller, it’s about more than saying “Black Lives Matter”—it’s about taking a stance and telling fans that racism doesn’t have a place in the drag community.

Asia O'Hara

Among all of the conversations happening around race and racism in the RPDR fandom, Season 10 contestant and Werq the World (WTW): The Docu-Series Season 2 star Asia O’Hara has decided to get personal about her own experiences with racism and discrimination.

In 2018, O’hara opened up about her personal experiences with racism and how social media triggered her after receiving a racist death threat to burn her alive, similar to an experience she had in her youth. She would go on to talk about the racial bias in the show, alluding to the idea that RPDR fandom isn’t fair to many of the Black queens. In 2019, she noted on Twitter that the vast majority of RPDR fans are, in fact, racist.

Recently on her WTW episode, she got candid about the discrimination she faces on tour and the ways in which racism is often overlooked in society. “Fans ask me to step out of the picture so they have just a picture with the other girls, like Kameron and Aquaria,” she shared during an interview.

For these queens, it’s not just about acknowledging the racism, but giving attention to the ways in which Black queens on the show aren’t given their proper dues. If we’re going to celebrate RuPaul for working to give us the representation we’ve always wanted in media, we have to acknowledge the queens who are working to dismantle the racism and discrimination that also lives on—and off—the show.

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The Black Lives Matter movement has rightfully demanded an awareness of self and an accountability of others. As taught by our Black Brothers and Sisters who have led by example, our pursuit in ending systemic injustice and inequality has only just begun. Liberation is only achieved through solidarity with a recognition that change must occur.

In what has become a global and historic civil rights movement, many have done their part to take on difficult conversations with those inevitably opposed to change: conservative family members, microaggressive colleagues, and yes, Karen herself. For some however, these conversations about the journey to reformation have started at home with those most intimate to them, their partner.

Curious to know how these conversations have been held between queer interracial/BIPOC couples, I asked some of them to highlight the ways in which the Black Lives Matter movement has (or has not) impacted their love language. Is there an awareness to love and respect each other in ways not thought of before? An accountability to communicate in a different, more progressive light? A recognition that, as queer folx, there are ways in which we, too, are responsible for growing?

‍Dillon Dyer & Stephen Thomas

Age: 29 & 34

Instagram/Twitter: @dillondyer

Dillon:

My Southern manners taught me to treat and love everyone the same. I noticed then, and even now, that many people there don’t always practice what they preach. This awareness pushed me to treat all people from a place of love, and Stephen and I both stand on [this] principle… The BLM movement has driven some meaningful conversations between the two of us. As we’ve talked, I’ve come to better understand the challenges the Black community continues to face. I will continue to stand by Stephen and listen to how I can continue to push this movement forward.

Jason Dick & David Herrera

Age: 28 & 25

Instagram: @phoebejeebiesnyc & @david.a.herrera

Jason:

This movement has made me more aware of the fact that we are in an interracial relationship. However, while we are in an interracial relationship, neither of us are Black. We are allies to the BLM, and this movement has made us have more conversations. More so David sharing and processing his own experiences with me listening and learning. It’s made me even more determined to improve my own allyship as a person with so much privilege. And my love for David definitely fuels that fire.

David:

‍I would say that BLM has greatly increased our need to support one another due to the current climate. Being Hispanic, I feel that I fall in a weird space during this movement. The issue isn’t directly about my skin color, but I don’t benefit from certain privileges Jason does. The BLM movement has allowed us to have conversations about our experiences regarding our skin color that we never really talked about before. As far as love, these past few months have presented great challenges and circumstances that have ultimately made our love for one another stronger.

Marvin Webb & George Ziegler

Age: 50+

Marvin:

The BLM movement has not caused a significant shift in our love language because, as an interracial couple, we chose to always speak about race and other isms upfront since the beginning of our relationship… Because of that foundation, our conversations around current events have been able to be deeper than most white folks who don't have that ability to have a deeper conversation with a person of color. I do think this time period specifically has allowed George to have a deeper understanding of the issues that I face. He has a more visceral reaction to and response for other white friends and family members who question BLM.

George:

‍After we married in 2015, Marvin moved from Brooklyn to Pennsylvania. In taking our walks around the neighborhood, Marvin would avoid strolling down an alley. At first, I dismissed this as an overreaction; however, as we have come to see, Black men are killed for merely walking down a street. This makes me sad, angry, frustrated and even depressed at times. To know that the man you love is not looked at by some through the same eyes hurts deeply. As our nation strives to overcome these all-important race issues, I know that Marvin and I will keep our conversations going, with more listening on my end.

Tyler Martin & Enrique Cavazos

Age: 28 & 27

Instagram: @tylerisaacmartin & @enriquegcavazos

Tyler:

‍Being an interracial gay couple that grew up in the South, the subject of race and discrimination has often come up. However, the BLM movement has empowered us to be bolder and to push each other to be louder. Even though we are college sweethearts who have been together for over eight years now, we are still growing with each other daily, finding new ways to empower each other’s voices, and holding each other accountable. As we hold hands, supporting one another, we use our voices, art, and love to fight.

Jacob & Eli

Age: 35 & 31

Instagram: @jaaase421 & @itshibiscus

Jacob:

‍The BLM movement and protests have made both of us more aware and vocal about the injustices the Black community faces. If anything, it has drawn us closer together as we have discussed issues, mourned unjust deaths, spoken out against racism, and conducted self-evaluations. At such a volatile time, it is a great comfort to have a loving partner with whom you can grow and fight for what is right.

Jay Wooden & Nate Stolldorf

Age: 38 & 32

Instagram: @jaywoo81 & @natess87

Jay:

My perspective of the world is different than most, including my white fiance. Our love language includes honesty and open communication without fear of judgement. Therefore, the BLM movement has presented an opportunity for us to dive deeper to fully understand our different world views and how that affects our relationship. The BLM movement itself has encouraged us to face hard truths of our realities head on, and we are grateful to be in a loving and committed interracial relationship where we can deepen our understanding of each other. More importantly, we can stand up and fight, together, for the change that is so desperately needed in this country!

Nate:

There are societal and familial pressures we need to contend with… We have to deal with people who don’t know our relationship but think they do. I can only hope that [those people] follow our lead, support us, and lift us up. I agree with Jay that I think the BLM movement has created more conversations and has strengthened our already strong relationship. Being white, I have work I need to do to be the best future husband and ally I can be. I will do anything, say anything, and walk in front of whatever barrier I need to to protect Jason.

Charlie & Wyatt

Age: 25 & 25

Instagram: @trinidaddycharlie

Charlie:

‍With COVID, we've been hunkered down South and have experienced these social and cultural upheavals amidst folks who don't feel the way we do. Such opposition has tightened the bond between Wyatt and myself - two white queer men - with me also being an immigrant. It's galvanized us to confront our white privilege and take a stand for our BIPOC brothers and sisters, and we've been further emboldened to stand up for ourselves with homophobic microaggressions. Days where we both feel overwhelmed over the injustices, we've had to increasingly rely on each other for support, to express, to rage, to cry, to connect.

Mark-Eugene Garcia & Rodrigo E. Bolaños

Age: 40 & 42

Instagram: @storytellerMG & @rodrigoebolanos

Mark:

‍Aside from being married, we are artistic collaborators in theatre. BLM made us look back at our own work and make sure that we are correctly representing the Black community. There have been some misses. Never intentional, but often unnoticed. For example, a show we created took place in Jackson Heights, Queens and ended up with a predominately white cast. In casting we felt we were being all inclusive, but never did we make sure we were portraying the community our show took place in… As we continue, we will make sure that the stories of our Black friends are told truthfully and with respect.

Benny Or & Cristian Shoemaker

Age: 29 & 34

Instagram: @bennyor & @cristian.andres.s

Benny:

‍While each of us individually have always valued diversity and inclusion, BLM has connected us deeply on that value and has aligned us with a common goal to contribute to the movement. In response, we’ve been working on “Black Art Matters,” a collaborative content series for social media that amplifies the voices of Black artists. The fight for equality has showed us the power that we own in being an interracial couple and we’re excited to bring upon real change in the world together.

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In recent weeks, there have been numerous nationwide protests against the epidemic of racial injustice in the United States, including the unfair treatment of Black LGBTQ+ people. Many of the protests have resulted in several important laws and legislations being passed, all in favor of keeping Black queer people protected.

These marches take a great deal of time and work and rarely do those who organize them get the credit that they deserve. For Pride month, BLOOP profiled several of the organizers and activists who have put their lives on the line in the fight for equality and liberation.

There are so many reasons why Blossom Brown deserves their flowers. From calling out white supremacy at the CNN Townhall to leading several of the recent marches in Beverly Hills, CA, Brown is committed to being a voice for the needs of Black trans women.

When asked what it means for her to be an organizer, she shared that it’s about her not being afraid to get her hands dirty. “Being an organizer is about really getting down in the trenches and doing the work,” she says. “It’s about the deep learning that comes with this work.”

When asked what advice she would give to folks wanting to help organizers in the movement right now she says,  “I want people to know that this work takes patience”, she shared. “We have to make sure things are strategically implemented, but also we have to make sure things are consistent. Like, you can’t start and stop. You gotta be consistent because the work is consistent."

For this SoCal native, the work is something that Angie Balderas has always known. “It’s always been in my blood really,” she stated, noting that her grandfather and most of her family have been organizing since the days that she could remember. “My family was heavily involved in the Cesar Chavez movement and the work in the fields. My grandfather was a teamster and my uncle was part of the communication workers.”

As for the work that she is most proud of, she noted that much of it started in her own efforts to make education more accessible to marginalized people. “When I got back from California State University, Northridge, I was at San Bernardino Valley College and I just began organizing,” she says. Much of that work led her to be known throughout the Inland Empire region as a voice for queer people of color. “I saw the hate and I just knew I had to do something about it.”

When asked what advice she would give to folks right now who want to help organizers in the movement, she says to remember how important self-care in these movements are. “Always take care of you,” she stated, reminding us that this work can and will burn us out if we let it. “Life is already giving us a hard time, make sure you are taking care of you and each other.”

After years of being disproportionately affected by the prison industrial complex, Dominique Morgan made it their life’s work to make sure that no other queer Black/brown person would ever have to experience it. “Being an organizer for me is not just about being a voice,” they shared, “but about knowing the power behind your voice and who you can lead with it.”

As the Executive Director of Black and Pink, they have had many opportunities to help in life changing work. From providing services to the homeless to helping in abolitionist work, they are committed to making sure that queer people feel like they have a home no matter where they go. “I never want folks to feel like I did when I left the Nebraska Department of Corrections in 2009,” they said. “This is why I do what I do with Lighting House—to make sure that people know that truly safe spaces exist.”

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When asked what advice they might have for folks looking to help in the movement, it’s about understanding how we got here and what it’s going to take to change it. “People need to understand history beyond what is taught in education,” they explained. “And when I say education, I am not just talking about college. We have to be committed to reading the work of Fred Hampton and Huey P. Newton. We can all learn from the words of Marsha P. Johnson. The information is out there. Don’t be afraid to sit in a room, shut your mouth and listen.”

For some activists, being an organizer is about the doing but for Matt Abularach-Macias, it’s a way of thought. “Being an organizer for me is a mentality”, he told BLOOP. “It’s about the ways in which you move throughout the world and more so than that, it’s about building long term power and changing the systems.”

As an UCLA alum who did a lot of organizing around the needs of marginalized students, they have rooted a lot of their work in the power of knowledge and how they can use said tools to dismantle oppression. “A lot of my time as an organizer is spent with me learning,” he states. “I know I have the tools to understand how the system of oppression is designed and how said design isn’t an accident. But, getting a degree helped me understand how power is tied to identity and the political aspect of my identity because, the personal is political.”

When asked about what advice they would give folks who are wanting to support the current movement, for them it’s all about listening more than doing. “In order for real change to happen, you have to be committed to listening,” he explains. “We have to recognize that shared experiences often help us better understand the problem. As you listen, you learn, and as you learn, you have a responsibility to do, right? The dynamic of the people isn’t singular—so with that, demonstrate solidarity in how you listen and respond to the issues.”

They often say that there is power in numbers. For Jason Rosenberg, doing this work means exactly that—even if that means putting himself in harms way for the liberation of the people. “For me, being an organizer is about showing up in full capacity,” he noted. “It’s about putting your body on the line and creating space in a really revolutionary and radical way.”

As someone who has had their hand in extensive moments of history that have helped the LGBTQ+ community progress, for him it’s not just about what he’s done, but about who he has been able to be in community with during the work. “I value the moments most where I have been able to be with our queer elders,” he shared. “They really guided how I show up and how I value the work we do to move towards greater liberation, Black/queer liberation.”

In speaking about about what people can do to help organizers in this current time, Rosenberg wants people to not be afraid to step up. “What we can learn from the protest surrounding Tony Mcdade and other trans women of color who are killed is that anyone can show up,” he expressed. “You can support  both spiritually and physically. Just show up and lend support in any way that you can. Now is the time to donate less to the HRC’s and the GLAAD’s and give more to the Black trans led groups that are really doing the work for housing, healthcare and economic justice. This is what the people need the most.”

In a recent interview with The Advocate, Jeff Bonforte and Rick Marini—our new CEO and COO, respectively—shared what brought them to Grindr and outlined their plans for the app in the wake of the acquisition. In the piece, Jeff identified three buckets the company will focus on as it works to better serve the LGBTQ+ community and make Grindr a more positive place for everyone:

User safety and security is one part of a three-"bucket" plan. It falls in the "tech stack" bucket, in which Grindr will undergo "a full top to bottom review" of its programming and data architecture, meaning how this information is stored.

The second bucket is product development: enhancing Grindr and adding new features "to try to continue to activate the community," said Bonforte. The possibilities for this activation are many. Grindr, he learned, is about far more than hookups. He reported hearing from users who missed Grindr's sense of community after they found a relationship and left it. There are also users who only open the app for travel purposes, another area he hopes to expand upon.

However, don't expect any sweeping redesign. "You have to be careful not to dabble with the core product," Bonforte said, adding, "We don't want to hurt Grindr. It's so good."

The last bucket is "internal culture," which Bonforte defined as "developing the team, making sure that the employee base does a great job of representing the community, and getting that voice at all levels in business."

On the topic of straight men running a queer app, Rick emphasized that Grindr’s new owners will be partnering with LGBTQ+ employees—and the community at large—for leadership and guidance on how to best serve Grindr users:

To this end, Grindr will "absolutely" be recruiting more LGBTQ+ people as line employees, leaders, and board members, committed Marini. Having LGBTQ+ people in the room is essential for "understanding the needs of the users," he stressed. Bonforte added that LGBTQ+ recruitment is just "good business" because it will lead to a better product.”

Head over to The Advocate for the full story. Welcome, Jeff and Rick!

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