In regards to gay men, in particular, the app market is riddled with options centered on appearance: Very little are actually grounded in emotional connections—a pervasive characteristic that Chappy , a new app created by the parent company of Bumble, is trying to circumvent.
Founded in , Chappy aims to be a judgment-free space.
Yes, dating apps can be bad for gay men – but not in the way you might think
It takes away the focus on height, weight and ethnicity, which have become the primary drivers for getting a swipe right—aka a match. On other better-known gay apps like Scruff and Grindr, profiles often feature headless photos of users with washboard abs or beefy biceps, and prompts indicating the kind of physical attributes they are looking for, or not looking for. And though many are slowly but surely changing their ways and becoming less sex-driven, the stigma that they promoted early on is still hard to shake.
Chappy , on the other hand, has been seemingly PC from the onset. Its Youtube videos and online advertisements promote inclusivity, showcasing a range of men from all walks of life—and not just those who live at the gym. Recently, for Pride Month, Chappy hosted a string of events to get its name out in the queer community in New York. That said, the app is still better than most.
Online dating is a dog-eat-dog space, but with a philosophy based of forming meaningful connections, Chappy is certainly a welcome, and much-needed reprieve from the norm. The community deserves a space to make these quality connections away from prejudice and judgment—in a space where they are accepted for who they are. We are carving out our own path, one that does not need to be conditional on the idea that sex and relationships need to be mutually exclusive, but rather that by championing connection and bringing people together in a way in which they personally find most meaningful.
Who would you say is your biggest competition in the gay dating space? I truly believe that we stand alone. And our users agree. How would you describe the stigma associated with gay dating apps, and why do you think it is so pervasive? Not anymore. Do you think a dating app is the ideal way to find a relationship and build meaningful connections? If so, why? We compete at the mercy of the marketplace.
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Amorality rules, vacuity wins, and winning is all. It is a bargain basement plunge, pandering to basic instincts. We become body parts, framed, screened — a Damien Hirst minus the formaldehyde.
We are torso, or face, or bicep, or bottom. Choose me, order me, I can be at yours in seconds. Only 20 metres away! Can you feel the liberation yet? I sense only the banal assimilation of individuals into types: Sexual racism rules, of course. Guys with disabilities unsure which fetish they fit. We lose at love, too. Apps enable our checklists like nothing before.
Search by height, age, area, ethnicity, fetish, body type, body hair — all within a mile radius. We forget how stupid our criteria are. Apps are a lifeline for those in the closet, say some. But how much longer does this lifeline keep them there and choke them? The gay scene suffers, too.
The Chappy App
Bars have closed. Many have waned as the frisson of potential encounters collapses under the promise of an app shag on the way home.
We used to speak first. In the silence, fear grows. Are we good enough?
Why Chappy Thinks It's The Best Gay Dating App
Do our penises look long enough? Is the lighting on this selfie capturing pectoral definition?
In the silence, emptiness echoes, too: