October 13, 2022
'Delete Grindr?' Gay Twitter in Revolt Against App's Incoming Conservative CEO
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Gay Twitter is in full revolt against Grindr's incoming CEO George Arison, who in past tweets has described himself as a "conservative" and expressed support for anti-LGBTQ+ politicians.
In one 2020 pre-election tweet, Arison stated, "I am a conservative & agree with some Trump policies," without specifying what views he and the one-term former president have in common. He added that he "can't stand having [Trump] in office," and suggested that Democrats "need a nominee who can tap into this electoral spectrum" of conservatives who wanted a different president in office.
The question of which Trump policies Arison supported became a focus. "Wonder which policies those are?" one Twitter user posted in response. "The racist ones? The sexist ones? The anti-LGBT ones? Or the ones that make him richer (while keeping others poorer)? The fact that a openly right wing person is about to be the CEO of @Grindr is abhorrent," the tweet said.
Others jumped on in agreement.
In other tweets, Arison offered praise for Mitch McConnell – the Republican former Senate Majority Leader who blocked Merrick Garland's Supreme Court nomination and stymied legislation protecting LGBTQ+ Americans – and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney who, when that state became the first in 2004 to legalize same-sex marriage, attempted to stop marriage equality.
Some on the social media platform are saying they're leaving Grindr, and encouraging others to delete the app.
A Grindr spokesperson who reached out to EDGE stated: "George is an out gay man, proudly married to his husband and the father of two children. George is passionate about fighting for the rights and freedoms of LGBTQ people around the world."
NBC News reported last month that Arison "is scheduled to take the company public this fall with an ambitious $2.1 billion valuation," and detailed that the incoming CEO "led a taxi-hailing app before he started his own company nearly a decade ago." Arison "has been on Grindr's board of directors since May," NBC News said.
Arison is slated to take the Grindr reins on Oct. 19.
This article has been updated to include a statement from a Grindr spokesperson.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
