China Bans Gay Dating Apps!

China Bans Gay Dating Apps!

Dating as a gay man in China just got a bit harder. As part of the nation's discrimination against LGBTQ folk, China removed the apps Finka and Blued from the app stores. Those two apps are the biggest gay dating platforms in China. As of late, China has been aggressive towards limiting the queer community, both online and in person. Blued has an international presence; Finka only exists (or used to) in China.

Censorship of queer content continues to get stronger, and safe spaces - even in the cyberworld - are diminishing in China. As a pun, China's tech block on queer content has been nicknamed The Great Firewall. The dating apps were removed without an official statement. A source told CNN that the apps were blocked due to possible vulgar or pornographic content. Apple reported to Wired, “Based on an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China, we have removed these two apps from the China storefront only. We follow the laws in the countries where we operate.”

Blued app reached over 54 million users, and Finka became the leading app for the younger gay generation. Blued's parent company ended up buying Finka, becoming the largest LGBTQ tech company in China. The gay community is being forced back into the closet, without avenues to chat openly about living a gay lifestyle. This can be isolating and affect the mental health of the queer community.

Being gay is not illegal in China, but same-sex marriage is not supported, and anti-discrimination protections do not exist for the queer community. Police have been known to shut down Pride events, and the government has banned any LGBTQ representation in TV and film. China's government also shut down messaging accounts that were used by LGBTQ+ student and advocacy group accounts on WeChat.

Under the rule of President Xi Jinping, China's government is on a mission to maintain traditional family values and decrease “the feminization of men." Sound familiar? Family values are often used as a shield to cover up anti-LGBTQ sentiment.

Here in the United States, Sniffies was added as an app, but then later banned. The reasoning was that it contained explicit content. As any horny gay knows, Sniffies doesn't have nudity restrictions like Grindr does. But where there is a will, there is a way. The gays know how to survive, although it is unclear how the queer community in China is supposed to fight back against an entire government.

According to a very recent study done by the Williams Institute, 53% of Chinese citizens think that LGBTQ+ individuals should be accepted in society, with a similar percentage expressing support for same-sex marriage. 46% stated they would attend a same-sex wedding, and nearly half (48%) believe same-sex couples are capable of raising children.

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