Hook-up app Jack‘d, which is geared toward gay urban millennials, urged its members this week to be “the generation that ends racism” and came for the biggest competitor in the field: Grindr.
In a new video titled “The Generation That Ends Racism,” Jack’d blasts Grindr for allowing users to post discriminatory and racist preferences like “no fats, no femmes” and “No blacks, no Asians” on its platform.
RELATED: An Asian Man and a White Man Switch Grindr Profiles for a Day: WATCH
Said Alon Rivel, the Director of Global Marketing at Jack’d: “We have a zero tolerance policy for racism on Jack’d. We encourage members being discriminated against or harassed to report it to our customer service department. If we find the allegations to be true, we will immediately delete the profile of the offending member regardless if they are a paid member or not. Our members’ comfort and safety will always trump making money.”
Apps like Grindr need to take responsibility, added Rivel: “There is a difference between being attracted to certain characteristics of a man and spewing hate and/or attacking others for their religion or the color of their skin. Racism, in both the real and virtual worlds, is not ok. As gay men, we are all minorities and we need to stand together in accepting and supporting our differences.”
The Advocate spoke with Grindr VP of marketing Peter Sloterdyk, who said “sexual racism is a larger problem within our community and impacts all dating apps, not just Grindr.”
Added Sloterdyk: “[Grindr] prohibits the use of offensive or racist language and encourage our community to report offending profiles through our app’s built-in system.”
Watch Jack’d’s ad:
