“You’re really cute for a black guy” - a mixed methods approach to sexual racism on gay dating applications

Abstract

Sexual Racism is the covert form of racial prejudice enacted in the context of sex or romance. This is apparent within online dating spaces, specifically among gay dating applications like that of Grindr. There is a large amount of literature on gay dating apps, specifically Grindr, however most of this literature focuses on issues outside of race. The present study focuses on the intersections of racism and dating relationships among gay men of color. This study uses a blended quantitative and qualitative survey to gather data regarding experiences of discrimination on gay dating applications among 100 men of color across the United States and Canada. It focuses on how gay men of color navigate gay dating apps and how these apps shape their relationships and sexuality. Findings suggest that racism in gay dating apps can negatively affect how gay men of color navigate these online spaces and cope with their experiences of discrimination. The study concludes that many participants experience various forms of discrimination and the toxicity that plagues gay dating applications has got to change as soon as possible.