Weight stigma is an issue for queer men using dating apps, says a new University of Waterloo study.
The study found that Grindr, the most popular dating app for gay, bisexual, two-spirit and queer men, had a negative effect on men’s body image, especially when it came to weight. Three out of four gay men are reported to have used Grindr.
“Dating apps have skyrocketed in popularity over the past decade or so and have radically transformed the ways individuals connect with one another,” said Eric Filice, a public health doctoral candidate and lead author. “We were surprised to find that weight stigma is perpetuated by individual users and embedded within the app’s information architecture.”
For example, because Grindr facilitates anonymity more than other apps (it doesn’t require a name or link to other social media platforms), and because its pre-set body descriptions don’t acknowledge being overweight (you can be ‘toned,’ ‘average,’ ‘large,’ ‘muscular,’ ‘slim’ or ‘stocky’), most participants in the study perceived being overweight as a stigma.
I think there is a huge weight stigma if you are any person. People like others to be hot and sexy on dating apps, because they can only go by pictures. It is part of today’s culture. I do think using the word queer guy is outdated. There are so many ways people express who they are now. I’m probably wrong.
Grindr is not a place to go if you are looking for nice people. I was called fat on grindr when I was underweight. People will get mad at you if you don’t want to have sex with them. I don’t think teens (18 and 19 yo’s) should be on that app either.
This article sounds so dumb. Both stocky and large imply being overweight. Would there be less stigma if they had a “morbidly obese” category? If anything, these categories are very nice ways of describing obesity. And Grindr is a dating app that’s pretty focused on casual sex in the gay community. Expecting it to focus less on appearance is wanting it to be something it isn’t and was never intended to be.
It’s so silly to call Grindr out for perpetuating weight stigma. Of course your weight is going to be an important issue when you’re looking to meet people to date and have sex with. And being obese is generally not a good thing. That’s not stigma.
Not if you like big men as I do. Well I like all men. I like em skinny fat black white or somewhere in between. Don’t know why.
Who doesn’t like a good solid man? 
I’ll take anyone who is a good guy. I don’t really care about looks.
You said it right, girl!!!
I mean that’s great and all but how does this discussion relate to body stigma in the gay community?
Edit: Not trying to single you out here, by the way.
I’m not trying to be sexist here (but it’ll probably come across that way)
Men seem to be more driven by instincts and primal needs. And the primal mating instincts tell them to find healthy looking partners. Y’know, bodies that kan keep them alive for a long time and faces that aren’t asymmetrical, and all that.
So if someone seems unhealthy to them, they’re gonna feel a need to avoid that person unless they’re desperate or have a fetish (like my friend’s roommate who keeps hitting on me because I’m “just his size”. Ugh.)
I’m not saying men can’t help it. But I’m saying if you’re so overweight you look unhealthy, you’re bound to be overlooked a lot due to the primal instinct of finding healthy partners
I wonder whether there is also self disgust about weight. My brother is gay . He prided himself as being quite slim. However he’s got HIV related psychosis and was put on APs . He says he’s put on quite a lot of weight. He’s not happy with that.
There is the bear community, but unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective), being at least somewhat happy about having your extra pounds and liking that in others is pretty much a requirement.
There are lots of gay men in general who like men on the big side, though, so maybe he could try to get comfortable with it and see if he meets someone who likes it.
I don’t think he’s into having a serious relationship at the moment . Your reply was good though. Is the bear community also the hairy body community?
Yep. Big bodies (whether it’s fat and muscles or just fat), hairy bodies, and almost all the possible variations and combinations of those two. You can be big and not hairy, too. Or skinny and hairy. Your brother would probably be called a bear, but the bear community is not just all the people who are described as bears. It’s a subculture.
Sorry I was just responding to Loke. It was a digression obviously.
Please call me Loke. It freaks me out when folks compare me to an evil Norse god (Loki). I’m not yelling at you.
Oh yeah sorry. It was my iPad auto correct, darn thing. I fixed it.
Maybe I should change my name. Loke is just a combo of my first and last name. Actually it’s my first initial and the first 3 letters of my last name
You are more than welcome to delete my comments as they are off topic.
You’re probably right.
No, it’s not that important, I won’t delete your or Loke’s posts. And also it’s more up to Firemonkey than me.