Gay and trans hookup app Grindr has hinted at a new sibling app or campaign to accompany their current app.

It is thought that this new app will tackle the racism and bullying experienced by many users on the platform.

Grindr tweeted a link to the webpage kindr.grindr.com, which currently houses a landing page with a voiceover and a tagline: “it’s time to play nice.”

The voiceover on the site says: “When someone says something like I don’t date black people, that’s all black people, that’s what I refer to as sexual racism.”

The announcement of this new app/campaign comes only days aftel model and activost Munroe Bergdorf called on the company to address hate speech.

In a recent Instagram post, Bergdorf wrote, “Grindr has the resources and potential to become something positive and inclusive for the LGBTQ community in the future. I just hope they make the necessary changes to do so.”

Bergdorf also posted screenshots from users, one said “R u white,” while another said “no cotton pickers.”

Racism in 2018 Ireland

This racism has been experienced by many members of Irelands LGBT+ community. In our 2016 sex issue, Jordan, Javier and Andy spoke to us about their experiences with racism on dating apps and how it’s more prevalent online than it is in bars:

Jordan: it’s faceless. Everyone’s a keyboard gangster. I don’t know if I’ve experienced overt racism. Maybe they just don’t reply, whatever. But there have been one or two occasions where guys have been like, ‘Sorry, not into black guys,’ and I have a problem with that. I also think everyone’s a tiny bit racist. There’s overt racism, then there are racist thoughts – it’s always the intent behind it. ‘Oh, I’ve never been with a black person before’ – that’s the number one thing people say. I’m not a phase or something.

Javier: It’s easier to be a racist on an app, saying ‘No Latinos’ and all that. When you’re in a bar, and you’re drunk, or you’re high, people don’t care. Of course, they can be racist, but maybe because of the alcohol, or they’re wasted, they don’t have a problem making out with any guy. But it’s easy to be racist on gay apps.

Andy: There was one of those anonymous guys who propositioned me on a gay app, and when I said no, he started using racist epithets. He was saying really racist things like “Get out of my country”, telling me I’m not Irish even though I was born here and have an Irish passport. He wanted me to take a photo of my Irish passport! It was ridiculous. I managed to troll him back and got him to block me, but that’s how weird it got.

Read the rest of their interview online here.