China's Biggest Gay Dating App Wants to Kick Out Grindr
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China’s biggest gay dating app wants to beat Grindr
To Thitiwatt “Pete” Sirasjtakorn, the gay dating app Blued offers more than hookups. Struggling with depression, a recent breakup, and the stigma that came with his HIV diagnosis in 2016, he went live on Blued to show his everyday life — eating in a restaurant, shopping in a department store, or singing while driving his car. Sometimes he even livestreamed himself sleeping. “I don’t want to be looking for sex all the time,” said the 33-year-old, from Thailand’s southern city of Hat Yai. “When I feel lonely but I don’t want to talk with anybody, I just get on livestreaming, and I feel there are many people staying with me.” In 2018, Thitiwatt went public about his HIV status as more than 1,000 viewers tuned in to his livestream on Blued. Since then, alongside Facebook and Twitter, he has advocated for the rights of sexual minorities and people with HIV on Blued, where he has more than 60,000 followers. “This is the best way for me to reach out to people,” Thitiwatt told Rest of World. With passionate users like Thitiwatt on board, Blued, China’s most popular gay dating app, has set its sights on becoming the world’s largest social network for the LGBTQIA community, starting with an expansion in Southeast Asia and the U.S. But back home, Blued is facing growing uncertainty due to China’s tightening control over LGBTQIA content, and growing competition for younger users from other platforms.
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