Muslims On Grindr: The Unspoken Discrimination In The Gay Community

With the sad and tragic events that happened in Paris, we are seeing individuals take actions of their own.

I’ve been reading these stories about gay Muslims facing attacks on Grindr, based solely on the basis that they look Muslim.

It is sad, embarrassing and downright disgusting that discrimination really has no boundaries. It can reach you anytime, anywhere, even on an app meant for gay exchanges (hookups).

Guys are out there verbally attacking individuals based on a picture. If they appear to be from the Middle East, they are therefore implicating them as a part of the heartbreaking attacks in Paris.

This is flat out discrimination based on someone’s ethnicity and appearance.

Do you swipe by every black guy on Tinder based solely on the fact that he is black? Or, do you immediately dismiss a white guy who hits on you at the bar because he's not your type?

This got me thinking; yeah we all have preferences when it comes for what we look for in the person we’re either dating, hooking up with, or Netflix and chilling with.

Yet, when does preference actually become discrimination?

Yeah I might look for some tattoos, be drawn by a few piercings and if you just happen to be of the Latino persuasion then I might be inclined to light myself on fire in order to get a semblance of your attention, but I don’t limit myself to only that.

I’ve actually seen on dating profiles the words “no chocolate, no rice” meaning no black guys, and no Asians.

Yeah, someone actually advertised that they are a giant racist/assh*le publicly. As if his whole world would come crumbling down if an Asian guy messaged him.

In the gay community, just as there is in the straight world, there are all kinds of gay people on the queer spectrum, and they come in all shapes, sizes, colors, etc.

Yet, I would say that in the gay community, we are more discriminatory against one another based on looks, size, ethnicity, masculinity, femininity and any other attributes someone can discriminate against.

Some guys simply won’t even look my way, based on the fact that I'm skinny, therefore claiming that I am not “masculine” enough for them.

We as a “community” have fought for years for equal rights and to not be discriminated against based solely on the fact that we are gay.

Yet, we go above that and discriminate against each other the most, based on whether or not we happen to be of a certain skin color that we would like lying naked next to us.

The sad part is, in our community, this is seen as wildly acceptable.

We use harsh comments to describe each other and characterize one another, simply because we aren’t attracted to a certain individual.

We often will label a bottom as feminine -- as being slightly more effeminate is the worst thing in the world.

The gay community has attacks and discrimination coming from all around us. We see it every day in the news, even sometimes experience this personally.

Why can’t we treat each other better than that? Why can’t we put a stop to discrimination in our own community and be united?

Then maybe others on the outside will follow suit.

It is extremely hypocritical that we beg, bitch and plead for acceptance from the outside world, and on the inside the discrimination is even more toxic amongst ourselves.

So the next time you’re swiping through Tinder, scrolling through Grindr or at a bar and approached by someone, look beyond what your “preference” is and be open to the idea of something different.

'Cause who knows? It could turn out to be your future boyfriend, husband or the best dick you’ve ever had.