Like many queer people in Russia, Roman Gunt uses multiple LGBT+ dating apps. “They’re the main reason our community exists here,” he tells me. “Our society is still stuck in a USSR mentality, so you can’t publicly declare that you’re part of the LGBT+ community.” Apps made a big difference because they allowed gay people to communicate directly with each other, Gunt explains, making them feel more united. And that matters in Russia, where a combination of open hostility and a harmful “propaganda law” — which bans anyone from “promoting” homosexuality through art, education, or online information — have pushed queer people underground. In Russia, dating apps are about more than just hookups; they’re about freedom.
What’s more worrying is that this discrimination is a global problem. There are 70 UN member states that still criminalize same-sex activity, according to a recent report by the the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association (ILGA). In some of these countries, homosexuality is a crime punishable by death, and LGBT+ dating apps often aren’t available…
