This is one of the most interesting surprises I have ever noticed in recent times.

Jack’d, the world’s leading social app for gay/bi men, announced its support to Civil Rights leader DeRay McKesson’s mayoral bid for the city of Baltimore. The app has pledged $6,000, the maximum allowed from a single campaign donor, and began its campaign to canvass its thousands of users in Baltimore to support McKesson.

Would you have ever imagined that a platform that gay/bi men use to find dates and random sex hookups would engage its users to be politically and socially aware? Though I am still wrapping my head around this news, I am here for it.

“DeRay Mckesson is a voice for this generation,” said Hector Camacho, CEO of Online Buddies, the parent company of Jack’d, at this morning’s announcement. “His passion, activism and relentless commitment for justice have forced the nation to reflect and respond. We applaud DeRay’s courage and dedication in the demand for equal rights, not only in Baltimore, but throughout the nation.”

“Over 30,000 LGBTQ students attend Maryland’s public schools,” explains Phil Henricks, the VP of Strategy and Business Development at Jack’d. “A vast majority of them face harassment by students and faculty on a daily basis. A third report that they skip school due to fear. We need a leader who will be committed to implementing anti-bullying policies.”

Do you think that McKesson would turn his nose up against the support? If you thought so, you are underestimating McKesson’s sense of community and his relatability to the people he desires to serve. McKesson understands where he has to meet his constiuents unlike most politicians – through cyberspace.

“The fight for justice is long,” explained DeRay Mckesson. “It is a fight to ensure equity within systems and structures that affect so many of us from communities that have traditionally been marginalized because of race and/or identity. As a proud Black gay man, I’m honored by the support of Jack’d to help mobilize the young, LGBTQ voters of Baltimore. Let’s use our platforms to continue to build community and honor the complexity of our identities.”

I hope that this endorsement, while very necessary, will not hurt McKesson’s bid from Black voters, especially the influence of homophobic church pastors and their impressionable congregations.

Baltimore’s democratic primary will take place on April 26.