“I’m suing Grindr for being a breeding ground that perpetuates racism against gay Asian [men]"

An Asian American is planning to sue Grindr in an effort to combat sexual racism.

According to NBC, an Asian American man is planning to file a lawsuit against gay dating app Grindr for allowing sexual racism.

Sinakhone Keodara immigrated from Laos to the US in 1986 and now lives in the Los Angeles. Whilst using Grindr, Keodara was infuriated when he saw one user declare in his profile that he was “not interested in Asians.”

After discussing the incident with a friend who shared a similar experience, Keodara decided he wanted to take action.

Taking to social media, Keodara shared his plans to bring a class-action lawsuit against Grindr.

“Please spread my call for co-plaintiffs to all your gay Asian men in your life that has been offended, humiliated, degraded and dehumanized by Grindr allowing gay white men to write in their profiles ‘No Asians,’ ‘Not interested in Asians,’ or ‘I don’t find Asians attractive,’” Keodora wrote in a tweet. “I’m suing Grindr for being a breeding ground that perpetuates racism against gay Asian [men].”

Keodara believes that Grindr “bears some responsibility” from an “ethical standpoint.” He added that the app “allows blatant sexual racism by not monitoring or censoring anti-Asian and anti-black profiles.”

Support has been strong for Keodara with Asian American men “from all over the country” saying they want to join his lawsuit.

Dr. Leandro Mena is a professor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center who has studied LGBTQ health for a decade. Mena believes that behaviour on Grindr reflects the exclusion gay men experience.

“When you have a diverse crowd [at a gay bar], very often that crowd that otherwise may look diverse, pretty much it is segregated within the crowd,” Mena said. “Hispanics are with Hispanics, blacks are with blacks, whites are with whites, and Asians are hanging out with Asians.”

“Perhaps in a bar people are not wearing a sign that so bluntly disclosed your prejudices,” he added, “some people feel comfortable doing so.”