Key Takeaways

Like many social issues within the LGBTQ+ community, chemsex — or using drugs to enhance sex or one’s sexual performance — is widely overlooked and underdiscussed. As one of the leading GBTQ+ platforms, Grindr is in a uniquely powerful position to change this.

According to Grindr, 28% of LGBTQ+ survey respondents said they’ve engaged in chemsex in the last year. But there’s a chance that the person reading this article doesn’t know what chemsex is — maybe they’ve never even heard of it. It’s not really their fault.  

Cast members from Grindr for Equality’s “Out in the Open” series, which explores conversations shaping the LGBTQ community.

The new series, Grindr for Equality Presents: “Out in the Open” with You Are Loved, gets candid about chemsex and other overly-stigmatized, even taboo, LGBTQ+ issues. 

“For too long, people have hidden their struggles for fear of being judged.” -Gareth Thomas

The series will tell the real-life stories of people in the GBTQ+ community who have dealt with addiction and other typically taboo topics. 

“For too long, people have hidden their struggles for fear of being judged, and that silence fuels a negative cycle of shame and harm,” said former Wales rugby captain and LGBTQ+ campaigner, Gareth Thomas, one of the series’ subjects. 

”Out in the Open” is Grindr’s latest step toward becoming a full-fledged wellness platform for the GBTQ+ community. 

63% Say Chemsex is Heavily Stigmatized 

Grindr is working alongside LGBTQ+ non-profit You Are Loved to make “Out in the Open” as impactful as possible to Grindr users. The goal is to “[break] the silence on drug use, shame, and mental health” that runs rampant in the queer community, particularly on social media and dating platforms. 

We know this shame runs rampant because Grindr just told us: 63% of respondents in the queer community say chemsex is heavily stigmatized, making it difficult to talk about or get help for. And 61% of U.K. adults have never heard of chemsex at all.

61% of U.K. adults have never heard of chemsex at all.

And the series is not only destigmatizing these topics, but destigmatizing asking for help by connecting users to mental health professionals directly in the Grindr app. It makes sense why Grindr is specifically talking about chemsex: It’s something that’s touched many lives, whether people realize it or not. 

Drug use within the gay community is something of an open secret, bordering on a stereotype: “Lots of people use K at parties and coke during sex, right?” Many assume it’s just a way to enhance the experience, to make it last longer, to make it either more memorable or one blurry dream. 

This kind of drug use tends to fly under the radar, with many people taking a “not my bedroom, not my business” stance. The cast of “Out in the Open” are delving deeper into why people engage in chemsex, and in doing so, they’re breaking through the stigma. 

Cast members engage in a group discussion for Grindr for Equality’s “Out in the Open” series.

Breaking Stigmas With Real-Life Stories

What makes “Out in the Open” special isn’t just its mission to break through decades-old stigmas, but its decision to use expert voices to do so. Representatives from the LGBTQIA+ helpline Switchboard are contributing to the series along with Voda, a mental health app. 

Grindr is covering its bases with “Out in the Open.” Yes, it features expert commentary, but it also includes the perspectives of people who have actually struggled with drug addiction, including You Are Loved CEO Marc Svensson, former Wales rugby captain Gareth Thomas, author Paris Lees, and artist Kaiden Ford, to name a few. 

These stories reveal the rarely told realities of chemsex: the high highs, the low lows, and the culture of silence surrounding both. They also go into other oft-overlooked topics in the LGBTQ+ community, including loneliness, addiction recovery, toxic shame, grief, and isolation. 

With this series, Grindr is sending the message to stop the cycle of shame once and for all. “If we start having more open conversations then the stigma starts to break down and ultimately, we can not only change lives but save them,” Thomas added. 

Grindr Isn’t About Hookups — It’s About Wellness

Grindr still values discretion and sex-positive encounters, but it’s about so much more now. This change didn’t come about by accident; Grindr has been slowly but surely innovating with AI and health experts to make the app an all-in-one connection point for dates, friends, social networking, and yes, even wellness. 

I recently reported on Grindr’s upcoming telehealth platform, Woodwork. This time last year, a Grindr-led telehealth platform felt less like a pivot and more like a whiplash-inducing U-turn. But I stand corrected. Grindr’s investment in wellness speaks to a generation of daters who want to have fun while staying safe and healthy. 

“Out in the Open” is not just Grindr’s way of saying, “See? We’re not only a hookup app!” (though this is certainly one of its messages). It’s also a way for Grindr to make a much deeper, much more personal impact in user’s lives by offering community-based care and local mental health resources. 

The series is a way for Grindr to make a much deeper, much more personal impact in user’s lives.

The goal is for the impact to be visible and actionable — not just a swipe on an app. “This partnership marks an important step forward for the LGBTQ+ community,” Svensson of You Are Loved said. “This is how real change happens — when platforms, communities and support organisations come together to be part of the solution.”

“No one should feel ashamed to speak out or ask for help,” Thomas added. By having these conversations out in the open, Grindr is telling users that its platform isn’t just for romantic connections, but for self-improvement and wellness connections, too. 

“Out in the Open” is yet another step in Grindr’s mission to bridge the gap between dating and wellness. A year from now, I may not be referring to Grindr as a dating app at all, but as something much more meaningful: a hub for wellness and connection.