Looking for: An app with better management.
As previously reported, Grindr is moving forward with plans to take the company public to the tune of a $2.1 billion valuation range, and has tapped George Arison as its new CEO to oversee the process.
Arison, 44, is the co-founder and former CEO of e-commerce marketplace Shift Technologies, Inc., and will start at Grindr on October 19 as one of the “few openly gay men leading a public company,” per Bloomberg.
Related: Would life be better if Grindr didn’t allow you to take screenshots?
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But after old tweets written by Arison have begun resurfacing, a PR storm appears to be brewing for the popular dating app.
A month after Grindr announced Arison as CEO, Twitter users are resharing a number of conservative-leaning political tweets from the executive, which include praise for former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and Senator Mitch McConnell.
In February 2020, Arison responded to a since-deleted tweet from then-presidential hopeful Michael Bloomberg, stating that he is a conservative who agrees with “some Trump policies” (though he doesn’t specify which).
https://twitter.com/georgearison/status/1233469085725396993
In addition to that, author Aaron Lecklider has dug up a number of Arison’s troubling tweets, and put them in one handy thread, repeatedly stating, “Your new Grindr CEO, folks.”
Your new Grindr CEO, folks. https://t.co/Fk5a0nxdKH
— Aaron Lecklider (@AaronLecklider) October 11, 2022
Your new Grindr CEO, folks. https://t.co/31u4ca3DDR
— Aaron Lecklider (@AaronLecklider) October 11, 2022
Your new Grindr CEO folks.
Romney was my governor and was at the forefront of efforts to amend the MA state constitution to define marriage as one man and one woman. https://t.co/OEEm0ZcvhG
— Aaron Lecklider (@AaronLecklider) October 11, 2022
In another tweet from February of this year, Arison said that Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin should run for president. As a refresher, Youngkin ran a gubernatorial campaign last year that was in opposition of LGBTQ rights, and has previously stated that he opposes marriage equality, has rolled back protections for transgender youth, and even once publicly doxxed a teenager. No thank you.
https://twitter.com/schxleo/status/1580225402865299456
When Queerty reached out to for comment, a spokesperson for Grindr shared the following statement: “George is an out gay man, proudly married to his husband and the father of two children. George is passionate about fighting for the rights and freedoms of LGBTQ people around the world.”
Regardless, the unearthed tweets have brought new attention to the incoming CEO, with a number of users calling on their followers to delete the app.
If anybody is still using Grindr, this is the incoming new CEO.
Bye bye ! https://t.co/Ms1TbQaocw
— ? Hugo the pink cat ? (@HugoThatPinkCat) October 12, 2022
https://twitter.com/scm0623/status/1580290508395773953
New CEO of @grindr is a conservative tool who 'agrees with some Trump policies.' Do you feel safe sharing personal data on that app with someone who clearly doesn't care much about LGBTQ rights/sexual freedom? Have any doubt he wouldn't sell your data or out you?? #DeleteGrindr! https://t.co/407rH9DLxK
— Diana Adams (they/them) (@DianaAdamsEsq) October 12, 2022
Grindr, which was launched in 2009, was one of the first geosocial networking sites on the market, and has become one of the most popular dating apps for gay and bisexual men in the years since. As it prepares to go public, the outrage and the return of that #DeleteGrindr hashtag certainly isn’t what the app was hoping for.
Related: ‘Straight’ guy says he pretends to be gay on Grindr to find gym partners, but nobody’s buying it
WillParkinson
Ew. And a heaping helping of WTF.
MrMichaelJ
Thankfully I’ve only hooked up once off of it so…
bachy
Hmmm. If I were on Grindr, I’d be very curious to know what plans this character had with my personal info…
Shades of the Weimar Republic.
Yooper
The majority of Grindr users likely don’t care, my opinion, and as long as they are getting laid they won’t care.
scotty
never used it before and now i dont need to.
Prax07
If he’s anti trans that could be a good thing. Maybe he’ll finally kick all the T’s off and bring it back to the gay male app it started as.
CNY1983
GRINDR WHO???
RIGay
Well good! Grindr will be the new Truth Social! It’s already paid for! I can only imagine the messages;
“Bloated, angry, orange man seeks hot, young (white preferred) man for some one-on-thousand action to reclaim government. Tiki torch a plus.”
FreddieW
Oh, horrors! You mean all gay men aren’t liberals? What a shock!
jsmu
Sweetie pie. Try to keep up. We mean that most gay men are not stupid enough to vote for the Nazis who want to load us into the cattle cars. Reading comprehension is HARD, isn’t it, sugar?
CNY1983
Ok 3 gay men arent liberals and youre one of them. but imagine this – one day EVERYONE DELETES THEIR GRINDR and see how fast the toilet paper tongues come out.
GreekKeys
@jsmu Speaking of reading comprehension, sugar, I missed “the Nazis who want to load us into the cattle cars” quote in the article, sugar. Or anywhere, sugar. Reading comprehension is HARD, isn’t it, sugar?
Gay Thomas
Why do all these closet case, city park creepers, men’s airport bathroom foot-tappers hang out here on Queerty 24-7? Can’t find any decrepit dick to suck on Truth Social?
Jim
Ah the hypocrisy of the right.
More then willing to make money off the people and behavior they deride
Invader7
Thankfully I was never on that app… And never will be. Not desperate to get laid !!!
IanHunter
The only time to use it is when you travel, or to see if you ex is on there.
DBMC
There’s a long history of terrible people profiting off us.
mailliw110
How many of you Grindr members have responded to someone, only to be asked to “help with their college fund”? Or…how about those witty greetings of “hey”? Or….asked you questions that were clearly in your description? Or….finding out that when a person says they are versatile, they are really a weak bottom? Or…texting for an hour, just to be ghosted? Yeah, I may be venting, or giving advise. Take your pick.