"That's Straight Up Rape Culture": Examining Sexual Violence and Consent Among LGBTQ+ Dating App Users

• In Event: 77.032 - Rape Culture in Public Education and Online: Exploring Current Realities and Solutions

Abstract

Sexual health education programs provided in schools tend to be heteronormative and limited in scope, prompting students to seek information about sexuality and sexual health elsewhere, such as YouTube and pornographic websites (Bowerman, 2017). Additionally, the increasing popularity of dating applications like Tinder and Grindr has encouraged sexual exploration online; apps like these provide the space and the opportunity for young people to seek out, develop, and maintain intimate relationships. Specifically for people in LGBTQ+ communities, dating apps offer a comfortable way to explore their identity, to experiment with sex and sexuality, and to search for answers about sexual health. A lack of supportive and informative sexual health education leaves students, especially these vulnerable populations, exposed to rape culture online. In particular, research has shown that homosexual users of dating apps worry about non-consensual sexual interactions (Albury & Byron, 2016), demonstrating that LGBTQ+ populations are concerned about their physical safety and sexual violence. Even with social media literacies, many young people still lack the skills and knowledge to understand the interconnected relationships between sexuality and social media.

Current literature on dating apps designed for men who have sex with men (MSM) has largely emphasized HIV/AIDS and sexual health, rather than consensual relationships and sexual violence. My paper addresses this gap by examining MSM’s conceptions of consent and rape culture. Drawing from a thematic analysis of interviews with 25 dating app users, I found diverse understandings of consent, such as consent being a uniquely offline practice, consent continuing across online and offline spaces, and consent being expressed online through ongoing engagement and interaction. I also identify the two overarching definitions of rape culture expressed by these MSM dating app users: (i) rape culture as a “culture of rape”, where the act of rape has been normalized, and (ii) rape culture as an umbrella term that refers to the range of non-consensual sexual interactions and sexual violence condoned by society. Moreover, I present examples of rape culture dating app users encounter online as well as the perceived responsibilities dating app users have of universities, app developers, and other users. I apply a critical intersectional lens (Crenshaw, 1991) and draw on queer theory to challenge the norms of traditional sexual health education programs and to explore the range of experiences among diverse LGBTQ+ individuals. I argue that sexual health programs should include information about social media and communication technologies so young people may gain knowledge of how to manage their sexual health and explore their sexuality online. Further, educational efforts should further realistic approaches dating app users can employ to create safe, respectful, and consensual relationships. My study offers unique insight into notions of consent and sexual violence associated with online dating, suggesting that comprehensive curricula should account for the realities of dating apps and the needs of LGBTQ+ students so individuals have the information they need to foster safe and healthy sexual interactions across online and offline spaces.

Author

• Christopher Dietzel, McGill University