Grinding Their Gears? Effects of 'Grindr Tourism' in Tel Aviv on LGBT+ Spatial Practices

• In Event: EXTENDED SESSION: Reception of LGBTQ Representations, Social Media Use, Sexual Health

Abstract

As an app for gay and bisexual men to interact, Grindr has become a fixture in the landscape of what is often uncritically and broadly called “the gay community.” However, narratives about a singular community used by the gay tourism industry undermine nuances of the boundaries, roles, and prejudices that exist within LGBT+ spaces. This study examines how Grindr reconfigures and shapes spatial practices within tourist-local interactions in Tel Aviv, Israel. A qualitative, mixed-methods approach was used that incorporates semi-structured interviews and audio diaries reflecting on daily Grindr use among tourists and locals. Grindr provides an alternative geography in that it facilitates the habitation of local spaces and interaction with the people who make them within the tourist experience, generating spatial layers that shape daily life in novel ways.

Author

• Rachel A Katz, University of Manchester, U.K.