Are All Apps Created Equal? Examining Cross-Venue Differences in Racialized Sexual Discrimination (RSD)

Background: Young Black gay/bisexual men (YBGBM) report widespread instances of sexualized discriminatory treatment in online sexual networking venues (e.g. dating apps and websites), a phenomenon known as Racialized Discrimination (RSD). RSD is an under-examined phenomenon, but recent research has provided evidence that RSD may negatively impact the psychological health of YBGBM. Within the context of RSD, there has been ongoing discourse within the LGBT community about how certain apps (e.g., Jack’d) may be more inclusive for YBGBM than other popular apps (e.g., Grindr). However, as an emerging area of empirical study, little is known about the differences between virtual venues, and whether or not users are exposed to differential levels of RSD depending on which app/website they use.

Methods: Using data from a cross-sectional web-survey of YBGBM (N=552), a one-way multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) was estimated comparing two groups: (1) those who primarily used Jack’d to meet partners and (2) those who primarily used Grindr to meet partners, and examined the frequency with which these two groups encountered six different RSD-related domains.

Results: A statistically significant MANOVA effect was observed, F_{(6, 545)} = 19.69, p <.001; Wilk’s Λ = .822, partial η2 = .18. Analyses revealed that men who primarily used Grindr (M = 1.81; SD = .76) reported more frequent instances of white superiority (F_{(1, 550)} = 12.01, p = .001; partial η2 = .02) compared with men who primarily used Jack’d (M = 1.56; SD = .77). Men who primarily used Grindr (M = 3.16; SD = 1.03) also reported more frequent instances of rejection from White men (F_{(1, 550)} = 71.12, p < .001; partial η2 = .11) compared with men who primarily used Jack’d (M = 2.23; SD = 1.50). Men who primarily used Jack’d (M = 2.51; SD = 1.11) reported more frequent instances of physical objectification from Black men (F_{(1, 550)} = 46.38, p <.001; partial η2 = .08) compared with men who primarily used Grindr (M = 1.88; SD = .96).

Conclusions and Implications: This study provides preliminary evidence that RSD may manifest differentially based on the specific online venue that YBGBM are using to meet partners. Among the study sample, men who primarily used Grindr reported more RSD-related experiences oriented around White men, whereas men who primarily used Jack’d reported more frequent objectification (on the basis of race-specific physical traits) from other Black men. Such differences may reflect both the sociodemographic makeup of these spaces, as well as differences in social dynamics and acceptability/normalization of different forms of RSD. These findings may have implications for the development of tailored anti-RSD initiatives that target the specific sociocultural norms that are unique to different virtual venues.