US Government: Gay App Grindr is a National Security Risk

The intrusiveness of social media platforms allowed Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election and in the process mined all kinds of personal information about unwitting Americans.  Now, the gay chat/dating app Grindr is in the spotlight as concerns grow over the purchase of the app by a Chinese company and possible access to account holder information by the Chinese government.  A piece in Metro Weekly picks up on a story in Reuters that indicates the US government views the gay chat/dating app Grindr as a national security risk seemingly because of its use by so many members of the U.S. military and intelligence personnel.  Yes, here in Hampton Roads, there are LOTS of service members on Grindr.  Apparently the same holds true for intelligence personnel, all of whom can be geographically located with precision via Grindr.  Similarly, all of the personal information can be accessed.  Here are article highlights:

Gay dating app Grindr is to be sold by its Chinese owners because of a potential threat to national security.

That’s the news from Reuters, which reports that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has told Beijing Kunlun Tech Co Ltd that its ownership of the app is a national security risk.

[S]peculation is rife about why Grindr is considered a security risk, though both Reuters and Engadget have speculated that the presence of U.S. military and intelligence personnel on the app could be to blame.That’s in part because the U.S. government is becoming increasingly interested in how app developers handle their users’ personal information, particularly private or sensitive data — such as the location of U.S. troops or an intelligence official using the app.

Misuse of data is a particularly sore spot for Grindr, which has been hit with a number of unflattering headlines over the past year, including the revelation that the app was sharing users’ HIV status with other companies.

Grindr, which is currently celebrating its tenth anniversary, admitted to sharing users’ HIV status with two outside companies for testing purposes, as well as the “last tested date” for those who are HIV-negative or on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

[T]he data being shared was so detailed — including users’ GPS data, phone ID, and email — that it could be used to identify specific users and their HIV status.

Another insight into Grindr’s data security policies came early last year when a D.C.-based developer created a website that allowed users to see who had previously blocked them on the app — information that is normally inaccessible.

The website, C*ckBlocked, tapped into Grindr’s own APIs to display the data after developer Trever Faden discovered that Grindr stored the list of who a user had both blocked and been blocked by in the app’s code.

Faden also revealed that he could use Grindr’s data to generate a map showing the breakdown of individual profiles by neighborhood, including information such as age, sexual position preference, and general location of users in that area.

With regards Grindr’s sale, Reuters reports that the app will be put up for auction, after Kunlun’s original plans to float Grindr for an initial public offering (IPO) were abandoned. Kunlun assumed control of Grindr in 2016, buying total control of the app in 2018.

Be it Facebook, Twitter, or now Grindr, apparently we have no secrets from those who want to spy on us.

Hypocrisy on Parade: Craigslist M4M Ads Surge During CPAC

UPDATED: Apparently the Human Rights Campaign ran this ad on Grindr in the Washington, DC, area during the CPAC convention:

As noted earlier, the hypocrisy of these "conservatives" and evangelical Christians is breathtaking.

There's been lots of media coverage of the Conservative Political Action Conference ("CPAC") this past week where alt-right types, Christofascist extremists, and lots of closeted gays gathered in Washington, DC, to push their extremist agenda and prostitute themselves to Trump's new neo-fascist regime.  Except you didn't see or hear anything about the closeted gays unless you were to check out the Craigslist ads for male on male sex.  On those pages one found one of the hallmarks of Republican and conservative gatherings: lots of closeted men out of town and on the make for a taste of forbidden fruit.  (Something similar happens at every GOP convention.  On a somewhat related note, here in Hampton each year when Hampton University hosts a gathering of conservative and supposedly non-alcohol drinking pastors, the nearby liquor stores sell out).  Queerty checked out the Craigslist ads and offers a sampling of the hypocrisy of the Bible thumpers at CPAC.  Here are excerpts:

Milo may have had his invitation rescinded, but let’s not fool ourselves thinking he was the only gay in the village.

The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Washington D.C.’s annual gathering of regressive thinkers from all walks of life, actually has a cruisey gay underbelly.

Last year we heard from some of these exotic birds when a journalist roamed the halls and arranged interviews via Grindr.

This year we have a few deeper glimpses into their mating rituals through Craigslist personals. Yep, those things are still around.

Here’s what’s going on around the convention that Mike Pence probably isn’t going to mention during his key note address:

“Any other CPAC guys here?” begins one innocent-sounding ad.

Then he gets to the meat of it:

“I’m looking for one or more guys who want to have some fun. Will be here til Sunday. Maybe we could meet at the reception tonight, or over a drink at the bar…or f*ck it, we could just go back to my room and dive right in. Got room to myself the rest of the week/end (girlfriend had to leave), so I’m ready to let a little loose.”

Charming, his girlfriend is one lucky lady.

Another ad from a man who signs off as just “Dad” is searching for different kind of Red State Special:

“If you are a real hot boy, who is clean and discreet and thinks straight, like I do and you have a certain ‘itch’ that need scratching, please contact this ‘DILF’, next door type who is a great lover and a really nice man and the possessor of just what you need!
You should do this. It will be good for you and make you a happier boy. HMU.”

Then there’s the guy looking for a “cornfed Republican,” and preferably someone like “those Romney boys.”

They’re all yours, we’ll pass.

And let’s not leave out the “CPAC Aryan mil jock ISO dom owner,” because he just sounds like a real catch.

Will these guys find what they’re looking for? Will Ben Carson fall asleep on stage? Will Ricky Perry answer one or more of these ads?

Story on Virginia Republican Caught on Grindr Goes Viral

The other day this blog noted a story at GayRVA about an anti-gay Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates who was caught using his Grindr account in Richmond to look for hookups while snowed in during the recent snow storm.   Since then, the story has gone viral and has been picked up by LGBT blogs around the country and has ignited yet another running debate of the propriety of "outing" closeted anti-gay politicians.  Some have criticized GayRVA for failing to reveal the identity of the legislator.  While I understand the concerns that lead to the decision to not reveal the individual's identity, I would likely have "outed" him after a little more investigation.  A piece in Metro Weekly looks at the debate and information that seemingly narrows down who this hypocrite is.  Here are highlights:

The Grindr-cruising lawmaker has voted:

• In favor of a “conscience clause” exemption allowing adoption agencies to discriminate against same-sex couples.
• In favor of allowing on-campus university clubs and groups to discriminate against LGBT individuals for the purposes of membership.
• Against an amendment that would have prohibited anti-LGBT discrimination in state employment.
• Against the nomination of Judge Tracy Thorne-Begland, Virginia’s first openly gay judge, to the Richmond General District Court.

[O]nline commenters have noted that the clues provided by Kutner essentially come close to revealing the lawmaker’s identity — for instance, while many Republicans voted against Thorne-Begland’s nomination for a judgeship when he was first nominated in 2012, only four currently-serving Republican lawmakers from Southwest Virginia were in the legislature and voted against Thorne-Begland’s subsequently successful nomination in 2013.

In an interview with Metro Weekly, Kutner said he’s received several requests from readers interested in learning the man’s identity.

“A Grindr conversation alone is debatable evidence,” Kutner says. “That certainly played a role into whether or not I wanted to out somebody, without really confirming things.

Kutner hopes the lawmaker will use this incident to think carefully the next time he’s faced with an LGBT-related piece of legislation, such as restricting the bathroom use of transgender students in school or granting county court clerks an exemption to refuse to issue marriage licenses.

But for those who insist that Kutner has a duty to “out” the closeted gay lawmaker, he says they’re missing the larger point: that the atmosphere in Virginia is so toxic that a person in a position of power feels the need to stay in the closet. 

“I’m not surprised to see people go on this witch-hunt, but outing this person is not going to make it illegal to fire gay people, it’s not going to remove the anti-gay animus. Honestly, it’s only going to make things more combative. . . . . we are flipping out to find out who’s gay — which is the same thing they’re doing,” he says. “Can you imagine Victoria Cobb right now, figuring out who she can out and try and ruin? It’s scary and weird. I’m not surprised by the reaction, but I would definitely like to see this energy shifted to a bit more of a positive place.”

Again, I understand the reasoning, but I would not have been so kind to this scum bag.   Dan Savage and I are on the same page in terms of the appropriateness of outing such politicians.  Here are excerpts from The Stranger:

I disagree: this legislator's votes against workplace protections for LGBT people, adoption rights for same-sex couples, and the judicial appointment of a qualified out gay man speak loudly of his hypocrisy and the the particular kind of damage done when closeted conservatives abuse their political power to protect their closets. We've heard this song about a thousand times before...

Just another closeted conservative asshole throwing other LGBT people under the bus—attacking other LGBT people with his votes—to deflect attention away from his own sexuality. He figures that no one will suspect him of being gay so long as he maintains a perfect anti-gay voting record—that more than qualifies this asshole for an outing. Here's hoping Internet sleuths are already on the case; there's more than enough detail in Kutner's open letter (and those Grindr pics) to identify this guy, if only through process of elimination. Get on it, Internet.

But, hey, even if the Internet sleuths fail us... this guy may wind up outing himself in the end. "[We’re] choosing to leave [him] anonymous," the say the editors at GAYRVA, "however we hope this message reaches [his] desk and [he'll] consider the words below if and when [he] have a chance to vote on LGBTQ related bills in the future."

If he casts another anti-LGBT vote, GAYRVA will out him. But if he pulls a 180 and suddenly starts casting pro-LGBT votes, he'll be outing himself. Checkmate either way.

And yes, I WILL be working to confirm the individual's identity. 

Republican House of Delegates Member Caught on Grindr

Apparently, at least one Republican members of the Virginia House of Delegates have forgotten about what happened to former Virginia 2nd District Congressman Ed Schrock who chose to end his re-election campaign after being caught using a gay hookup site back in 2003.   It seems that a Southwestern Virginia GOP lawmaker was cruising on Grindr this past weekend in Richmond.  For those unfamiliar with Grindr, it is a gay dating and hookup app that one uses via their smart phone to connect with other gay men.  The hypocrisy of someone in the Virginia GOP which is vitriolically anti-gay - Senator Carrico (R-40) recently compared being gay to a form of cancer - using Grindr for gay sex hook ups is off the charts.  Fortunately, since this particular member of the House of Delegates has not been stridently anti-gay in his voting record (at least in relative terms), the folks at GayRVA chose not to "out" him and reveal his identity - at least for now.  Instead, an open letter was published addressed to this legislator.  Here are excerpts from that letter:

 First- welcome to RVA – I’ve visited your part of the state before and imagine the number of available dudes here in the Richmond area v. the part of Virginia where you call home is exciting! As a gay man, I’d never shame someone for wanting to explore their sexuality as long as it is done in a safe and healthy way, so I hope you’re getting the chance to enjoy it!

[L]ets also talk about your role as a legislator and how it impacts and affects LGBTQ people in the rest of the Commonwealth. I’ve looked up your voting record and there’s a number of things you voted against which makes me wonder;

Do you ever want to have kids? You voted to make it harder for same-sex couples to adopt by allowing state funded adoption agencies to deny adoptions to people that violate their moral “conscience.”

What college did you go to? (I actually know, I googled you!) Well, other folks still in college, like the young man you hit up on Grindr who alerted me, are now living in a state university & college system which allows select official school clubs to discriminate pretty much at will. Those clubs can also gather to rally around causes which could harm LGBTQ folks.

Speaking of age, you totally lied on your profile – also tacky! (Google is an editor’s best friend.)
I know you’re obviously not out at work here at the General Assembly, but I have to ask why you would vote against a law which would have protected LGBTQ Virginian’s for being fired for who they love.

[Y]ou managed to take the opportunity to put your own people down.

Speaking of self loathing behaviors, why did you vote against the appointment of an openly gay Judge? That vote was less-than-subtle on why and how it was targeted – with several conservative Senate members walking out rather than voting him in – but again, you sat there quietly and let the broader anti-gay sentiment at the GA take the driver’s seat.  Thankfully the honorable Judge Thorn-Begland was appointed, but no thanks to you.

I’m sure the personal crisis you go through every time you cruise has got to be pretty intense. I came out at 15, it wasn’t stellar, but I survived. Now you, much older then that, will have to someday deal with these feelings and you can be the man you are right now or you can take the opportunity so few of us have and stand up for what is right.

I hope you make the right choice… and if you decide otherwise, stay off of Grindr cause we’ll be watching.

Personally, I would have "outed"  this delegate (which is probably why the editor of GayRVA did not give me his name when we spoke today).  This delegate posted a face photo - which GayRVA obscured - and his identity was confirmed.  In my view, one's right to personal privacy ends when you use your elected position to vote for anti-gay legislation or take anti-gay actions.  When I learned about Ed Schrock's hypocrisy, I worked with blogger Mike Rogers to get the truth out despite threats from Schrock's chief of staff.  This member of the House of Delegates is keeping alive a toxic atmosphere where gay youth continue to take their own lives because of the bullying and discrimination they experience.  This delegate deserves to be exposed and experience the toxicity that he is working to maintain.  In all my years as a GOP activist, I never, ever supported anti-gay bigotry.  This delegate could have abstained from votes if he was too much of a coward to do the right thing.

Did Catholic Bishop Know Pedophile Priest Was Meeting Teens On Grindr?

As the Roman Catholic Church continues its anti-gay jihad - the latest example being the Church role in defeating same sex marriage in Austria and Slovenia - examples of the duplicity and hypocrisy of the Church hierarchy continue to explode, evidencing again an attitude that covering up sex abuse by priests is more important than protecting children and youth.  The latest example of this comes from Italy whereFrancesco Milito, the bishop of the Oppido-Palmi diocese, allegedly knew that Fr. Antonello Tropea, 44, was using the gay dating app Grindr to solicit teenage boys but took no action to stop it.  Repeatedly, we have seen the mindset of a Church hierarchy where molesting children and youths is some sort of priestly right - at least until the media gets wind of the sordid details.  Then the denials begin.  The International Business Times has details on this latest expose of the Church's disingenuousness and hypocrisy.  Here are details:

Italian police have arrested an alleged paedophile priest amid media accusation he was protected by the local bishop. Detectives allege father Antonello Tropea, 44, used gay dating app Grindr to groom teenage boys who he then paid for clandestine encounters in the southern Calabria region.

Tropea was held on 18 December at the end of a lengthy investigation that was launched after he was surprised by police while in the company of a minor inside a car parked in a secluded area near the deprived port city of Gioia Tauro. The boy later told investigators the priest had paid him €20 (£15, $21) for an oral sex act, a fee they had agreed on WhatsApp after having first met on Grindr.

Tropea allegedly posed as a scientific researcher in his thirties named Nicola, an alias he apparently drew from the patron saint of his own parish, the San Nicola di Mira church in the rural town of Messignadi. A police search of the clergy house reportedly revealed a trove of evidence, including child porn images and message exchanges with other teenagers. Investigators are also said to have also found 16g of marijuana, sex toys and a penis enlargement tool.

Tropea's boss, bishop of the Oppido-Palmi diocese Francesco Milito, had allegedly been aware of accusations against the priest for some time but did not take any action. According to court papers seen by local media confirming the arrest, two parishioners had warned the bishop of his subordinate's deviant tendencies as early as this summer.

But Milito dismissed the accusations as "nuns' chatter" in a phone conversation with Tropea that was taped by police, Il Fatto Quotidiano newspaper reported. Moreover, as the clergyman was placed under investigation, the bishop was alleged to have openly advised him "not to talk with Carabinieri police" on the issue.

Anti-Gay Missouri Synod Pastor Who Condemned Gays Outed by Grindr Screenshots

There are two main branches of the Lutheran Church - the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America which is gay accepting (I am a member) and the reactionary, ignorance embracing Missouri Synod Lutheran Church that is virulently anti-gay.   As seems to be always the case, it turns out that it is the vociferous anti-gay folks who are self-loathing closet cases and/or psychologically disturbed and obsessed with all things sexually.  A case in point: now former associate pastor Matthew Makela of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Midland, Michigan (pictured above).  As Queerty is reporting, Makela nearly drove one gay teen to suicide through his condemnation of homosexuality and attacks on the teen via social media.  Meanwhile, the hypocritical bastard was on Grindr seeking hook ups and describing himself as "a top who likes to cuddle."  Thankfully, Makela's career as a pastor is over and his foul, cowardly church been driven to apparently take down its website and post a mealy mouthed message to its parishioners.   Here is a portion of Queerty's story that blew the lid off of Makela's hypocrisy:

Until 2 p.m. on Monday, the ‘Our Church Staff’ section of St. John’s Lutheran Church and School’s website described Reverend Matthew Makela as an associate pastor who enjoys, “family, music, home improvement, gardening and landscaping, and sports.”

Screenshots obtained by Queerty from a source who asked that his name be withheld shed light on some of the Reverend’s other favorite past times — namely nude make out sessions and sex with other men.

Of course, how someone behaves between the sheets is really nobody’s business but his own, except when he’s actively doing damage to others. We’ve seen it time and time again. The lawmaker who spends his days fighting against gay rights and his nights cruising for bottoms, or the ex-gay activist who isn’t quite as ex-gay as he’d like everyone to believe.

Which brings us back to Makela. The married father of five from Midland, Michigan doesn’t just preach Jesus’ love and help with bake sales. He also uses his position of authority and respect in his community to broadcast his self-loathing view on same-sex attraction.

If Makela made even one LGBT kid at St. John’s “Christ-based” elementary school, their parents, friends, family or anyone who ever stepped foot in the church feel like being true to yourself is shameful (and it seems all too likely that he did), then we’re glad to share his hypocrisy with the world.

Thankfully, the story has gone viral and Makela is getting his just deserved.  Yes, I feel sorry for his family, but it is precisely because of the "teachings" of denominations like the Lutheran Missouri Synod that gays too often feel compelled to marry women and live false lives.  Here is how the main stream press is reporting on Makela's outing:

Officials at St. John's, 505 E. Carpenter in Midland, could not be immediately reached for comment. A phone number listed for Makela has been disconnected.

Makela was the subject of a story on the gay news website Queerty that showed screenshots of messages Makela posted to the mobile app Grindr — a male location-based social network. Grindr uses a mobile device's location-based services to show other posters closest to the user, according to its website.

Queerty reported that Makela confirmed the authenticity of the screenshots and declined comment.

Sadly, there are lots and lots of individuals like Makela on church staffs and within the Republican Party.  Each and every one of them needs to be outed and their hypocrisy put on open display.  

"Ex-Gay" Blogger, Sells Computer, Locks Phone To "Prevent Giving Into Temptation"

'Ex-gay' Matt Moore is taking extra steps to 'prevent giving into temptation' again. (Zinnia Jones/Freethoughtblog)

One of the biggest farces and lies perpetuated by the Christofascists and the professional Christian set is the utterly discredited myth that gays can "change" and become heterosexual.  It always seems that the only "ex-gays" to be found are those making a buck pretending to have "found Jesus and walked away from homosexuality."  Of course, in reality, they are still gay as a goose and history is replete with those who fall off the wagon if you will and just can't stop their yearning for same sex intimacy.  The latest "ex-gay" to be caught living a double life is Matt Moore, a purported "ex-gay" who all too typically makes a living pretending to be "changed" who was caught using Grindr seeking hook ups to do the nasty with other males.   Now, it turns out that Moore claims to have sold his computer and locked his cell phone in order to prevent himself from "giving into temptation" all of which underscores the "ex-gay" lie since, obviously, if Jesus has miraculously changed one, temptation should no longer be happening in the first place.  Clearly, if Moore wasn't a liar and if he had any self-respect, he'd cease the batshitery.  Here are excepts from Huffington Post on Moore's ridiculous lies:

The "ex-gay" Christian blogger and religious advocate revealed to be leading a double life on Grindr is taking some further measures to "prevent giving into temptation" again. 

Christian Post blogger Matt Moore was first exposed by blogger Zinnia Jones on Monday after a reader alerted her to Moore's picture on the gay-dating app Grindr. Moore's activities might not be anyone's business, except he publicly touts that homosexuality is a sin and an abomination to God. He even directs his anti-gay message at children. 

After the exposé, Moore repented, and now he is going to extra lengths to "prevent giving into temptation" once more.  "I have sold my computer and have had someone put a lock on my phone where I cannot download apps or access the Internet through a non-filtered browser," Moore told the Christian Post in a recent interview. "Ultimately, this isn't the solution. My heart being captured by the grace of God and brought into humble obedience is the solution. But not taking precautions is dumb, so these are the precautions I have taken." 

On Wednesday, Moore wrote a blog post about his Grindr activities and the reversion back to his "old lifestyle." He said he has been depressed and that he purposefully sinned against God. He insists that he does not believe he is a heterosexual or "cured" but that he is committed to "asking [God] to change my heart — so that whatever my desires may be, I choose Him over them."

Jones, who first "outed" Moore, also responded to her actions in a blog post on Wednesday. She explained that she decided to expose Moore because his "ex-gay" theories can harm others.

The lies and hypocrisy of frauds like Moore and other "ex-gays" for pay is shocking.  What's also shocking is the number of apparent simpletons who fall for this bullshit and throw away thousands of dollars by enrolling in "ex-gay" ministries that make voodoo look like legitimate medical practice in comparison.  While I admittedly deceived myself for 37 years trying to be straight, at least I did throw away money to snake oil merchants. Plus, I was a twenty something back in the days before modern knowledge on sexual orientation.  Moore doesn't have that excuse.