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Founder of Shift, George Arison, has been named Grindr’s new Chief Executive Officer. (Getty)
Grindr’s newly appointed CEO has been being called out for publicly showing support for an anti-trans politician.
George Arison was announced as the dating app’s newest CEO in September 2022, with his role set to come into effect from 19 October.
But his arrival has now come under scrutiny on social media by the LGBTQ+ community after tweets resurfaced showing support for Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin, who ran in opposition to LGBTQ+ rights in his 2021 race.
In the tweet, dated 24 February, Arison said Youngkin “should totally run for President”.
Should totally run for President. https://t.co/l3Dl42zUos
— George Arison (@georgearison) February 24, 2022
Since Youngkin assumed office in January 2022 he has attempted to roll back protections for trans children by releasing model policies intended to defer almost all of trans students’ rights to their parents.
Youngkin has also said he’s against same-sex marriage. When asked if he supports marriage equality in an interview with Associated Press he responded “no”, but that it is “legally acceptable”.
One response to Arison’s comment reads: “This is messed up.
Another questions how a man who “openly supports homophobes for office and their homophobic policies” can become the CEO of a gay dating app.
How did a man like @georgearison, who openly supports homophobes for office and their homophobic policies, become CEO of a gay dating app? pic.twitter.com/kZufvKGlqv
— Sammy (@samita365) October 12, 2022
In 2020 new Grindr boss Arison also tweeted to say that he supports “some” of former President Donald Trump’s policies – but didn’t specify which.
It was in response to former New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, who’s previously been accused of homophobia on social media.
FYI I am a conservative & agree with some Trump policies. I think at least 10% of Republican voters and 1/3 of moderate independents are the same (like some Trump policies, can’t stand having him in office). So Dems need a nominee who can tap into this electoral spectrum.
— George Arison (@georgearison) February 28, 2020
He also wrote to say he views Trump as “everything our founders feared the most”.
Re: politics// I view Trump as everything our Founders feared the most – which was a demagogue focused solely on self-advancement and self-interest. For that reason, ensuring that he is not re-elected is critical to our future. #FridayThoughts
— George Arison (@georgearison) February 28, 2020
Activist Diana Adams urged Grindr users to delete the app, asking if users “feel safe sharing personal data on that app with someone who clearly doesn’t care much about LGBTQ rights/sexual freedom?”
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
Press secretary of NARAL Pro-Choice America, Riley Lopez, responded: “Could it finally be time for queer people to reject the toxic and exploitative Grindr, now that the company’s incoming CEO is a pro-Trump conservative?”
Could it finally be time for queer people to reject the toxic and exploitative @Grindr, now that the company’s incoming CEO is a pro-Trump conservative? https://t.co/WsrIPKfX6J
— Riley Lopez (@rileymlopez) October 12, 2022
Concern over Arison’s support for Bloomberg follows the former New York mayor being slammed for “homophobic” tweets stating Bernie Sanders has the hots for Vladimir Putin.
At a business conference in Manhattan in 2019, Bloomberg described trans people as “he, she, or it” and said “some guy in a dress” who enters girls locker rooms as he argued that trans rights were “not a winning formula” for Democrats.
According to Grindr, Arison is one of the “few openly gay public company CEOs in the United States”.
“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,” a Grindr spokesperson told PinkNews.
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