Dallas Bragg connects exclusionary language on queer hookup apps like Grindr to crystal meth use among gay men. He argues that constant rejection and judgment push people toward drugs as a coping mechanism, and calls for compassion over gatekeeping as a way to address the epidemic.
No fats, no femmes, no blacks, no crackheads. You see this shit every day on Grindr and Sniffies, on every app we use to reach each other. And then we wonder why so many of our brothers are turning to crystal just to feel like they belong somewhere. When your own community tells you that you're too fat, that you're too feminine, that you're too old, you're too dark, you're too damaged to deserve love or even basic human decency, where else are you supposed to go? At least when you're high, none of that matters, right? At least in the crystal scene, people want you, even if it's only because they have drugs in system. You won't have to scroll far to see how we're tearing each other apart. Profile after profile broadcasting exactly who isn't worthy of attention, affection, or respect. A few conversations on these apps will show you exactly why crystal meth has become an epidemic in our community. We've created a culture where it's easier to get high and numb the pain than to face the constant rejection and judgment from people who are supposed to be our family. We've made it so that guys feel more comfortable showing up to a party high than they do showing up to a coffee date sober. When does it end? When do we stop destroying ourselves from the inside out? Here's a thought: maybe start with how you show up on the apps. Maybe consider that the guy you're dismissing as not your type is someone's son, someone's friend, someone who's been traumatized, someone who's already fighting battles you know nothing about. You can be part of the problem, or you can be part of the solution, but you can't be both.
