We love our community and shining a light on organisations and people who have helped build and support it! Today we are highlighting Gaydar, a trailblazing gay dating site that has been
putting men in touch with each other whilst at the same time supporting the entire LGBTQ+ community.
In the spotlight, we have Gareth Johnson who is Gaydar’s director of marketing and communications. We wanted to find out a bit more about Gareth and his work at Gaydar so we put some questions to him.
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Esmale: Google tells us that Gaydar was founded in 1999 after someone complained to the creators that he was too busy to look for a new boyfriend, is that correct?
Gareth: Absolutely. It’s kind of hard to imagine but before the internet, gay men often relied on classified ads in magazines to try and connect with each other. The early days of Gaydar took that concept and used the technology to speed things up. It really was a game-changer.
Esmale: Gaydar was one of the very first online gay dating services. Can you tell us a bit about the difference between Gaydar now and then?
Gareth: Some things haven’t changed at all. You still create a profile, look at the profiles of other guys, send some DMs, exchange photos, and try and make a connection. We’re also still run by queer men for queer men. Everyone at Gaydar is absolutely part of the LGBTQ community and passionate about making the world a better place for queer people. The major difference that we’ve seen over the years is the emergence of the smart-phone and location-based technology. That unlocked a new level of functionality and an immediacy in the way that we could find guys who were close by and looking for some action.
Esmale: There seem to be so many dating sites these days. What do you think is the reason that Gaydar is still going so strong?
Gareth: There is a lot of competition but what’s really clear is that online dating and hook-up apps are serving a very real need – men need a way to connect with other men and location-based services are the most efficient way to do that. The longevity of Gaydar is in part down to our relentless focus on that – we’re here to provide a platform that enables men to have sex with other men.
Esmale: What are the main challenges you face working for Gaydar?
Gareth: The speed of change and technological development can be a bit overwhelming, but that’s a challenge that all e-commerce businesses face.
What does concern us is the growing trend of adult content and adult services being perceived negatively. For example, it’s difficult for us to
share content on social media – we’re seen as too sexual. Payment providers and banks often won’t support businesses that provide adult services. Platforms such as Google won’t accept our advertising,
because it’s about gay dating. That’s frustrating from a business perspective but what does that say about the society that we’re creating? When did sex become a bad thing? When did sex become
taboo? Sex is a fundamental human need that should be celebrated, not seen as something shameful that can’t be talked about.
Esmale: What can we expect from Gaydar in the next decade?
Gareth: On one hand, we’re really busy. We’ve got lots of upgrades underway across all elements of the Gaydar platform – we’ve got to keep pace with new developments and we’ve got to ensure that Gaydar is not only functional but also exceeding the expectations of the men who rely on us to help them connect with other guys. On the other hand, you won’t really see any fundamental changes. We are an online dating and hook-up site that helps men come together. At the end of the day, that’s what we’re all about.
Now that we have had a snoop around all things Gaydar it is time to meet the man behind much of the Gaydar content.
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Esmale: how long have you been part of Gaydar and what is it like working for one of the biggest brands in gay dating?
Gareth: Gaydar was the first online dating site that I ever signed up for, so it’s a bit surreal to now be part of the team helping to keep it all running. I’ve been working for Gaydar for five years now. There’s been some changes behind the scenes and I’m really excited to help rebuild such an iconic gay brand.
Esmale: can you tell us about your day, what does a standard day at Gaydar HQ look like for you?
Gareth: Most days are filled with researching and writing articles about sex and relationships, recording and editing podcast interviews, and communicating with Gaydar users around the world. It’s pretty gay –
which I love. To be able to spend my days going deep in the world of gay sex is an absolute dream.
Esmale: As a part of a platform within the LGBTQ+ community, what do you feel are the biggest challenges the community has now?
Gareth: As always, it’s the most vulnerable members of our community that face the biggest challenges. We need to support and protect trans men and women – anyone who doesn’t see the parallels with how gay men used to be vilified needs to read a book. We also need to be really conscious of how socio-economic issues shape our experience. To quote Malcolm X: “If you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”
Here are a few quick-fire questions just to get a bit more of an idea
of who you are, on the surface at least.
- Who is your celebrity crush? Manu Rios.
- Favourite type of holiday? Lying on a beach, naked.
- Cats or Dogs? Dogs.
- Who or what inspires you the most? James Baldwin. He wrote
books, he travelled, he was politically active, he had lots of sex. - What is your favourite quote? “Time moves slowly for those who
wait…” - What would you say to your 16-year-old self? Take naked photos
and share them with the world – you will never look better than this. - Best concert you have ever been to? I saw Kylie Minogue perform
at Sydney Mardi Gras. The peak faggotry of that moment is hard to
beat. - Pub, club or staying in? A day-party where I can drink, dance, and
be home in bed at a reasonable hour is my ideal scenario.
Thank you for your time and for letting us have a peek into Gaydar and
yourself.
To see what Gaydar has to offer or to find yourselves a man, download
the app or go to gaydar.net
If you know someone within our community that should be in the
spotlight, please let us know. You can email us at info@esmale.com.
With love,
Team esmale.com
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