- Are new year’s resolutions a waste of time? - 31 December, 2015
- The Shallow Reason Why I Watch Strictly Come Dancing - 8 November, 2013
- Segregation Never, Integration Now - 12 October, 2013
Say what? So said someone to me when I explained that Grindr, or some of the people on it, have more to offer than a quick fumble. I probably would have questioned that statement myself a while ago, but my opinion has changed. That is because I met my partner on Grindr. Not a sex partner, but the man who has become my long term boyfriend.
I originally installed Grindr on my phone because one of my mates kept talking about it and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I quickly fell into the trap of using it to get some booty calls. Whilst that was nice for a time, I found myself feeling empty and wanting more. It transpired that I was growing up and deciding that it might be a good idea to find a nice gentleman and settle down.
I did meet someone and spent a wonderful couple of months with them until it all went Pete Tong and he defecated on my floor in a moment of genuine craziness. Don’t ask. So back to Grindr I went, feeling that perhaps I wasn’t the settling down type after yet another failed short term romance. I met up with a couple of guys. It was nice. I felt good for all of half an hour, before the feelings of emptiness began to return. Something was missing from my life, but that something was about to make an appearance.
One day I received a message from someone. There was something a bit different about the approach of this person. I felt he was genuine and wasn’t just after my body. It’s interesting how you can get a good or bad vibe from someone who you haven’t actually had physical contact or conversation with. After chatting to this man for a while we arranged to meet up. Alas it turned into a bit of a booty call, but again it was different. From the first time we met there was something about him that I was drawn to. It transpired that he felt there was something different about me too. So we met again. And again. And again after that. We kept on meeting up until eventually we were in a relationship and declaring love for each other.
Nobody has been more surprised about this turn of events than me. I thought people went on Grindr to get a shag and that nobody on there would really contemplate a relationship with another user. It happened though and it’s become something wonderful. I won’t go too mushy on you, but I love him and it’s a proper grown up relationship.
I’m still on Grindr as I like to keep updated on what is happening in the gay world, what people are up to, etc. It helps with the work that I do and also comes in handy when I need to write about something for fabulous online fag rags like Vada. As so much cheating on partners happens on Grindr I am often propositioned, but all advances are politely declined as my profile does state that I’m in a committed relationship.
Grindr is good on one hand and awful on the other. People knock it and I do understand why. But without Grindr I wouldn’t be with my partner. I wouldn’t have found the thing I had spent so long wishing I had. So thank the (gay) Lord for Grindr.
