UPDATE: Most gay apps are generally utilized by guys to do a bit more with their tongues than talk, but one company is trying to change that.
Distinc.tt is a new social app designed to tap into the “more tasteful” side of gay life, and its backers proudly tout the fact that it is “the only gay social app approved by the iTunes store for 12-year-olds and older.”
Twelve year olds? Sorry, Distinc.tt, but we don’t want to hang out with no kids. Yet the idea that a gay app could also be youth-friendly is innovative, and the 12+ iTunes approval definitely places it in a different league from its randier counterparts. But still–12-year-olds?
Of course, any gay app will always be compared to the queen of them all, so CEO Michael Belkin isn’t shying away from the Grindr comparisons, at least negative ones.
How about we take this to the next level?
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In an interview, he states that he launched Distinc.tt because he was “disgusted by the tasteless torsos and imagery on gay social sites and apps.”
Hmmm. We think of them more as tasty torsos, but whatever floats your boat. However, the reality is that it’s not easy to get anywhere near Grindr’s six million plus membership without a little skin. And that’s nothing to be ashamed of or disgusted by.
Instead, Distinc.tt is apparently focused on helping you find events and places where you’re likely to share something other than sex with the actual person attached to said torso. Like, perhaps, a bar filled with torsos?
Belkin claims Distinc.tt has “a proprietary algorithm that ranks places and events for hotness.” Whatever that means. Hot torsos?
Distinc.tt is available in the iTunes store now.
UPDATE Dec. 17: In response to questions about its “12+” iTunes approval, Distinc.tt emailed Queerty the following statement:
We at Distinc.tt were thrilled when Apple approved our app with a 12+ rating. This properly reflects our goal to provide clean, safe, fun, social content for the entire LGBT community. However, some have jumped on this announcement as an excuse to tie homosexuality to pedophilia.
We want to emphasize that on Distinc.tt, members can discover events, places, and people based on shared interests, in a PG sense. Although we didn’t set out to make an LGBT app for 12 year olds, we do think it’s very important that younger gay people have a safe place they can come to for community and support. In the future with some tweaking to our current feature set, we could be that place. Meanwhile, because our app is straight friendly, all audiences who use social media can feel comfortable using Distinc.tt, an app where the LGBT community’s tastes are reflected.
There you have it. Distinc.tt, the app making the gay world “clean” and “safe” for 12-year-olds and straight people.
KittyLitter
12 years+? Weirdos. Bet most of them will be cops.
This one is screaming for parental locks.
boring
“Find people nearby who share your interests?”
So Prog Metal, the original Planet of the Apes movies, Post Modernist literature and
Oh wait, it’s just a never-ending cavalcade of dicksdicksdicksdicksdicksdicksdicksdicksdicksdicksdicksdicksdicksdicksdic
ksdicksdicksdicksdicksdicksdicksdicksdicksdicksdicksdicksdicksdicksdicksd
icksdicksdicks.
Fitz
Why so hostile to this? I think it’s a great idea. There are plenty of Grinders and Scruffs and Growlers, and all the rest.. but “social networking” doesn’t always have to equal random multiple hookups for sexually compulsive drug addicts who think “gay rights” is acting out childhood rejection with dehumanizing sex.
boring
@Fitz: To be fair to Distinc.tt (misspelled in the article second time, EDITORS – work that shit), all facets of the internet eventually devolve into dickpics, not just hook-up sites, no matter how gentle they market themselves.
boring
Please Queerty, tell me about disctinct.tt.ttt.t.t..t.t.t.t.t.t.
Will L
Well, things were different when I was 12 but some things haven’t changed. That’s too young to allow any child to “hook up” – straight or gay. I would agree that gay-friendliness would be a welcome change in teen and pre-teen apps, but this doesn’t sound wholesome. When you are 12 years old, you are more likely to just think you are alone and different.
AuntieChrist
I looked at the beta and though this may be a radical new concept for gay men… Meeting people to chat and explore mutual interests outside of sex and the wild hook up…This may indicate an evolution in social consciousness…Nah we gay boys all live in Neverland butt boys forever.Right..?
Sebizzar
@Will L: This isn’t a hookup app. I’m looking forward to this 🙂
Kevin B
@boring: If you’re gonna give yourself a name as stupid as “distinc.tt” then you deserve each and every misspelling…
Dixie Rect
Sounds like it will be used for the next Chris Hansen show.
jwrappaport
Call me old fashioned, but I would never let my 12-year-old have an iPhone – almost certainly because of apps like this. Good grief. After a few drinks on a late night, I find that even the most genteel of conversations on “social networking” apps tend to devolve into, “got any pics”?
kayakriver
seems like a great idea. good for teenagers too because they get to find out about other young gay guys near them and build a network, which is very hard to do when you are young. maybe you are at school and realize woah there’s another gay guy let’s chat.
Mark
I’ll be sure to use this app when I’m feeling romanti.cc.
boring
Updated: still misspelled.
Awesome.
Kangol
I don’t know but “12+” just sounds creepy.
Make it “17+” or “18+” and be done with it.
AuntieChrist
@Kangol: I knew for sure when I was 13. Had I not been so confused by the world telling me I was fucked up and all wrong for liking boys because I was also a boy…Perhaps I would have been happier.
Jackhoffsky
I dare anyone to try to convince me that NAMBLA doesn’t have a 51% stock interest in this company.
Wait. What’s that I hear? Sounds like police sirens in the distance….
AuntieChrist
@Jackhoffsky: Right. Descend to the lowest aspect…After all we fags are so disgusting and immoral that we cannot be trusted or have any sense of honor or decorum. Your screen name says it all.
TellurideGay
@AuntieChrist: So true.
TellurideGay
I’ve seen articles about this everywhere, so my OCD self had to look up a few things. Like how every straight app that does similar things is rated 4 or 12 plus, and every gay app is rated 17 plus…like what’s up with that? I mean seriously??? Even straight ones that are specifically for dating/sex: Hot or Not, Snapchat, Skout. Zoosk, etc. are 4 year old plus.
TellurideGay
@Kangol: Yeah, I agreed at first. But it’s a little misleading. I think the app store may be discriminating against gay apps. Like look through the social networking ones, all the straight ones are like 4 or 12 plus. I feel like someone needs to look into this and write about it. I’m not sure why someone would have a dating app 4 or 12 plus, but all the straight ones are so I must be missing something…?
ho
@Antonio V. Nichols: ick
Jackhoffsky
@AuntieChrist: Knowing one is gay at 13 and knowing WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT are two completely different things. This app will not aid the teens on it in either. The 12 or 13 year old doesn’t learn about human interaction, safe sex, or non-verbal communication. There is no “panic” button if they are in trouble. There is no education.
HOWEVER (not among us “fags”) there are some who are eager to teach. They have a group… it’s called NAMBLA. They are not part of my community, so the lowest aspect for me would be where you put it… with self degradation and name-calling.
Although I find your eagerness to promote such suspect, it is your right and it is duly noted.