the fallout continues

Grindr’s communications director abruptly quits following president’s antigay remarks

Scott Chen, president of Grindr, anti-gay marriage
Scott Chen, president of Grindr

The fallout over Grindr’s president saying marriage is between a man and a woman continues…

It all started late last month when Scott Chen, the straight president of the company that owns gay hookup app, wrote on Facebook:

Some people think the marriage is a holy matrimony between a man and a woman. And I think so too. But that’s your own business. Some people think the purpose of the marriage is to have a child carries your DNA. But again, that’s your own business.

Chen was commenting on news that HTC, the Taiwan-based smartphone manufacturer, supports antigay causes through two non-profit organizations.

Ironically, his remarks were first reported on by Grindr’s own in-house publication, Into More.

Awkward!

Related: Grindr’s straight president says marriage is between a man and a woman

Clearly, this caused quite a stir within the organization because Grindr’s head of communications just announced he’s outta there.

Landon Rafe Zumwalt is, er, was in charge of overseeing all of the company’s messaging until he found himself in an impossible position.

“As an out and proud gay man madly in love with a man I don’t deserve, I refused to compromise my own values or professional integrity to defend a statement that goes against everything I am and everything I believe,” Zumwalt writes in a letter published by Medium on Friday.

“While that resulted in my time at Grindr being cut short, I have absolutely no regrets. And neither should you.”

Chen later tried to walking back his antigay remarks, reassuring everyone that he does, in fact, support marriage equality:

The reason I said marriage is a holy matrimony between a man and a woman is based on my own personal experience. I am a straight man married to a woman I love and I have two beautiful daughters I love from the marriage. This is how I feel about my marriage. Different people have their different feelings about their marriages. You can’t deny my feelings about my marriage.

He added the he’s a “huge advocate for LGBTQ+ rights” and that he’s “proud that I can work for Grindr.”

The New York Times reports Chen previously posted social media messages promoting LGBTQ rights in China and Taiwan.

But this wasn’t enough to keep Zumwalt around.

In his Dear John letter, he writes: “For those who remain, those who will continue to fight for our community from within, know I will be cheering you on from the sidelines. Persist. Make your voices heard. And never compromise who you are for someone else.”

In a statement to PinkNews, a Grindr spokesperson says: “As Landen shared in his Medium post, he has resigned from his position at Grindr. We wish him the best in his future endeavors and appreciate his contributions to the company and the Grindr community.”

Related: Pride Media owner with long history of funding anti-gay politicians promises he won’t do it anymore

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