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ABSTRACT
Why do gay men utilise geo-social media applications such as Grindr and Scruff? Social media scholarship describes technological mediations and changes to social space and communities; however, there are theoretical gaps concerning what geo-social technology means for gay men. I suggest that gay men's ability to see other gay men, via geo-social media, reveals the queer cartography of any geographical location. This re-mapping of social space proves the public sphere less heteronormative than purported, cultivates community between gay men who may initiate face-to-face contact utilising geo-locative technology, and allows gay men to interact with one another outside of specifically gay spaces. This research is based in Toulouse, France, and adds to scholarship concerning French gay men's resistance to heteronormativity. This research also holds global significance concerning subjugated communities' uses of geo-social technology in their resistance against dominant cultures.
KEYWORDS
affect, belonging, France, gay men, geo-social media, intimacy, resistance, technology
Introduction
Between 2009 and 2010, two unique forms of social media, both equipped with geo-locative capabilities, came out on the market for mobile phone users, specifically gay males (Figures 1 and 2). These geo-social applications, utilising GPS technology to inform users of other users' locations, is marketed to different gay demographics - Grindr to mainstream gay communities, and Scruffto the Bear community, a subculture in the gay community made up of men characterised by their heavy-set stature, facial and body hair, and hypermasculine self-presentation.
When a user opens these applications, he finds a home screen of approximately 100 thumbnails, each containing another user's picture (see Figure 3). The thumbnails open to reveal a profile containing a user's screen name, height, weight, ethnicity, and free space which is utilised to say something personal, or to explain what a user seeks, whether no strings sexual encounters, dating, running buddies, workout partners, boyfriend, and so on (see Figure 4).
What sets Grindr and Scruffapart from other social media applications is their geo-locative technology - they display how far away, in miles and feet, one user is from another (see '483 feet away' in the Figure 4 profile). Geo-social media not only allows gay men to chat with other men from all over the world, but also allows gay men to see the physical location of local gay...