Don’t be a Dick.
Chappy, the new gay dating app for men which launched earlier this year, have revealed its new Pledge in a bid to offer a safer and more responsible platform for gay men to communicate on.
The global Don’t be a Dick campaign highlights the regular use of prejudicial language and attitudes from users on gay dating platforms, with Chappy creating a video that hears gay men speak openly about their experiences.
They range from blatant racism and ageism, to fat-shaming, fem-shaming, and even homophobia.
It comes after Chappy commissioned new research which found that out of the 500 people they surveyed, nearly all of them had come across these harmful attitudes while talking to men on gay dating apps.
Related: Chappy launches Screenshot Alert feature to protect users from revenge porn
“Dating can be intimidating. It is our responsibility to create an environment that is safe and fun, not rude and abusive,” said Jack Rogers, Co-founder of Chappy.
“The Don’t be a Dick campaign is a call to arms, not just to the gay community, but the dating community as a whole. Chappy wants to mobilise positivity and respect, to create a space that is respectful to everyone.
“The Chappy Pledge is a two-way promise, we ask that users be respectful to each other and in return – Chappy will weed out online abuse.”
The Chappy Pledge is as follows:
“At Chappy we believe beauty is found in the way you treat others. Discrimination by race, religion, disability, gender identity, age or anything else is strictly forbidden. By using Chappy, you commit to treating your fellow members with respect, kindness and honesty, without judgement or bias. We care about the community and we want people to enjoy dating.”
Psychotherapist Lee Valls added: “As a community, we have underestimated the long-term consequences dating apps have on our mental health.
“Constant exposure to racism, fem-shaming, fat-shaming, all under the guise of preference have proven to be an assault on our sense of self. Only now are we seeing the detrimental effects on our community, from problems of how we treat one another, low self-esteem, to more extreme forms of depression and mental health issues – even suicide.”
The Chappy Pledge must be signed by all new and existing users, and commits them to being considerate to fellow users.
If anyone does not adhere to the new pledge, they will be permanently banned from using the platform.
To read The Chappy Pledge in full, click here.
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