Grindr, a leading hook-up app for gay
and bisexual men, on Tuesday unexpectedly shuttered its digital
publication Into.
The layoffs came just months after Into
published a story calling out Grindr President Scott Chen's comments
on same-sex marriage.
According to LGBT glossy The
Advocate, Grindr has laid off the publication's editorial and
social media staff.
Grindr explained in a statement that
Into would be pivoting to video content.
“After a thoughtful and collaborative
process, Grindr's leadership decided to modify Into's content
mix to rely more heavily on video. This decision was driven by the
high user engagement and development we see through channels such as
Twitter and YouTube. With this strategic shift in focus, several Into
employees will be leaving the company. This was a difficult decision
and one that we do not take lightly. We want to thank these
colleagues for all of their contributions to Grindr and our
community,” the company said.
In a goodbye letter, Into staff
called the publication's demise “a tremendous loss for LGBTQ media,
journalism, and the world.”
Into came online in 2017. It
earned a GLAAD nomination and won an award from the Transgender Legal
Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF).
In November, Into quoted Grindr
President Scott Chen, who is straight, as saying in a deleted
Facebook post: “Some think marriage is between a man and a woman.
I think so, too, but it's a personal matter.”
Chen defended his remarks, saying that
their meaning was lost in translation (his original post was in
Chinese). The incident led to the resignation of Landon Rafe
Zumwait, Grindr's head of communications, who said that as a gay man
in love he refused to defend “a statement that goes against
everything I am and everything I believe.”
(Related: Grindr
exec resigns after president says he's opposed to same-sex marriage.)