Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and fellow Republicans have faced loud criticism over legislation they've enacted banning the teaching of sexuality and gender in the Sunshine State over the past few years.
Recently, the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida announced plans to host what it billed the "largest LGBTQ conference in the world" after the company criticized DeSantis' Parental Rights in Education legislation, dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill by critics.
With greater attention focused toward Florida's gay rights record, one claim on Twitter that picked up attention recently suggested dating app Grindr could take steps to expose Republican politician users should they continue to support anti-LGBTQ legislation.
The Claim
A tweet by user @dutchessprim, posted on March 23, 2023, and viewed more than 500,000 times, included a screenshot of another tweet claiming gay dating app Grindr would reveal any "Republican" that "secretly" uses their app if Florida continues to pass "homophobic and transphobic laws."
The screenshot read: "BREAKING: The gay dating app Grindr says if Florida doesn't stop passing homophobic and transphobic laws, they'll reveal every Republican legislator and party official who secretly uses the app."
User @dutchessprim added: "Do it 😈"
The Facts
Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill led to a wave of other Republican-led states considering similar legislation, which prevents topics including sexual orientation and gender identity from being taught to the state's youngest students.
The law brought significant backlash from LGBTQ advocates, who argue it is intended to silence the community. In turn, it appears from the claim shared on social media, that steps are being considered by major players in tech as a sign of solidarity.
However, the source of the claim is a parody account that regularly posts farfetched headlines.
The account @HalfwayPost, whose handle is quoted in @dutchessprim's tweet, states in its Twitter bio: "Halfway true comedy and satire by @DashMacIntyre. I don't report the facts, I improve them."
Examples of such ludicrous claims include one tweet, from March 23, 2023, that said: "BREAKING: Donald Trump says he'll make America strong like Russia, and let America's criminals out of prison to join the military."
Another, from March 24, 2023, said: "BREAKING: Clarence Thomas says he doesn't mind if the Supreme Court outlaws interracial marriage because his wife is a domestic terrorist and he's afraid to divorce her himself, and would rather the government annul his marriage."
The @HalfwayPost tweet shared by @dutchessprim has been flagged by Twitter readers since it was published on March 22, 2023.
Newsweek contacted Grindr for comment via email. The company's global head of communications Patrick Lenihan responded: "This claim is false. Grindr protects the privacy of all its users.
"Anti-LGBTQ legislation is abominable and cruel, and we vehemently condemn any laws that restrict, deny, or abolish the rights of LGBTQ people."
LGBTQ and civil rights groups have praised plans by Walt Disney World Resort to host "the largest LGBTQ+ conference in the world", as proposals emerged to extend Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill to all ages in the Florida schooling system.
Speaking to Newsweek, LGBTQ group Equality Florida said it welcomes the event, but understands the decision from other organizations within the community to avoid the Sunshine State because it "feels unsafe for their members" and attacked DeSantis for his "insatiable career ambitions."
The Ruling
Satire.
While Florida has passed legislation that has been widely criticized by LGBTQ groups across the U.S., Grindr is not threatening to out Republican users of its app should further laws be enacted.
The claim came from a parody Twitter account which frequently posts deliberately ludicrous headlines.
FACT CHECK BY Newsweek's Fact Check team
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
