Grindr’s ban on “no Zionists” highlights unchecked racist and fatphobic bios

Grindr has banned “no Zionists” in bios, but racist and fatphobic language like “no Asians” and “no fats” is still allowed, sparking debate over moderation.

Dating app Grindr is blocking the phrase "no Zionists" in its user bios.

If a user attempts to use the slogan, it will now trigger an error message.

Grindr says the move came after “user escalations” over inflammatory language.

The company is “reviewing the policy,” offering no clarity on why this specific phrase was targeted.

The founder of Grindr, Joel Simkhai, is from Israel, but he left in 2018 after a Chinese firm acquired the company.

It’s unclear whether his background has influenced the decision to remove the anti-Zionist phrase.

The double standard problem

Even though the anti-Zionist ban is taking place, prejudiced phrases like “no FFA” (fats, femmes, Asians) are still permitted, as is “no Jews.”

Originally designed as a safe space, such exclusionary bios can lead to racial hierarchies and body shaming within the gay community.

Dating apps often hide behind “user preference” to avoid liability, even when it mirrors discrimination banned in housing or employment law.

Studies show that marginalization can lead to low self-esteem and higher rates of depression among users.

Bias and moderation

Originally, Grindr’s filters allowed users to sort matches by race until 2020, essentially institutionalizing bias – or at least preferences based on “your type.”

The removal came only after sustained criticism from advocacy groups during #blacklivesmatter protests.

Critics argued these changes are PR-driven, with little transparency on enforcement.

Other apps like Scruff have banned racial preference language outright, while Hinge still has ethnicity as a core filter.