Scruff Bans Bikini Swimsuits & "Sexually Suggestive Embraces" From Profile Photos

Earlier this week, users of the popular gay dating app Scruff were greeted by a message from the company of a change in policy regarding profile pictures.

Titled, “Profile photo guidelines are changing,” the alert went on to state, “To comply with platform policies, photos in underwear, jockstraps or bikini style bathing suits are no longer permitted in profile photos.”

In a statement on the site’s support page, Scuff CEO Eric Silverberg wrote, “All gay and queer apps must enforce app store content policies or risk being removed from the app stores altogether, and this happened to SCRUFF earlier this year.”

“Had this removal been permanent, it would have been devastating to our company and our community,” he added.

Silverberg didn’t elaborate which App Store had temporarily removed his app.

“The primary profile photo may not show jockstraps, underwear, or bikini-style swimwear,” explained the CEO.

Also, profile photos that show “sexually suggestive embraces” might not “align with App Store guidelines.”

Additional guidelines include:

• No exposed genitals (not even a small, tiny part)

• No visible erections or visible outline of genitalia in clothes.

• No shower shots

• No shots of genitalia obscured by towels or hands

• No cropping of shots to make the crotch focal point of the photo

• No collages or compositions of multiple photos

The complete list of no-no’s regarding profile photos is posted here.

"Given that Scruff is a community that speaks openly and positively about sex, bodies, and intimacy, some feel that such policies are at odds with those values,” wrote Silverberg in closing. “Such criticism is not unfounded,"

"Scruff respects the concerns voiced by our community on this matter, and we encourage everyone to continue to hold us, and all tech companies, accountable for the content and conduct standards we enforce,” he added.

The CEO told Out that all profile photos will be “graded on a case-by-case basis.” He also noted that the app doesn’t require a public profile photo.

Scruff had apparently received a warning earlier this month by distributors of their app with a warning on the subject following the recent ban of adult content on Tumblr.

Here's an example (pulled from Scruff's own Instagram account) of what is NOT allowed as a profile photo now:

View this post on Instagram

Welcome aboard! #gay #instagay #muscle #scruff #photooftheday #love #instagood

A post shared by SCRUFF (@scruffapp) on Oct 16, 2017 at 11:53am PDT

View this post on Instagram

Day off today? Spend it looking at @rogeriorodrigues! #gay #instagay #muscle #regram #instagood #photooftheday #tattoo

A post shared by SCRUFF (@scruffapp) on Oct 9, 2017 at 9:52am PDT

View this post on Instagram

If you could use SCRUFF Venture to explore anywhere in the world with @andre.hfmnn, where would you go? 🌎🤔👇🏼

A post shared by SCRUFF (@scruffapp) on Jan 18, 2019 at 11:00am PST

Gay Dating Apps Weigh In On Grindr CEO's Marriage Equality Debacle

Last week, the blog INTO, which is owned by Grindr, wrote that Chen had shared an article on his Facebook regarding Cher Wang, the CEO of HTC, who apparently supported anti-LGBTQ organizations in the recent public referendum on same-sex marriage in Taiwan.

Responding to commenters on the post, Chen apparently wrote, in part, “There are people who believe that marriage is a holy matrimony between a man and a woman.”

Many folks took his comment that “marriage is a holy matrimony between a man and a woman” as being anti-marriage equality.

INTO updated its report when Chen later issued a statement saying, in part, “The words I chose related to marriage between a man and a woman were meant to express my personal feelings about my own marriage to my wife – not to suggest that I am opposed to marriage equality.”

He went on to say that he has long considered himself “an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.”

“ I support gay marriage and I am proud that I can work for Grindr,” he added. “I apologize that my words did not clearly convey these feelings.”

Now, other gay dating app companies are chiming in on the subject.

CEO and co-founder of SCRUFF, Eric Silverberg, posted a video message expressing his concern that comments from the leaders of gay-centric businesses can have the power to set LGBTQ progress back in terms of equal rights and representation.

He began his message by stating up front that he is “unequivocally in favor of gay marriage.”

“When leaders in the gay community say these things, they disrespect the decades long work of marriage equality activists and give credibility to far-right politicians who are trying to roll back these rights.”

Silverberg also urged tech leaders to understand and further the moral agenda of the communities they serve.

“Let’s move our swipes and ‘likes’ to online communities led by people who stand behind their beliefs and actions, and who have a moral intuition that reflects our community,” he said in closing.

And dating app Jack’d posted a short video response via Instagram which shows Grindr’s recently announced ‘Kindr’ campaign, but it’s quickly overwhelmed by screen shots of the Chen/Grindr story.

Jack'd ends the message with the words “Love is Love.” Watch below.

View this post on Instagram

#loveislove

A post shared by Jack'd (@jackdapp) on Nov 30, 2018 at 12:22pm PST

Just Because...

(via BosGuy)

HIllary Clinton Wins "Scruff" Poll

Popular dating app, Scruff, held it's own completely unscientific survey to see which Democratic candidate it's users support.

From NBC:

According to Scruff, the popular dating app for gay and bisexual men, nearly 60 percent of the 1,011 "likely voters" who responded to the survey are throwing their support behind Clinton, compared with 34 percent who support Sanders.

One sub-group Sanders did do particularly well with in the survey was younger gay and bisexual men. Seventy-six percent of 18-24 year olds surveyed said they support the Vermont senator.

Clinton, however, captured more of the "leather," "daddy" and "bear" support.

Just Because...

Just because I like looking at scruffy Chris Evans... :)

Marvel Comics Introduces New Scruffy, Leather-Harnessed "Hercules"

"Randy, why do you like comic book super-heroes so much?"

"Umm, I'm not really sure. Kinda hard to explain. I just kinda do :)"

Marvel Comics tweeted out this image of the new, improved "Hercules" - now a scruffy, leather-harnessed, daddy kind of guy.

Yeah, I don't know why I like this stuff... :)

SCRUFF launches new program offering free ads to local non-profits

Dating app Scruff is partnering with LGBT activist Jack Mackenroth to launch a new campaign offering ad space to LGBT and non-LGBT non-profit organizations. The program is called "Benevolads."

Via press release:

Benevolads ad space is free to non-profits and community organizations. Approximately 80% of Benevolads will be reserved for local ads, so that SCRUFF members will see messages from their hometown organizations as well as global non-profits. Benevolads provide a positive impact to organizations and community groups at every level – local, domestic and international. SCRUFF anticipates donating more than 1 billion ad impressions, at a value of more than $1M, in its first year.

“Organizations reach out to SCRUFF every day asking for help getting the word out about things like events, fundraisers, and sports leagues. Benevolads enables us to say ‘yes’ to everyone” says Founder Johnny Skandros. “Since 2010, the mission of SCRUFF has been to connect gay men to one another and to the global gay community. With Benevolads, SCRUFF further fulfills this mission, at a global scale.”

The program is currently available to non-profits in the USA and UK. Click here for more info.

Meet new Scruff cover guy Ross Milam

Well hello new SCRUFF cover model Ross Milam.

Hailing from Portland, OR, Ross is both an accomplished athlete and scholar. He wrestled at the national level for his college team — of which he was the only openly gay member — and holds degrees in math and biology.

Check out a few more pics of the new guy on the virtual block:

 

Preview of FAB Magazine's "sexy beards" issue

Go behind the scenes of Canada's Fab magazine"sexy beards" issue.