Gay Asian Migrants and the Problem of Desirability: Racism and Sexuality on Gay Mobile Dating Apps

Abstract

As sexual migrants who emigrate to liberal countries such as New Zealand that are more accepting of their sexuality, gay Asian migrants often rely on gay mobile dating applications to find sexual belonging by connecting to the wider gay community in a new environment. These dating apps not only allow them to seek sexual gratification, but are also crucial for new gay migrants to establish local connections quickly. Although these apps are convenient for users, they are also spaces in which problematic issues become manifest. Among these are forms of online racism, the one-size-fits-all design of these apps that universalises experience and sexual representation, and the reflection of values and standards that are deeply rooted in a Westernised gay community. This thesis addresses the many forms of racism that are found in three apps that are popular in New Zealand, namely Grindr, Jack'd, and Blued, through the experience of gay Asian migrants. It also seeks to understand how these apps and the issues they have created affect gay Asian migrants' representation online, their sense of sexual belonging, and their overall social position in the local gay community. This thesis utilises a mixture of methodological approaches, consisting of examination of the apps' interface designs, discourse and content analysis of gay Asian migrants' profiles in these apps, and in-depth interviews with gay Asian migrants. The findings from the various methods employed suggest that these three apps mirror the standards and practices of the local gay community in marginalising gay Asian migrants, and that they are vessels in which racism manifests in tangible and visible forms. However, these apps are also being transformed from sex-focused media to a broader social media format similar to that of Facebook and Instagram that encourages authenticity and consistent on/offline identity. These changes signify the possibilities of gay Asian migrants' escape from the highly racialised carnality and corporeality that were previously demanded by these apps. This thesis not only locates and examines the elusive gay community through these apps, but it also marks changes that could signify a positive future for gay Asian migrants in and outside of these apps.