Lex, the hookup and social app that launched in 2019 with a nod to lesbian personal ads from the ’80s, is altering. Solely, exactly how a lot will change remains to be an open query. Certain, the venture-backed startup behind the queer app gave it a brand new lick of paint final week, however in refocusing on “buddies and group,” some customers concern that Lex may even scrub away its beloved raunchy essence.
Dwelling to personals each sexy and healthful, the text-based service grew over the previous few years right into a queer group newspaper of kinds — a spot for ladies, trans, genderqueer and nonbinary folks to announce meetups, discover live performance tickets, share poetry, crack in-jokes or just cruise. Given its breadth and silliness, the app evokes smiles and eye-rolls alike amongst queer of us in my orbit.
Lex satisfies a necessity that’s sometimes shunned by mainstream tech; Craigslist, which famously upended the newspaper classifieds enterprise, shuttered its on-line personals characteristic a yr earlier than Lex launched. Social giants like Meta and TikTok, in the meantime, take a largely puritanical angle towards intercourse and sexuality. Apple, which units the bottom guidelines for mainstream apps by way of its App Retailer, can also be completely prude. Tech’s censorship-prone gatekeepers — in addition to the broader sample of companies sanitizing, after which monetizing, queer tradition — go away many LGBTQIA+ of us fairly cautious of social media.
So, it’s no shock that Lex’s announcement of a “new look” and “new route” has rubbed folks the unsuitable manner, whilst thirsty posting continues on the app.
Lex publicized its redesign on January 26, emphasizing its function in serving to folks discover “LGBTQ+ buddies & queer group.” A press launch laid out the app’s evolution “from a relationship app to a vibrant social platform,” whereas an Instagram post from the corporate highlighted a shift from private advertisements towards group chats and meetups. Utilizing a how it started meme, the startup contrasted its origins (sharing lesbian imagery and personals on Instagram) with a submit for a trans tea occasion with “scones and jam.”
However by omission, is Lex attempting to tidy itself up? The uproar I noticed in response to the redesign wasn’t common, however it was swift.
“Wtf lex …queer fucking is sacred, not some commodity,” stated one person in a public submit. One other wrote: “Let’s hold it 🥵 😘🫦. I respect the hassle to make Lex higher for platonic queer relationships, however I detest the brand new tradition of sanitizing the web and washing our sexuality away from each platform.”
New Lex is inexperienced. Old Lex was blue. Picture Credit: Lex
Others praised and critiqued Lex’s new look. One person stated the redesign made the app extra welcoming, whereas one other referred to as it cute. I chimed in on the app’s new colour scheme, saying, “It ain’t straightforward being inexperienced. however not less than it’s not twitter.” (I had completely forgotten that makes use of the same hue… whoops!) I solicited extra suggestions on the brand new route through the app itself, and I heard from a couple of dozen folks, most of whom expressed a point of concern.
Lily, a Lex person, informed me she hated the shift. “Queer areas attempting to maneuver themselves away from centering intercourse = giving in to a homophobic society,” she stated, clarifying: “Individuals had been utilizing this app for all types of issues earlier than, so there’s no have to encourage ‘social’ use except you’re attempting to discourse different makes use of (i.e., intercourse).” One other person stated the app appeared extra subversive earlier than the redesign. “I’m def within the ‘hold Lex filthy’ camp,” they added.
One person informed me, “There’s sufficient social media on the market. What I most popular about authentic lex was the craigslist feeling.” Yet one more person cautioned, “There’s rather more at play within the sanitization of 1 queer former relationship app. Simply have a look at the annual no kink at satisfaction debate and the way usually it’s stated that there needs to be no indicators of sexuality in areas if we need to be deserving of our homosexual rights.”
In a while, a brand new person who joined after the redesign informed me she noticed the complaints and felt like she “missed out lol.”
Requested in regards to the route of the app, Lex founder Kel Rakowski informed that the corporate “surveyed 1000’s of Lexers and located that the overwhelming majority needed a platform to seek out queer buddies and group of their space.” Rakowski pointed me to a user research sign-up page and stated Lex pays customers for suggestions. The founder and CEO went on to say that Lex’s “all queer group” is “in charge of all product choices.” She added, “Our traders by no means intervene with the imaginative and prescient of Lex.”
On the subject of intercourse, Rakowski stated, “We encourage Lexers on the lookout for dates and hookups to proceed sexy posting on Lex! It’s their area to attach, for love, friendship and extra.”
Based on the underside of Lex’s Terms of Use web page, the corporate final up to date its insurance policies on November 1, 2022. The phrases state that customers agree their content material is not going to comprise “obscene, pornographic, violent, or sexually specific materials.” Lex’s phrases outline content material as “all textual content, photographs, video, audio, or different materials.” In different phrases, the corporate maintains its capacity to take down horny posts, however that doesn’t imply it’s actively doing so. That is fairly regular, boilerplate language so far as app phrases go. Within the founder’s phrases, “One of many causes we constructed Lex as an app and moved away from internet hosting on Instagram was to be unbiased and keep away from the rules of Meta.”
When requested, Lex declined to say how many individuals use its app, however Rakowski stated the service is “rising quickly in cities throughout the US,” and its “high cities are NYC, Chicago [and] LA.” The ten-person group behind Lex has raised not less than $1.5 million up to now, from traders reminiscent of Corigin Ventures, Bumble Fund and Bonobos founder Andy Dunn.
Know one thing about Lex’s new route? Attain out to this reporter through Twitter or email.
