Grindr protects LGBTQ athletes in the Olympic Village & Anna interviews Charlie of the Everywhere is Queer App - July 29, 2024

This episode features a discussion on Grindr's efforts to protect LGBTQ athletes and an interview with Charlie, the founder of the Everywhere is Queer app.

1. Grindr has disabled location tracking at the Olympics to safeguard LGBTQ athletes.
2. The Everywhere is Queer app has rapidly grown, providing a vital resource for finding LGBTQ-friendly businesses and spaces.
3. Community support and word-of-mouth have been crucial to the app’s success.
4. The episode underscores the importance of safety and visibility for LGBTQ individuals in various environments.
5. Political climate and community needs drive the demand for platforms like Everywhere is Queer.

1. Introduction

Anna DeShawn introduces the episode’s themes and sets the stage for the discussions on Grindr's actions and the Everywhere is Queer app. Briefly mentions personal time off reflecting on the importance of rest.

2. Queer News Highlights

Discussion of significant, current events affecting the LGBTQ community, including violent crimes and political shifts. Anna DeShawn: “We are in the moment.”

3. Interview with Charlie

In-depth interview with Charlie about the Everywhere is Queer app’s development, challenges, and successes. Charlie highlights the app's impact and future aspirations. Anna DeShawn: “Family, the voice you heard was Charlie.”

1. Support LGBTQ-friendly businesses by using resources like the Everywhere is Queer app.
2. Engage in community support networks to foster safer spaces for LGBTQ individuals.
3. Participate in political processes to advocate for LGBTQ rights and protections.
4. Educate others about the importance of privacy and safety for marginalized communities.
5. Consider contributing to platforms and initiatives that bolster the LGBTQ community.

This week on Queer News, Anna DeShawn shares the world of LGBTQ+ entrepreneurship with Charlie, the founder of the groundbreaking app, Everywhere is Queer. Get ready to be inspired as we explore how this app is creating a safer and more inclusive space for the queer community.
But before we get to that, Anna reports on the latest queer news headlines. From the urgent search for missing trans woman Taylor Casey to the inspiring impact of Vice President Kamala Harris on women’s voting power. Plus, we’re discussing the heartbreaking violence against trans women Monique Brooks and an unnamed trans teen. Let’s go!

People

Anna DeShawn, Charlie

Companies

Grindr, Everywhere is Queer

Guest Name(s):

Charlie

Content Warnings:

None

Anna DeShawn
There's no place like the Cube.

Family. It's your favorite queer radio personality, Anna Deshawn. And this is queer news, your favorite weekly news pod, where race and sexuality meet politics, culture, and entertainment.

What's been the magic?

Why do you think people have flocked to this app?

Charlie
I mean, it's a needed resource that did not exist before, but the magic is the queer community around everywhere is queer. That everywhere is queer has become the amount of people that are telling other people about this resource because they care about their friends being seen as their most authentic self locally and globally.

Anna DeShawn
Family, the voice you heard was Charlie. For my faithful listeners, I introduced you to Charlie last week, founder of the everywhere is queer app. Well, today I will actually play the full interview for you so you can learn more about what Charlie has built and why it's so important.

Also, family, don't forget, the queer news tip line is open. Okay? I wanna report on the stories, not making the news, not making a blog. All right, a link is in the show notes. Q crew, what's going on? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Like, I literally can't say thank you enough for helping to financially sustain this podcast. Okay?

It take a lot.

It takes a lot, and I can't do it without you. So thank you. Q crew, you're helping with the hosting, the editing, the marketing, the pr, the travel, okay? And so, family, if you're not part of the Q crew, it starts at $5 a month. And if you believe in the work we do, if you believe LGBTQ stories need to be amplified, if you love and respect how I report on the news and tell our stories, join the Q crew. A link is in the show notes and family. Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel. It is popping over there. Okay. The channel is e, the number three radio. Turn on a notification so you don't miss a thing.

Now for the news first, I've been on vacation, vacation, vacation. And it was so good. It was so needed. It was so good. I honestly couldn't remember the last time I traveled, and it wasn't for work. So this was a big deal. I even put up my out of office. That was a moment. I feel refreshed. I feel rejuvenated. My mind had room to think, to breathe, or do absolutely nothing. I needed that more than I knew, and I feel ready to take on the next five months of the year. All right? Hence why I didn't drop Charlie's interview on Friday. Like I said, you know, after I recorded and further reflection I just knew I wanted to squeeze the last bit of vacation I got on Sunday, you know, when I record to restore versus researching, producing, and recording. So I wanna drop some top queer news headlines today for you and then share Charlie's interview. Cool.

Cool.

Now for the top queer news headlines.

My Chicago comrade, Taylor Casey, is still missing, and we still don't have any new updates or leads. I ask that you just please keep her family and friends and organizers lifted in your thoughts and prayers, if that's something that you do in politics. The Kamala Harris effect is in full motion. Starting with when. With black women raised over $2 million on their Zoom call. With over 70,000 people who joined then white women got together, over 100,000 of them raised over $8 million. Okay, then I saw that the golf cart crew in Orlando, I guess this is a thing who usually votes red is organizing to vote blue. And that has inspired my word for today, which is timing, but I'm gonna get back to that. But this momentum shift cannot be understated. This is a moment, family. We are in the moment.

Yes, we are in. Top stories. More of our trans siblings have been murdered and harmed. Monique Brooks, we speak your name today. She was a 49 year old black trans woman who was shot in her car in Orlando, Florida. Her family is pleading for answers, and there's currently no one in custody. Monique, we speak your name.

Also in Florida, this time in Miami, a 17 year old girl was stabbed 18 times by Alexander Love in the Miami Dade airport. Her identity is being kept private, and he is being charged with first degree attempted murder with a deadly weapon and attempted premeditated, murderous.

In culture and entertainment, the Olympics are in full swing. I am such an Olympics fan. Okay? I will watch all the sports, all of them. Water polo to basketball to beach volleyball to gymnastics. Child. What else? Everything. Okay. I will watch it all. I love watching people compete at the highest level. The stories, the their lives, what they have gone through. And so many people who participated in the Olympics come from small countries that you've never heard of, and they've made a way.

It is just so inspiring to watch. I added a poll to this week's Queer news newsletter.

If you aren't subscribed, go do that. A link is in the show notes. Okay. And one of the best stories coming out of the Olympics for me right now is about Grindr, of all things. Yep, Grindr, the app. The app has actually turned off the location finder for the Olympic village to protect athletes who are from countries who criminalize being LGBTQ. How dope is that?

How dope is that?

Okay, those are our top queer news headlines for this week.

Now it's time, family for Anna's got a word because I've always got a word, even when I change up the episode. And the word today is timing. Timing. Every time I begin to think and reflect about what's happening right now with Kamala Harris. VP Kamala Harris. Let's put some respect on her name, okay.

I just think about how important timing is in life.

When she pursued the presidential bid before, she didn't make it right.

It didn't happen for her. It wasn't the right time.

She accepted. Right. The call to be vice president.

I honestly feel like they've hidden her away for the last four years. They gave her assignments that didn't pull on all of her strengths. Didn't. They hid her away in so many ways from us.

But you can't doubt the timing of what's happening right now.

The country was looking at two old white men. Right.

It wasn't energizing me. I was gonna do what I needed to do and vote blue, period. That wasn't gonna change, but that was not going to sway the undecided and the disengaged, because the disengaged was crazy hot now.

Right? I feel like President Biden has put his ego to the side. Right?

He withdrew his nomination, endorsed Kamala Harris, and I feel like the world has woken up. There is this energy happening right now that is undeniable.

And it didn't happen right. When she tried the first time. It wasn't her time.

But to have a vp. Kamala Harris on one side, younger, vibrant, articulate, smart.

Okay. On one side, and you've got the orange man, 45 on the other side. There could not be two people more polar opposite.

You just couldn't have it. There's nothing more polar opposite than these two candidates. And I feel like the people who were disengaged are getting engaged. They are paying attention.

Yes.

I feel like we're in the fight again, and that feels good.

So with that, I want to remind all of you, it might not be your time yet, but when your time comes, it's gonna feel like this. It's gonna look like this. You're gonna be so excited about what's happening in your life, because the timing is gonna be right, and things will be aligned.

Charlie
Woo.

Anna DeShawn
Come on.

Your time is coming. Mm hmm. I hope y'all enjoy this interview with Charlie of the everywheres queer app, and I hope you hear why it's so important.

We had such a great conversation, and I sincerely hope that after you listen, you'll download the app, add your queer own business, or tell a friend or two to do the same. Okay? That's how we create the change we want to see. Till next week, family peace.

If you're hearing this, it means we didn't sell this ad space. If you're hearing this, it means running ads on our podcast actually can work. You see what I did there? You see this real life example? You got an event. Do you have an organization? Do you got something you need to get the word out about? We got rates starting as low as $100. Check the link in our show notes for more information.

Family, it's your favorite queer radio personality, Anna DeShawn here, host of the Queer news podcast. And you already know we're doing this on e three radio, your number one stop for queer news. Done right. And today, I'm excited to have fellow founder Charlie joining us. What's going on, Charlie?

Charlie
Hey, thanks for having me. So grateful to be here.

Anna DeShawn
Yo, we've been trying to make this happen, y'all. I want to talk about how many times I rescheduled. That's for another day, okay? But the rainbow month had me crazy, and I'm so excited today that we finally got to connect and talk about the work that you're doing, Charlie. And so, family, if you don't know Charlie, let me just tell you a little bit, okay? I saw Charlie on the Internet, and I was like, what is Charlie up to? Well, Charlie has founded a wonderful app called everywhere is queer, and that's what we're going to talk about today, is not only this application that was built by us and for us, but also why Charlie wanted to start it in the first place. So, Charlie, first off, congratulations on all your success, and thank you again for being here.

Charlie
Of course.

Anna DeShawn
So, Charlie, you launched this app four months ago, right?

Charlie
Yes. Yeah. We launched everywhere was queer January 2 of 2022, but the app was launched February 20 of 2024.

Anna DeShawn
What has been the biggest challenge running.

Charlie
This whole business by myself.

Anna DeShawn
What has been the biggest surprise on the journey so far?

Charlie
How big it's gotten. I just cannot believe. I mean, we have almost 100,000 downloads in four months. I can't believe it. With a zero dollar marketing budget.

Anna DeShawn
Wow. What's been the magic?

Why do you think people have flocked to this app?

Charlie
I mean, it's a needed resource that did not exist before, but the magic is the queer community around everywhere is queer. That everywhere is queer has become the amount of people that are telling other people about this resource because they care about their friends being seen as their most authentic self locally and globally.

Anna DeShawn
Do you think the impact of what's happening politically is also charging this? Do you feel like people are fired up to want to support businesses like everywhere is queer?

Charlie
Absolutely. Yeah.

Anna DeShawn
Yeah. Now, I know you a Midwest kid, too. Midwest. Stand up.

Tell us. Tell us about growing up in the midwest, what it was like growing up in Wisconsin, and just tell us a little bit more about you.

Charlie
I mean, I grew up in a very conservative, very republic area and family at the time. I'm grateful to say my family's come around today to what I believe is where I want them, but, yeah, they're very supportive. Number one fans of everywhere is queer now. So I'm so grateful for that. So it's been a journey, but I am so grateful to now run a business called everywhere is queer. I really have come far from my catholic high school I went to.

Anna DeShawn
Oh, you grew up catholic?

Charlie
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

Anna DeShawn
Okay.

I mean, the pope, this pope has made some strides, but he still can't stop saying the f word. So I don't know. I don't know.

Charlie
Like, I don't know if it's like, come on, pope, like, get your you know what together, you know?

Anna DeShawn
I do know. I do know. So another question I like to ask folks, as I know you do a lot of these interviews, Chile.

I do as well. And I'm always curious as to what gave you the courage, the audacity, you know, to say, step out on faith and take the big leap.

Do you quit corporate as well? So, yeah. What was. Was there a moment?

Was there a moment that really was like, this has got to be it. I have to do this.

Charlie
Yeah. I mean, obviously, my whole lived experience, I wish I had spaces even when I was a closeted kid. I mean, I didn't come out to my junior year of college, so even in, like, high school, I wish I would have known of spaces, a queer coffee shop that I could go sit at and see queer people exist. And working, even as a closet person, just to have that resource, to be able to go find those spaces, did not have that. So as I navigated through the world, and I've made it to 47 in the 50 states, I've slept one night in all 47 states is my little rule. I've experienced queer community in every single state now. It's looked different in some spaces, and some people don't know, like, necessarily where to meet up, where to go, and in a lot of spaces, it's just gay bars, and there's so much more beyond that. There's so many more spaces that existed, of places that we should be able to go and hang out and see and exist as our most authentic selves. So, yeah, I mean, my whole lived experience built up and experiences of traveling and everything has come to the everywhere square, you know?

Anna DeShawn
I do know. And what in the world are you doing to hit 47, 50 states, Charlie? Were you driving around? Has this been. Was this part of the mission and part of the goal that you had as you built out this platform?

Charlie
It's all actually happened. 41 of the 50 states happened before I even came up with the idea of everywhere is queer, but it definitely has been, like, the big, big seed of coming up with the idea. I got a job out of college that took me to 41 of the 50 states. I was a rep for a beverage company. Yeah.

But that took me all over, and I got to experience communities all over our country.

Anna DeShawn
How did that change your life?

Charlie
I wouldn't be here today without it, you know, and I am now my own boss, you know, and this would have never come to fruition if I hadn't experienced seeking out queer communities and finding that there's not a resource for me to find the queer coffee shop, the, you know, space to get a sandwich for lunch, the dinner spot, you know?

Yeah.

Anna DeShawn
And what I think is really powerful about this app as well is that you do want to go to places that are brave and safe for you. And I have so many queer friends where they just, like, I just don't go pee outside. Like, I just don't. Right. They just, like, I can't. Right. They don't feel safe to do so. And it is so important that we designate spaces, and business owners say, yes, I affirm LGBTQ people here. Everybody is welcome here because it sucks that we even have to think about it, but, yeah, and because we do, we need places like, everywhere is queer. So I'm so glad that some random beverage corporate job experience took you around the country to land in this place where we now have this wonderful resource for the community.

Now, I heard you got a job board these days. What's up with that?

Charlie
Yeah, just launched a little four weeks ago, a job board front and center in app. So next to. When you download our app free on iOS and Android, you'll see it centered around our worldwide map of over 14,000 queer owned businesses, 26 different categories. But right next to it, front and center, we have our job board. This is a space for queer and allied corporations, organizations, nonprofits to post jobs right in front of our almost hundred thousand users. And, I mean, we had 6.52 million impressions in the month of June. Mean, that means how many times our app was opened. So, I mean, our people are. Our users are engaged. And so this is a space for you to, you know, post a job in front of this incredible community that's all 18 plus in age, too, so it's all adults.

Anna DeShawn
Wow. That is incredible. That is an incredible amount of usage.

Charlie
Isn't that insane?

I almost fell off my chair when I saw that number because, I mean, it's July 3. So while we're recording this, and I. Yeah. Just wild.

Anna DeShawn
I'm blown away. That is. That is wild. Charlie, congratulations. That is beautiful.

Charlie
Yeah. I mean.

Anna DeShawn
If you're a business owner, it is working. How about that? It is working.

Charlie
Yeah.

Anna DeShawn
And if you are LGBTQ owned business, how do you get set up inside the app? You say, like, I heard this, I want to be inside the app. What do they have to do?

Charlie
Yeah, it's free to join right now. So join now before. It's not free to join, but you'll apply via the profile tab of our app. You just click additive slash edit. My business or job posting takes you to our admin portal. Same login as the app. It's all synced. And that's where you'll apply to be on our platform. It's where you'll post jobs.

Yeah. A few other marketing opportunities for organizations on our platform in that our admin portal as well.

Anna DeShawn
So you didn't heard the word don't wait, okay. Because the price is going up. Yesterday's prices are not today's prices. Okay. So I don't know when you're gonna find this video, but I think you should do it right now, today. You all to get on it. I love that. I love that.

Charlie, what type of impact are you seeing that you're having on businesses and people right now? What are you hearing from the people and business owners?

Charlie
Thousands and thousands of messages every month that are saying thank you from a user perspective, my partner and I would have never gone on a cross country road trip without your platform. And now we're planning our first cross country road trip, mapping out all these safe spaces that we get to go to along the way.

From the business perspective, I had a hair salon in rural Texas. Reach out and share. I've received 15 new clients at my hair salon in one month of being listed on your platform. You're changing my life because my business is succeeding, and you're changing every single person's life that gets to sit in my seat as a queer person and get their gender affirming haircuts with full support.

So, I mean, I could go on and on with stories of thank yous. I mean, it's just genuine people reaching out, saying thank you.

Anna DeShawn
And I think this is the epitome of what community can look like in 2024. That's cool, right? I think that it is the power of people that will absolutely change the world and people with good hearts and good minds that all they want to do is do good and do their work and have a happy life. I mean, it's just, for me, I believe it is truly that simple.

Charlie
I mean, I believe that's what life is about. I mean, it's about community, it's about friendships. It's about supporting and uplifting each other, you know? And I feel like we've just gotten so far away from that in many ways and so divided. And it's like, let's bring it back to what we really want to the life we should be living, you know?

Anna DeShawn
Yeah. The life we should be living. And, Charlie, I feel like you might be living your best life right now.

Charlie
I mean, I will say, I'm going to be honest, this has been really hard. I know it may seem like it's all, you know, roses, but it's been really hard to grow this business and figure out how to pay my bills, you know, and stuff like that. But we're doing it. The app has been a game changer. So if you're listening, please go download our app. It's free on iOS and Android. Give us a five star review. We're rocking a 5.0 on Apple app store. We got a 4.8 on Android, but we're still, you know, we're doing good, you know, over 350 reviews, five stars.

Anna DeShawn
Amazing. And I don't want to. I don't want to move past that, because as a fellow founder, I want you to know I see you, and I know exactly what you mean. People ask me all the time. They like, Anna, how'd you do it? You're having such great success. I'm like, chile. I miss auto pay, okay?

I miss a guaranteed check every two weeks.

Charlie
Oh, do I understand that?

Anna DeShawn
You know, you don't know what you miss until you don't have it no more.

Charlie
Okay?

Anna DeShawn
Insurance. I'm grateful for a wife who is willing to keep a job that also provides me health insurance in this reaffirming state of Illinois. Okay. And so I don't want to miss that moment. Family, if you're listening to this, right. Entrepreneurship, it is a mood unlike any other mood that I think any founder has ever experienced. It's the wildest roller coaster ride you will ever ride, because as high as you can get is as low as you can get, quite literally. And the higher you get is, the lower the low can get. And when you decide to take that risk, you are getting on that type of a ride. And so, Charlie, for anybody listening, is there a way they can donate to you and to the business?

Charlie
Absolutely. On our website, everywhere, isqueer.com, we have a donate section. It's in our store section. Just scroll down and you'll see the donate option.

So grateful. If anyone chooses to donate, the biggest thing people can do, of course, donate your money. I'm so grateful. But download our app and just know that we're going to be building out ways for people to support in app and make it really easy.

All I ask is like, download our app and we have a long list of things to come. The job board is just the first one to come since the next edition, since we launched four months ago.

But we have a whole list, you know, so just stay tuned. We're going to be expanding significantly and have so many resources for the queer, trans and ally community.

Anna DeShawn
Oh, I was just about to ask, what can we expect in the future? I think that might be, I mean, I think that might be the tease right now.

Charlie
But just know that we are building and expanding in a lot of ways. Coming soon.

Anna DeShawn
Well, I can't wait to see what those ways look like. And family, you already know the call to action. Go download the app. Give it a five star rating. Okay. And Charlie, can I just say thank you. Thank you for building this.

Charlie
Thank you. Thank you.

Anna DeShawn
Thank you for building this. Thank you for creating space for queer business owners. We're going to put our business inside of everywhere is queer. So folks know that we're here. Because I think one thing that I thought was really great was that online businesses can be included as well. They're not all brick and mortar, correct?

Charlie
100%. We have an entire online business section. So as I was explaining earlier, it's centered around our map next to it's the job board. If you go the other way, to the left of it is our online business section. We have 31 different categories. So all you have to put is a city and a state.

And if you're an online business owner. You don't even have to be a registered llc.

We welcome your small etsy shops. We want to support you.

Anna DeShawn
You heard it here. You heard it here. And if this is the first place you're hearing it, tell somebody else, okay. Download everywhere is queer today. And thank you, family. And thank you, Charlie, for joining me.

Charlie
Absolutely. Thanks for having me, Anna.

Anna DeShawn
Absolutely, family. Stay close, you know? More coming from Anna DeShawn right here on e three radio, your number one stop for queer news. Done right.

If you've enjoyed what you heard, rate and review us inside your favorite podcasting app. This podcast is written and produced by me, Anna Deshawn. Podcast editing by Ryan Woodhull and brought to you by e three radio and distributed on theCube. We are queer news. Done right.