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Sanders and Trump lead respective parties in Grindr poll

Gay male hookup app polls users about their political views

Grindr logo (Photo: Grindr, via Facebook).
Grindr logo (Photo: Grindr, via Facebook).

The online hookup app Grindr has released the results of an online poll surveying its users’ political opinions, including their choices for the upcoming 2016 presidential election.

According to the poll, which was taken by 1,718 Grindr users in the United States over the weekend of Sept. 12-13, LGBTQ voters who use Grindr are highly engaged in the electoral process and reject “identity politics” when making a decision about how to vote.

According to the write-up of the Grindr poll, 76 percent of users say they vote in both general and presidential elections, and 75 percent say that, given the influence local school boards have over LGBT-related issues, they feel motivated to participate in local elections. The poll also found that 64 percent say they are motivated by the “culture wars” — which can negatively target the LGBT community — to participate in non-presidential elections.

When asked to name the biggest issue facing America today, 50 percent named the economy, with just over 10 percent picking immigration and just under 10 percent choosing health care. Nine percent of Grindr users picked “minority rights,” while only 3 percent picked “LGBT rights” as a top concern.

According to demographic information collected by the poll, 56 percent of Grindr users said they were either in the 20-29 or 30-39 age groups. 51 percent identified as Democrats, 19 percent as Independents and 15 percent as Republicans. 

In the presidential horse race for the two major parties’ respective nominations, Bernie Sanders edges Hilary Clinton among Democrats, 38 percent to 35 percent. On the GOP side, Donald Trump won 21 percent of Grindr users who are Republicans, followed by John Kasich and Jeb Bush, each with 7 percent, and Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina tied at 5 percent.

The poll also asked what the next issue of concern for LGBT voters should be after achieving marriage equality. Forty-one percent selected ending discrimination and pushing the Equality Act, while 15 percent picked fighting HIV/AIDS and about 12 percent picked “ensuring that states follow the law on marriage and adoption” and “strengthening transgender rights.”

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