Straight writer uses Grindr to out Olympic athletes in Rio

NEWS website The Daily Beast has come under fire for a story it published which potentially outed a number of gay athletes at the Rio Olympics, many of whom come from countries which are homophobic or where homosexuality is illegal.

Journalist Nico Hines used a number of dating apps including Grindr to investigate rumours the Olympic Athlete’s Village was a “hotbed of partying athletes, hookups, and sex, sex, sex“.

Despite being a heterosexual, married father, Hines used Grindr to arrange dates with a number of male athletes to find out “how do the rest of us get an invite? Can an Average Joe join the bacchanalia?”

In his piece, Hines described a number of the gay athletes by physical appearance, the sport they compete in and the countries they are from – noting himself many are from homophobic countries.

Commentators argued Hines outed the athletes without their consent. The Daily Beast has since removed the identifying lines from the piece after social media users tore them to shreds for the story and potentially jeopardising the safety of many athletes.

“(The story) is a uniquely disgusting and irresponsible entry into the tired genre. Hines entices his (often closeted) subjects under false pretences; effectively outs several closeted athletes who live in repressive countries; then writes about the whole thing in a tone of mocking yet lurid condescension,” Mark Joseph Stern wrote for Slate.

Hines said he used his real photo on the dating apps and admitted to the people he met up with that he was a journalist if they asked who he was.

“The (journalists) code of ethics also clearly states: “Avoid undercover or surreptitious methods of gathering information unless traditional, open methods will not yield information vital to the public,” Matthew Rodriguez wrote in mic.com.

“Though Hines says he “confessed to being a journalist as soon as anyone asked who [he] was,” he never says he confessed to being a straight person who was ready to out athletes.

“Hines chose to use “surreptitious methods,” but delivered no vital information in this article. His piece doesn’t respect his subjects: It mocks gay people and treats them like zoo animals behind a glass barrier.”

John Avlon, The Daily Beast’s editor in chief issued a statement below Hines’ amended story saying the website took the complaints about the piece seriously and it was committed to promoting the rights of LGBTI people.

However, he argued Hines’ story did not sex-shame people for using Grindr.

“We do not feel he did this in any way. But it’s up to us to deliver stories that are so clear, they can’t be misinterpreted—and we clearly fell short of that standard in this article,” Avlon said in the statement.

Social media was on fire with people criticising the piece, but the best smack down came from Tongan swimmer Amini Fonua who is openly gay despite homosexuality being illegal in Tonga.

It is still illegal to be gay in Tonga, and while I'm strong enough to be me in front of the world, not everybody else is. Respect that.

— Amini Fonua (@AminiFonua) August 11, 2016

Imagine the one space you can feel safe, the one space you’re able to be yourself, ruined by a straight person who thinks it’s all a joke?

— Amini Fonua (@AminiFonua) August 11, 2016

No straight person will ever know the pain of revealing your truth, to take that away is just… I can’t. It literally brings me to tears

— Amini Fonua (@AminiFonua) August 11, 2016

Imagine the one space you can feel safe, the one space you’re able to be yourself, ruined by a straight person who thinks it’s all a joke?

— Amini Fonua (@AminiFonua) August 11, 2016

As an out gay athlete from a country that is still very homophobic, @thedailybeast ought to be ashamed #deplorable https://t.co/qzS9rDFJwx

— Amini Fonua (@AminiFonua) August 11, 2016

Shame this inhumane CREEP who thought it’d be funny to endanger people’s lives in the village @NicoHines pic.twitter.com/5TTom3i9c6

— Amini Fonua (@AminiFonua) August 11, 2016