One might say that for an app that seeks to transcend labels, it sure is clutching tightly onto one label in particular: masc. That said, there's something more than a little problematic about Bro's packaging, which features such hallmarks of bro culture as frat-y red Solo cups and the stereotypically manly mascots (not to mention the usage of the word "bro" over and over again).
"So I actually think this app is going to be perfect for them for now." "They have no community and nowhere to go to meet," he said. Psychotherapist and author of the book Is My Husband Gay, Straight, or Bi? Joe Kort told Mic that given the stigma against men having sex with other men, an app catering to sexually fluid men could be useful. So despite its "no labels" branding, there seems to be an understanding that the majority of men who would be interested in a networking app for men-seeking-men are likely to be gay or bi.
"The app is geared towards men that typically identify as bi/gay, and sexually fluid men are welcome to try it," he told Mic. Kutler is quick to point out, though, that Bro isn't just trying to be a Grindr for straight (or "straight," whatever) dudes. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention supported the idea that "bro jobs" might actually be a thing, reporting that 2.8% of straight-identified men have engaged in anal or oral sex with other men. This interpretation would certainly be in line with the recent flurry of internet trend pieces highlighting the prevalence of male sexual fluidity, many of which have been pegged to last year's buzzy book Not Gay: Sex Between Straight White Men by Jane Ward. "We've found labels are becoming less and less relevant - and rightfully so, since they can be damaging."īut gay website Queerty wrote that the app caters specifically to "heteroflexible" guys seeking "bro jobs" - in other words, straight men who dabble in gay sex while ostensibly maintaining their straight identities. "One of the reasons we don't state bi or gay in our app is that we believe it shouldn't matter when meeting other men," Kutler told Mic in an email. Because of the app's avoidance of explicit sexual labels, there is some confusion as to who exactly it's designed for.īro founder Scott Kutler told Mic that the app is catering to dudes who want to have sex with other men, without explicitly self-identifying as gay or bisexual.