Got Hornet?

Courtesy of Hornet

Move over, Grindr. There’s a new gay social app in town.

When Hornet launched last year, it may have looked like your average hookup app with hot photos of local guys for the cruising. But after testing the waters among users in Asia, Hornet introduced the “Know Your Status” campaign that lets HIV-positive or recently positive guys opt to use a special icon to denote their status. While some may view the tactic as, well, a little tacky, users are responded well, says the app maker.

Not only are more members being honest about their status, but there’s even a built-in reminder for HIV-negative guys to get retested when the status lapses to “unknown.”

Hornet also keeps members updated about issues that are important to the gay community, including local events, politics and domestic and international human rights news. The app recently joined the fight in St. Petersburg after the Russian city adopted anti-gay legislation.

TechCrunch reports the app is growing in popularity about 150 percent each month with 150,000 registered users and 100,000 sessions per day. And while most of the features (and even the interface) are pretty much on par with other gay social apps, the security sets it apart, allowing closeted users to turn off profiles based on geographic areas.

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