The days when we were forced to meet in gay villages for safety in an often-hostile world may be coming to an end, but the sense of community that it fostered doesn’t need to be.
Why Queer Community?
While acceptance of LGBT+ issues has come a long way in recent years, many of us grew up in times that weren’t so accepting. Even today, the experience of growing up LGBT+ comes with challenges that our straight counterparts don’t face. These challenges forge our characters and give us a unique view of the world. There is value in coming together as a community.
Queer people have a shared life experience.
Why Online?
As acceptance of LGBT+ people into broader society has increased, the need for dedicated gay villages has decreased. Rather than lamenting this fact, we want to bring that sense of queer community into the 21st century by bringing it online.
Bricks-and-mortar gay villages are shrinking all over the world.
Why Apollo Social?
We aren’t a big corporation trying to cash in on the pink dollar. Nor are we another hookup app that leaves you feeling more isolated and lonely. We are motivated by the love of community and the shared connection this can bring.
Even though we grew up on different sides of the globe, we had a remarkably similar experience. We would go to our local gay bar on a Friday night and recognise most faces in the room. Even if we hadn’t met them, you would share a glance of recognition. Conversations would flow from one table to another. We were bound by an invisible sense of connection. What’s more, we could find the same sense of community in any gay bar we travelled to in the world.
Fast forward to today and it is harder and harder to find that same sense of community. During our adventures abroad, we tried to find a way to connect with other queer people. Bars are no longer buzzing, and people tend to keep to themselves. Hookup apps don’t usually lead to meaningful connection. What we needed was Apollo Social. There was one problem - it didn’t exist yet. So we set to work creating it.
It’s important for us to clarify our core values so members know what they’re getting in for before they sign up. Our values also help direct our efforts when planning the future of the community. With that in mind, our community is based on the following values.
