For many, the holiday season often includes a trip back to their hometowns, a chance to catch up and perhaps explore the local scene. However, some users of the popular dating app Grindr received unexpected and bizarre messages while reacquainting themselves with their hometown's LGBTQ+ scene.
One viral post shared by X user @wheffrey—who goes by "Jeffrey" or "JP"—highlighted an unusual exchange after he accessed Grindr during his own holiday visit.
JP, a designer who lives in Washington, D.C., returned to rural Vermont for a brief stay. To his surprise, someone messaged him on Grindr, sending a photo of his own high school yearbook picture in an attempt to catch his attention.
JP posted a screenshot of the exchange to X, formerly Twitter, and captioned it with a tongue-in-cheek warning:
"Here's your reminder not to open Grindr in your hometown during the holidays."
You can see the Grindr exchange below.
@wheffrey/X
After the post attracted attention, Queerty reached out to JP to inquire if he responded to the individual who sent the message.
JP told the news outlet:
“I did not respond to the guy. I had no clue who he was, which is even creepier. Not sure if he was a previous classmate I never met or if he was just some random person who knew of me.”
Social media users expressed a mix of shock and amusement, with some admitting they would have dropped their phone in disbelief upon receiving such a message.
After one user said the exchange was "disturbing," JP joked he would be "locking" his doors.
JP's post has received more than 18,500 likes and shared thousands of times since he shared it on X.
Let his story be a lesson about opening Grindr the next time you're home for the holidays.
The quirks of using dating and hookup apps aside, it's worth remembering that there's less privacy in areas with much smaller dating pools.
@jaketapoer/Bluesky
