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Grindr and Snapchat are being used as baiting tools for some of the worst attacks against gay and bisexual men the community has seen in 40 years. By Hannah Bambra.

Apps used as baiting tools in homophobic attacks

Melbourne queer bar The Laird was recently defaced.

Credit: Dean Arcuri

Platforms such as Grindr and Snapchat are increasingly being used across Australia to lure gay men to meetings where they are then violently attacked.

Victoria’s LGBTQIA+ commissioner, Joe Ball, says the weaponisation of social networking apps is the latest development in a rising tide of vilification against marginalised communities.

“These attacks against gay and bi+ men are deeply distressing. I’m heartbroken and I’m angry,” says Ball. “These attacks are deliberate, organised and hateful and have left their victims with deep psychological scars. They have taken away people’s sense of safety and belonging in their communities – and not just for the victim-survivors but for those of us who feel like we may be next.”

Victoria Police allege several groups of offenders – primarily young men aged between 13 and 20 – have been posing as legitimate users of networking platforms to arrange encounters and then variously assault, rob, threaten or subject respondents to homophobic insults. Police revealed in May that at least 35 arrests had been made in relation to these assaults.

Simon Ruth, chief executive of Thorne Harbour Health, says this spate of violent attacks is the worst in more than 40 years.

“We saw a young gay man murdered in the city earlier in the year. Another couple were attacked with machetes in the northern suburbs. A town in Gippsland was defaced the day it was due to hold a rural Pride event,” he says. “There is a larger cultural backlash occurring.”

Some reports say “influencers” who target young men are encouraging these hate crimes throughout the country. Videos of alleged incidents have also been posted on social media to further shame victims or threaten to out them.

In June this year, five teenagers were sentenced in Perth after using fake Grindr profiles to lure men to secluded areas, where they were then ambushed and robbed. Attacks were often filmed and included tasering, physical assault and theft. One of the victims was stripped naked and hit in the face, losing teeth in the process. Another was chased into traffic and struck by a vehicle.

In separate incidents in Canberra, two gay men claim they were assaulted by groups of attackers. The first man reported four assailants, while the second reported seven.

In May this year, two Sydney men were sentenced to more than six years’ jail for a series of robberies targeting gay men through Grindr in 2023. The five victims – mostly middle-aged men – were threatened, assaulted and forced to hand over phones, bank passwords and other personal documents. The attackers stole more than $22,000 in total.

“For those who lived through the ’80s and ’90s, this feels painfully familiar. And for younger people, it’s a stark reminder that progress can’t be taken for granted,” says Simon Ruth.

“We can’t allow a rising tide of violence to push us backwards. Real change is needed – from community leaders, politicians and our schools – to address the root causes of this violence.”

A community forum was held last month at The Laird, a queer bar in Melbourne. The intention was to bring together community voices and create a safe space for people to share their stories.

“It became clear that many more incidents have occurred than have been officially reported,” says Ruth. “We heard deeply distressing accounts of robbery and assault, many involving a clear pattern of being lured through dating apps.”

Somebody I know recently told me about an attack. After leaving his home one night, he was ambushed by a group of men who demanded his phone, wallet and keys. When he refused, they beat and stabbed him. He said some of the questions asked by authorities when he reported the incident implied more blame than concern: “Well, were you meeting up with someone?”

LGBTQIA+ victim-survivors often report similar attitudes from authorities: their dignity is questioned instead of protected.

Jenna Tuke has 25 years of experience working in the field of sexual assault and gendered violence. She also leads the LGBTQIA+ organisation Switchboard. Tuke says the number of attacks that have been reported to police are most likely only a fraction of the total.

“We know that the barriers to accessing support include the fear of not being believed, the fear of being blamed for the assault and the fear of losing control over who knows what has happened to them,” says Tuke.

“This situation is primed for victim-blaming narratives, which are likely to compound the fear of being blamed for the assault and the fear of being outed and exposed, which some community members might already be feeling.”

For these reasons, many queer people may not feel comfortable reporting attacks directly to police. Commissioner Joe Ball is encouraging anyone who has experienced violence to speak to an LGBTQIA+ liaison officer or go to community organisations, such as Thorne Harbour Health, who may be able to make third-party reports.

While community members can take certain precautions, many say that platforms such as Grindr, Scruff and Snapchat should be doing more to protect the communities they profit from. This could include more robust age verification, which could help reduce the number of fake profiles. Grindr and Snapchat were contacted for comment.

Joe Ball co-hosted the community forum, which about 70 people attended. He says opinions in the room were mixed about whether enough is being done. Many reported feeling angry and scared. The key message he hopes people took away was that this increased abuse is being taken seriously. “Your safety, your dignity and your freedom matters,” he says.

“I will keep fighting for a Victoria where all of us can live free from hate. Always remember that you don’t deserve this. Victims of crime live with wondering, ‘Why me?’ and ‘What could I have done to avoid this violence?’ However, we know – and in these recent attacks it is no different – that nobody deserves to be targeted, beaten, humiliated and extorted.”

Yet no LGBTQIA+ community members were invited to the Victorian premier’s Anti-Hate Taskforce, which launched last week. Premier Jacinta Allan made a statement that if further action were needed to keep Victorians safe, the government would not hesitate to take it.

“If this is her position, we call on the premier to recognise that the violence against our communities is also unacceptable,” says Ruth. “It’s out of control and requires a coordinated and multifaceted response.”

Community member Odus Moore was also on the panel at the community forum. They say that while they don’t think enough is being done, there is more awareness among authorities in Victoria. “Other states don’t have people actively going through police reports to find this trend,” they say. “But we still don’t have a full picture of what’s going on in Victoria and in Australia.”

Moore says that alt-right content creators are fuelling moral panic. They say homosexuality has long been publicly discussed as a sexual deviance, a threat to children and morally corrupt. “It’s always – we’re dangerous to children,” they reflect. “There is no evidence to suggest this. The narrative sticks because it’s a powerful tool. It creates fear. It dehumanises us. And it gives people something to fight against when they feel powerless in other parts of their lives. It’s not surprising, but it’s still devastating.”

At the community forum, Moore heard the experiences of victim-survivors firsthand. “I also got to see how community connection and sharing our stories can be healing, just to know that we have each other’s backs,” they said. “And people do not need to suffer alone in silence.”

The Laird has since been defaced with homophobic slurs. Another iconic queer venue, Eagle Leather, has been spray-painted with the words “God hates fags”.

In response to the vandalism, The Laird draped Pride banners to hide the slurs before opening its doors. The venue’s message was clear – even in the face of violence and hatred, rainbow flags still fly proud.

This article was first published in the print edition of The Saturday Paper on July 19, 2025 as "‘Don’t suffer in silence’".

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