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- Title
Back-and-Forth: Between Krash Klub and Grindr.
- Authors
RAMOS, REGNER
- Abstract
This research paper discusses queer bodies, technologies and spaces in Puerto Rico, situating them within digital and spatial theory, in an attempt to fill a void in the island's architectural and urban discourse and their relation to the LGBTQ community. A critical exploration of the interrelation between digital and physical queer spaces, the paper is informed by two case studies: Grindr--a GPS mobile application for gay sociability--and Krash Klub--one of San Juan's most important gay nightclubs during the 1990s and 2000s. Through a material reading of Grindr's interface alongside a spatial description of the architecture of the popular Santurce club, the paper positions Grindr and Krash within a discussion rooted on marginalization within the LGBTQ community, privacy and discretion, spontaneous encounters and the importance of spaces for queer practices to unfold in Puerto Rico. Similarly, resorting to this backand- forth discussion of a contemporary app's digital space alongside a nowclosed venue's physical space, the paper explores how Grindr reinforces and highlights long-standing problems such as machismo and invisibility within Puerto Rican queer culture, while acknowledging the politics of space at an urban level.
- Subjects
LGBTQ+ communities; ONLINE dating; DATING (Social customs); INTERNET friendship; GRINDR LLC; PUERTO Rican history
- Publication
Centro Journal, 2020, Vol 32, Issue 2, p75
- ISSN
1538-6279
- Publication type
Article