Daily Beast writer Nico Hines has penned a bizarre feature story on using the dating app Grindr while in Rio for the Summer Olympics. It’s a clear example of what not-to-do when reporting on sensitive subjects as a responsible journalist.
As part of the story, he organised hookups with Olympic athletes through the gay dating site, but he alarmingly went to great lengths to describe the people he had spoken to within his piece. He refers to the athletes’ heights, weights, physical features, and position in their respective competitions. In the process, he has potentially outed multiple gay athletes.
He even notes that one of the planned hookups was with someone from “a notoriously homophobic country.” Homosexuality is still criminalized, and even punishable by death is some nations and the writer is being slammed for potentially putting these LGBT people in real danger.
As an out gay athlete from a country that is still very homophobic, @thedailybeast ought to be ashamed #deplorable https://t.co/qzS9rDFJwx
— Amini Fonua (@AminiFonua) August 11, 2016
@NicoHines Some of these people you just outed are my FRIENDS. With family and lives that are forever going to be affected by this
— Amini Fonua (@AminiFonua) August 11, 2016
One of the most contentious parts of the article, is that Hines is straight. In the article, he says:
“For the record, I didn’t lie to anyone or pretend to be someone I wasn’t—unless you count being on Grindr in the first place—since I’m straight, with a wife and child.”
This have further infuriated readers, as an example of straight privilege almost mocking and trivialising the lives of LGBT people.
In an editors note since, editor John Avlon said that a number of readers had complained to The Daily Beast, which had prompted another edit of the article, removing some of the more sensitive information.
“There was legitimate concern that the original version of this story might out gay male athletes, even by implication, or compromise their safety,” Avlon said.
That Daily Beast article looks a lot different to how it did when I went to sleep. Still the work of irresponsible straight dudes though.
— Brodie Lancaster (@brodielancaster) August 11, 2016
“No names were ever used and some of the profiles described were of straight women. But there was a concern that even mentioning the home nation of some gay athletes could compromise their safety. We apologize for potentially jeopardizing that safety in any way. As a result, we have removed all descriptions of the men and women’s profiles that we previously described.”
But despite their revisions, some of the text still alludes to specific people, such as:
“They included one of the world’s top equestrians and a track and field athlete a few days away from competing,” as well as “One Olympian wanted to commiserate over his sixth-place finish”.
Predictably people are pretty pissed that the article in its original form was even published and took to Twitter to air their frustrations.
i fixed this @NicoHines pic.twitter.com/KDIGTuUvmC
— Bec Shaw (@Brocklesnitch) August 11, 2016
.@NicoHines So as a straight man, just how much understanding do you think you have of the pressures around being an openly LGBTI athlete?
— David Alexander (@davidFalexander) August 11, 2016
A married, straight white man (@NicoHines) goes to Rio, joins Grindr, lures closeted athletes to him so he can out them on @TheDailyBeast. ?
— Awesomely Luvvie (@Luvvie) August 11, 2016
I generally like @thedailybeast. I've read the @thedailybeast's editor's response re: @NicoHines & it is insufficient.
— deray mckesson (@deray) August 11, 2016
2 @thedailybeast & @NicoHines: If 1 Olympian u essentially outed from a country where gays are executed is killd, how'll u live w/ urselves?
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) August 11, 2016
Hey @NicoHines, I don't think the purpose of your press badge & access to Olympic village was to endanger the safety of closeted Olympians.
— Shawn Ahmed (@uncultured) August 11, 2016
shame on @NicoHines/@thedailybeast. LGBTQ+ people deserve respect. we are not your zoo animals. so infuriating. https://t.co/wgCXgTtFyU
— Tyler Oakley (@tyleroakley) August 11, 2016
.@NicoHines I can't even begin to understand on what level you thought it was ok to write what you did. The privilege is beyond outrageous.
— Michael Beveridge (@mickyb273) August 12, 2016
Imagine the one space you can feel safe, the one space you're able to be yourself, ruined by a straight person who thinks it's all a joke?
— Amini Fonua (@AminiFonua) August 11, 2016
