GRINDHER? Say Goodbye to Your Current Fruit Fly and Hello to GalPal

Attention gay men! The days of settling for whichever drunken bachelorette-party reject glommed onto you at the local gay bar are over. Debuting this summer, the new app GalPal connects gay men and straight women to create lasting friendships based on more than just a shared fondness for Cosmopolitans and men in tight pants.

"We need to celebrate the type of love that transcends sex and traditional romantic relationships," said Jasmine Sassounian, who founded GalPal in 2015. "Whether it be between a straight woman and a gay man, straight man and a gay woman -- or between an individual questioning their sexuality seeking platonic companionship -- GalPal seeks to create those meaningful connections by bringing people together who may not have otherwise had the opportunity to meet."

GalPal is the new friendship app that connects people who seek lasting relationships by matching individuals with specific interests and hobbies. Centered on building real, meaningful, supportive relationships, GalPal is not for hookups or cringe-worthy first dates.

Sassounian, a first-time app creator, said that she was spurred to start GalPal because of her own personal friendships with gay men throughout high school and college. Few friends stuck around after she got married, but those who did remain were her gay male friends.

"To this day, they are a big part of my life," said Sassounian. "I just felt like it was easy to be with them. I could always call them and jump back into it with them. It was different than my friendships with other women."

She also found herself heartbroken when she witnessed her other Middle Eastern gay friends coming out to their parents, who then wanted nothing to do with their children. Watching one "flamboyant" friend come out to his parents, she thought it would be nice if gay men could also easily find supportive friends to connect with during this process.

Unlike dating apps, GalPal connects people based on and shared interests -- dancing, eating out, events, nightlife, entertainment, shopping, traveling and more. Like Tinder or Bumble, a user can learn more about a potential friend by swiping right for profiles that spark friendship goals and left if it's just not the right fit. This allows for a better fit than just befriending whomever sidles up at the bar. And it's especially helpful for folks moving to a new place.

"A lot of friends have told me that when they moved to a new city, they didn't know where to go," said Sassounian. "Big cities like Los Angeles and New York can be very intimidating, and gay people weren't always welcoming. I figured it must be a problem for a lot of people to come out, make friends and not have it be about sex. For me, GalPal is a way to bring females and males together in a platonic way."

The app is targeted to gay men and straight women but welcomes anyone who wants to make friends. You share your interests in the "About Me" section, and the app connects you to like-minded people.

"We're here to connect people," said Sassounian. "We're having parties to bring people together in real time, and so far the response has been great. We've started the local launch in LA, and hopefully we will go international."

Sassounian said GalPal removes sex from the equation, and vets everyone through Facebook. If someone makes advances, you can report them.

GalPal also offers an Advice & Support matching option, where individuals can connect and talk to someone in a safe and private context. This feature was inspired by the knowledge that young people are often struggling with their sexuality and may not have access to an open-minded friend or community.
Sassounian believes that in order to promote equality and acceptance, we must embrace both the differences and similarities between all communities.

One of Sassounian's friends, Ian Maxion, also a GalPal partner, said, "What drew me to GalPal is the company's objective to bridge the gap between the LGBT and the straight community. It's a safe and fun place for people to connect with the simple basis of being who you truly are."

Marking their official launch this summer, GalPal kicked off a series of LGBTQ fundraising campaigns, beginning with a partnership with Rest in Pride, a video social campaign honoring the 49 lives taken in the Orlando Pulse shooting. Rest in Pride invites the LGBTQ community and its allies to share their most prideful memories in order to inspire individuals all around the world to confront hate directly and to live proudly and authentically. (Learn more about showing your support at restinpride.org.)

"We wanted to help them raise money, so we gave them donations and helped post videos through our GalPal influencers," said Sassounian. "My events help people to learn about them, and the funds raised went to the families of the victims. We want to continue this work with other LGBTQ nonprofits."

Sassounian said she will keep these events going in local cities to bring people together. "Don't be shy. You don't have to eat your meals by yourself. You don't have to be lonely," she said. "We want people to feel as though they can log in and connect with anyone. People are very engaged with social media these days, but it's a disservice that it's all via iPads. You just can't replace the actual engagement you get from hanging out with someone. No phone call or text can replace that. And that's what we want to keep going. We don't want anyone to feel left behind."

Download the GalPal app in the iOS app store today, or visit galpalapp.com.