What started out as a Tumblr post in 2015 and evolved into a concept in 2016, then spun into a fully realized company in 2017 is now a well considered product. The struggles and development and growth were outmatched by our collective commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community and the pressing need for a platform that simply began to make space for the complexities nuances of human interactions across identities.
From a buggy beta, a group of supportive community members and technologists, and patient beta testers, we were slowly able to outline what needed to be improved upon and how it needed to be redone. For many months, we researched and analyzed every step of the process: questioning, and tearing apart the underlying assumptions around not only identity but privacy, safety, and protections for a marginalized population. We theorized about what a world could look like when we not only acknowledge but de-stigmatize loving all bodies, especially those not seen as worthy of love, in our ableist white supremacist capitalist society. “ We have a lot of work to do. And our simple message is that we prioritize safety, security, and community accountability above everything else.”
Thurst is by no means perfect — we are merely poking at the surface of a larger social consciousness around the acceptance and understanding of the vastness of gender, as well as the gradation of sexual, intimate, emotional, psychological, and social connections.
Through creating and continuing to develop Thurst, we hope to reshape and change the way we all view sex, gender, and sexuality. We ask users to consider how we share and express love. Thurst is decolonizing dating through broadening the idea of who deserves love and how love can be shared and received online.
This app couldn’t have been re-launched without all of you. You have my endless gratitude and thanks. Please follow our progress on Facebook, Twitter, and Thurst.co if you want to keep up with what we’re doing!
I appreciate you all for your support and love! ️️️
- Morgen
