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Grindr launches Gaymoji, because ​every eggplant is unique

Nothing says "I love you" like a picture of a perfect peach.

Claire Reilly Former Principal Video Producer
Claire Reilly was a video host, journalist and producer covering all things space, futurism, science and culture. Whether she's covering breaking news, explaining complex science topics or exploring the weirder sides of tech culture, Claire gets to the heart of why technology matters to everyone. She's been a regular commentator on broadcast news, and in her spare time, she's a cabaret enthusiast, Simpsons aficionado and closet country music lover. She originally hails from Sydney but now calls San Francisco home.
Expertise Space, Futurism, Science and Sci-Tech, Robotics, Tech Culture Credentials
  • Webby Award Winner (Best Video Host, 2021), Webby Nominee (Podcasts, 2021), Gold Telly (Documentary Series, 2021), Silver Telly (Video Writing, 2021), W3 Award (Best Host, 2020), Australian IT Journalism Awards (Best Journalist, Best News Journalist 2017)
Claire Reilly
grindr-gaymoji.jpg

A picture tells a thousand raunchy words.

Screenshot by Claire Reilly/CNET

Banana hammock, butt dial, it's raining men -- sometimes the standard emoji just doesn't cut it in the dating scene.

But Grindr, the dating app for gay and bi men, has a solution: Gaymoji!

The set of 500 new emojis features everything from roses and martinis down to handcuffs, blindfolds and bears, sorted into categories like objects, mood and... ahem, eggplants.

Speaking to The New York Times, the app's founder Joel Simkhai said standard emojis just weren't cutting it anymore.

"Partly, this project started because the current set of emojis set by some international board were limited and not evolving fast enough for us," he said. "If I wanted to say something about going dancing, I would always have to use the red-dress dancing woman. I thought, 'Why isn't there a guy dancing?'"

You can download the Gaymoji app for free on iTunes and Google Play. You'll get the first 100 emojis for free, with the rest available to buy for $3.99 (AU$5.29, £3.89)

Perfect if you want to let someone know you've just had your eggplant pierced.