March 14, 2025

As You Are: First Indian Queer App for A More Transparent & Honest Exchange

Date:

Share post:

YouTube player

Desk Editor & Tarushi Singh, Keekli Intern

The digital world is full of dating and match-making Apps, but the recently held Maya Bazaar in Shimla introduced us to one such App – As You Are; India’s first dating App for the LGBTQIA+ Community. In conversation with Sunali Aggarwal the Co-Founder of ‘As You Are’ App and Deepti, the content’s lead partner, we find out whys and hows of starting this innovative idea.

YouTube player

The tag line run, ‘Where you can hangout with queer folks, discuss your hobbies or find someone special. A safe space to just chat, debate, discover, and be yourself!’ As Sonali shares, she created this App based on firsthand experiences of queer friends, who found it very difficult to find love while being closeted. The community as such is conditioned to hide their sexuality, which makes it rather difficult to be in a relationship or even find a partner to date. And now since Section 377 has been abolished, it has legally created avenues for entrepreneurs like us and thus the idea of this specific dating App was born. This App will help the community, not just from a relationship standpoint but from a perspective of living a life as they want to and how they want, without any judgements.

Deepti added, “The community has a mix of individuals, some are closeted and some are out, to cater to the needs of the larger community a virtual platform would be a great and safe method for interaction, which was the idea behind creating this App, ‘As You Are’, the name says it all. The App is made for social networking and dating, specifically for the LGBTQIA+ community, this safe space allows people with parallel interests to interact with each other and participate in events, discussions, debates, etc., hosted by the company, consequently, they become more familiar with the interface and other feature.”

An App like this might leave individuals wondering about personal security or it being misused by miscreants, the team explained that the profiles that are created are verified through face identification verification, gender and location, to ensure that the subscriber is genuine and verified. Since inception they have had more than 60,000+ app downloads and 32,000 active users, thus security is one of the main priorities of their App. The App follows a ‘no pressure’ policy. The users do not require a linkage with another social media platform aka Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc., which makes their personal interests and information more accessible. The App is unique and admirable in another aspect, it wants the users to focus more on the personality rather than the looks of the person, this is because the people of the community look for a safe and healthy space, and while making friends or looking for love interests another individual’s physical appearance cannot be the only criteria for determining the person personality, thus, it brings about various events which let the individuals have a more transparent and honest exchange.

On an end note, more than an App, As You Are focuses on making it a happy space for the community as a collective where people can express themselves unapologetically and feel free. The Team encourages users to join the App and primarily have fun, they would also love to hear feedback from the users so that the foundation of the App can become stronger, safer and more efficient.

Daily News Bulletin

Keekli Bureau
Keekli Bureau
Dear Reader, we are dedicated to delivering unbiased, in-depth journalism that seeks the truth and amplifies voices often left unheard. To continue our mission, we need your support. Every contribution, no matter the amount, helps sustain our research, reporting and the impact we strive to make. Join us in safeguarding the integrity and transparency of independent journalism. Your support fosters a free press, diverse viewpoints and an informed democracy. Thank you for supporting independent journalism.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Related articles

Holi Festivities at Shemrock Buttercups: Kids Play with Flowers & Dance in Joy!

The festival of Holi was celebrated with great enthusiasm at Shemrock Buttercups Pre-School, Khalini. The young children enjoyed...

Himachal on High Alert! War Against Drug Abuse

The monthly meeting of the Himachal Pradesh State AIDS Control Society was held today under the chairmanship of...

Sujanpur Holi Fair Declared as an International Event!

While presiding over the first cultural evening of the National-level Sujanpur Holi Fair in Hamirpur district late evening...

Sainik School Sujanpur to Get Synthetic Track & Increased Budget

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu visited the Sainik School in Sujanpur Tihra of District Hamirpur today and...