Blued, an app in China that lets gay men share their experiences, has reached 15 million users since its debut two years ago.
The app was created by former high-ranking police officer Ma Baoli, who previously ran a website called HisDanlan.org where he spoke under a pseudonym about the pressure he experienced as a homosexual, according to the Associated Press. The police from the Qinhuangdao force found out about the website several years later and told him he couldn't run a private website that was making money from advertisements while working as a cop, and Baoli chose to keep his website going.
Activism of any kind is considered dangerous in China, and homosexuality has long been considered taboo in the country. Baoli has been able to obtain success with his company, Blue City, by talking to government agencies and proving that his service could provide messages about safe sex. His work on preventing AIDS earned him a meeting with Li Keqiang, the current Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, in 2012.
Those who use Blued can find other people by location or the last time they logged on. Group settings are available so users can organize hikes, basketball games and other activities, and they also provide information from health authorities on where to go for HIV testing and treatment.
The app has received praise from several organizations, with Wu Zunyou, director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention's AIDS and sexually transmitted disease center, saying it is useful in giving information to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LBGT) community.
Andrea Pastorelli, a police specialist at the United Nations Development Programme, said the app has helped the Chinese CDC reach people they were previously unable to.
"They are having a real issue reaching out to the most marginalized people and in China that's where the epidemic is," Pastorelli said.
Blue City received $30 million in funding last month from Silicon Valley venture capital company DCM Ventures. Three million of the apps users are located outside China.
While Baoli misses his job as a police officer, which was his dream job since childhood, he hopes to change the opinions of former colleagues who disapprove of his lifestyle.
"I would like to use the power of the economy to promote the LBGT community," Baoli said. "In many ways, the economy can trigger challenges in policies. So if, for example, I do this thing very well, if my users go from 15 million to many more in the future, if we can go public, I can tell the government: See, we can go public being a 'gay company' and we haven't caused you any trouble."
