Glossary
Anon
Anon, short for anonymous, describes someone in a gay or queer social or dating setting who chooses not to share their face, name, or identity.
Anon is shorthand for anonymous. In gay and queer social contexts, especially dating apps, cruising platforms, and hookup sites, it describes a person who keeps their identity private, often by not showing a face photo or sharing a name. An anon encounter is one where a person stays unidentified. The reasons vary widely: someone may be closeted, worried about privacy or being outed, working in a field where discretion matters, or simply preferring to keep their public and private lives separate. The word is descriptive rather than judgmental. Online more broadly, anon is also used to refer to any unnamed person, but in queer spaces it most often signals a preference for discretion.