Glossary
Scruff
SCRUFF is a dating and social networking app for gay, bi, trans, and queer men, and the word also describes a rugged, stubbly look in gay male culture.
SCRUFF is a social and dating app for men seeking men, founded in 2010 by Johnny Skandros and Eric Silverberg. Users build profiles, browse others by location and shared interests, and signal attraction with the app's "Woof" feature. It has long been associated with hairier, more masculine, and bear-adjacent aesthetics, and it built an early reputation for inclusive features, including a community for HIV-positive users and options for military and transgender members. The company is independent and LGBTQ+ owned, and it has emphasized privacy, not selling user data, and not running third-party banner ads. Separately, "scruff" is everyday slang for short, unkempt facial hair, a look tied to rugged masculine styles in gay culture.
Sources
Learn more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scruff_(app)
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