WASHINGTON — As the legislative battle over access to reproductive health care continues, LGBTQ+ dating app Grindr is entering the world of Washington lobbying.
According to federal disclosures filed last week, the Global Gayborhood has hired the Daschle Group, founded by former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle, to lobby on “LGBTQ family-building issues, including HIV prevention and surrogacy and IVF.”
Following the Alabama court’s erroneous ruling banning IVF, a flurry of bills have been introduced in the Senate to protect IVF. Democrats forced a vote on an IVF rights bill in June, but only two Republicans, Senators Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), voted in favor. Other Republicans have argued that the bill is a Democratic “scare tactic” and “fear mongering” on a critical issue ahead of an election cycle, and are pushing their own bill to deny Medicaid funding to states that ban IVF.
But Democrats argue the bill allows states to impose other restrictions on IVF care and support.
Lobbying has also intensified in Washington over access to an HIV-prevention drug called PrEP, following a federal court case questioning whether a national panel of volunteer physicians and scientists can mandate free coverage.
Grindr’s foray into lobbying is notable for the platform, which officially calls itself a “social networking app” but is known for helping users find potential sex partners in their area. In a 2022 article, Vice News described the app as “a merry-go-round for sex in your neighborhood 24/7.” No other popular dating app has signed up to lobby on health care issues, according to a STAT review of federal disclosures. Match Group, which owns the popular dating apps Tinder and Hinge, spent $650,000 on lobbying on digital privacy issues in the last quarter.
It’s unclear how much Grindr is paying Daschle Group for lobbying. Grindr and Daschle Group did not respond to requests for comment.
The Daschle Group represents a range of healthcare companies, from hospital chain Ballad Health to vaccine manufacturers Bayern Nordic and Valneva. The firm is particularly known for its lobbying on infectious disease-related issues, acting as the lobbying firm for the Bipartisan Committee on Biodefense, the Coalition for Influenza Preparedness and the Antimicrobial Agents Working Group.
Daschle, CEO of the Daschle Group, has a complicated personal history with the gay community. In 1996, he voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, which denied same-sex couples the same legal rights as gay couples. And from his position as a senator, he has been a vocal attacker of same-sex marriage, telling The Associated Press in 2004: “Marriage is a sacred union between a man and a woman. That’s what the vast majority of Americans believe. That’s what almost everyone in South Dakota believes. That’s what I believe.”
However, Daschle also played a key role in defeating a proposed constitutional amendment that would have defined marriage as the union of a man and a woman. He was ultimately honored by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force for his role in defeating that bill. In 2013, along with several former members of Congress, he urged the Supreme Court to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act, writing that “gay families have proven to be stable and healthy environments for their children and valued members of their communities. There is no evidence that expanding legal recognition of same-sex marriage has discouraged heterosexual marriage or encouraged fathers to abandon their children.”
Daschle himself is not registered to lobby on behalf of the company, according to the filing, which instead hired its own lobbyists, Charlie Panfil and Joe Hack.
According to Panfil’s official biography, he was “the youngest person to serve on the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund National Campaign Committee,” which works to elect LGBTQ+ politicians.
Haqq most recently served as chief of staff to Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), who has a polarizing record on gay rights. After the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage, Fischer issued a statement saying that while people of all sexual orientations should be treated with respect, “there are good people with strong beliefs on both sides of this issue.” In 2023, she voted against the Respect Marriage Act and formally repealed the Defense of Marriage Act.
Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the origins of Alabama’s IVF ban.
