New top story from Time: Queer Nigerians Hoped the Clubhouse App Would Be a Safe Haven. It’s Become Another Breeding Ground for Bigotry
https://ift.tt/3dNJHUt As a queer Nigerian looking to meet others like them, Matthew Blaise joined Clubhouse in December 2020. The networking app was soaring in popularity despite still being in beta mode, and Blaise, who identifies as nonbinary, hoped it could become a place where they could have meaningful conversations with their peers. Much of their work as a rights activist involves curating safe spaces for Nigeria’s LGBTQ+ community, often on social media. Clubhouse allows users to converse using audio rather than video. Moderators and featured speakers discourse on an online stage, and if audience members want to add to the conversation they can raise a virtual hand. In a world socially isolated by the pandemic, the platform has proved a massive hit. Although it currently operates by invitation only, it has garnered more than two million users and its early success has given it a valuation of $1 billion . The app initially served “as a safe haven,” Blaise, 21, te...

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