Sniffies is Bringing Gay Sex to SXSW Panel

Sniffies, the map-based meet-up app for guys, revealed it is bringing queer sex to SXSW.

The interactive cruising app announced its participation in a panel discussion entitled “Tech and the New Fluidity of Male Sexuality” taking place Thursday, March 17, at 11:30 a.m. (CT) as part of SFSW’s Culture Track. Sniffies’ CMO and creative director, Eli Martin, will moderate the panel which will feature Jacob Tobia (they/them), Zachary Zane (he/him), and Alexander Cheves (he/him).

Martin tells Out Traveler the panel will examine existing attitudes on male sexuality, challenge the rigid binary of sexual identity, and examine the role of social media in breaking past traditional boundaries of male sexual expression.

“We’re hoping to challenge an outdated and outmoded version of masculinity that so many people uphold as the standard for men,” Martin tells Out Traveler via email. “The time is ripe to open a conversation about reinventing a masculinity that is non-toxic; a new masculinity that holds space for people of all sexual and gender identities.”

The panel will feature actor, writer, producer, and author Jacob Tobia (Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story); Zachary Zane, the Brooklyn-based activist, sex expert, and author of the “Sexplain It” Men’s Health sex advice column; and author, fetishist, and 2021 Out100 honoree Alexander Cheves.

The pairing of Sniffies and the “Tech and the New Fluidity of Male Sexuality” panel discussion is a perfect fit, according to Martin.

“Sniffies is proud to be a space where our users can express their entire authentic selves outside of the rigorous censorship promoted by other platforms,” Martin says. “Our incredible community of users has embraced this digital space that eschews shame, stigma, and judgment so that everyone can feel empowered to explore and experiment on the Sniffies map.”

One goal of the panel, Martin says, is to push folks to “think critically about their role” in creating a world where systems of oppression that limited gender expression have been dismantled.

“If we’ve done our job, the audience will leave our session thinking about sexual expression and gender identity in an entirely new way,” Martin says.

The “Tech and the New Fluidity of Male Sexuality” at SXSW 2022 will take place Thursday, March 17, at 11:30 a.m. (CT) in the Waller Ballroom DEF at the Austin Marriott Downtown. For information on the panel discussion at SXSW, visit their website (www.sxsw.com). And be sure to visit the Sniffies website (www.sniffies.com).