Jordan Hurt, a New York-based real estate agent who stars in the Netflix show “Owning Manhattan,” is embarking on a new project — and it’s completely unrelated to his day job.
Hurt is collaborating with business partners on a multi-pronged app called Queerity, which intends to help sober LGBTQ community members find dating partners, sober-friendly venues, and friends. The app is slated to be released on Feb. 19 — just two months after the release of the second season of “Owning Manhattan,” during which Hurt opened up about his sobriety. He further elaborated on that point in an interview with Gay City News late last year, saying he discussed his sobriety on the show so other viewers could “feel something” and “know that there’s hope” and “a way through.”
In a follow-up interview with Gay City News, Hurt said Queerity intends to address a problem many sober queer individuals have experienced when using other dating apps.
“In using these other apps — whether dating or hookup apps — while they are meant to connect us, a lot of times there’s this fear around apps with the sobriety community because it is unfortunately a way that they were introduced to a lot of substances,” Hurt said.
Hurt voiced concern about what he described as a “huge epidemic that we’re not really talking about,” particularly among gay men who participate in “chemsex” with crystal meth, GHB, and other drugs.
“A lot of that stems from using these apps like Grindr and Sniffies,” Hurt said. “This party and play scene lives in the shadows, but there’s a huge underground dark community that people fall into, and then when they try to get sober, there’s this fear around the apps because that’s how they were introduced to this life, and tied with that is a fear of sex because it is so tied to the drug. That was one reason why I felt there was a need for this, and then it just sort of grew from there.”
A key distinction, however, is that Queerity is not just a dating app. There is, indeed, a “dating mode,” Hurt said, but there are other modes, too, like a “general friendship/sober buddy/support mode,” a “play” function, and guides to sober-friendly spaces that aren’t so triggering.
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“There’s a functionality of lifestyle and wellness where you can do daily check-ins and track progress, and there are support resources for you,” he said. “Then there are community events and venues. It’s everything you could need in an app to meet people. If you’re just looking for friends, that’s great. We have that. If you’re looking for a casual sexual encounter, we have that too.”
Those who are interested in using the app would download it, build a profile, state how they identify with their gender and sexual orientation, and specify their sober identity. There will be a free version and paid subscription options, including a one-day pass as well as subscriptions lasting three months, six months, or one year.
Hurt is the founder and CEO of the app, and he has two business partners — a chief operating officer and a chief product officer. Hurt and the chief operating officer, Mark McGee, worked together on creating the concept, the name, and the app’s functions. They then took it to an app developer and pitched a 50-page presentation outlining the need for it. They have spent the past few months working behind the scenes to test the app and add new features.
Importantly, Hurt emphasized that the app is meant for everyone in the LGBTQ community and is not “just another app designed for gay men” — a point that is particularly relevant at a time when the Trump administration has been trying to erase transgender individuals and attack the broader LGBTQ community, all while mounting an all-out assault on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“I want this to be across the whole spectrum of LGBTQ+ people,” Hurt explained. “I want trans people to feel represented, non-binary, lesbians — I want them all to feel so so welcome using this, especially right now in this world where, here we are, we’re fighting for our rights again. Trans people are leaving the country.”
“There are no age brackets or anything like that,” he said, though the minimum age is 18.
“All we ask is that you are sober or sober-adjacent,” Hurt added. “If you’re sober in recovery, California sober — we welcome you to be a user on the app.”
The app, Hurt said, also allows users to skip the awkward conversations that can occur when searching for individuals in the sober community on mainstream apps.
“It’s a safe space where you don’t have to question if you’re entering a triggering environment,” Hurt said.
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In an Instagram video touting the app’s forthcoming debut, Hurt said, “If you’ve been following me, you know I came out publicly as a recovering addict on Season 2 of ‘Owning Manhattan.’ And the response has been beautiful and life-changing in so many ways, and what I’m hearing from my fellow sober queer community is that there’s just a need for something more, something else.”
Hurt further said in the video that he “built what I could not find,” describing his new app as “the world’s first sober LGBTQ+ community and lifestyle app designed for connection without substances, chemistry without chemicals.”
The app will be marketed across the country — including at Pride events throughout the summer — as it looks to build a community of users. Hurt, for his part, already has a strong following through his social media pages and the publicity stemming from his role on “Owning Manhattan.” Several of Hurt’s co-stars on the show, including Jessica Taylor, Jade Shenker, and Tricia Lee Riley, commented with praise when he posted on Instagram to announce the app.
Individuals interested in joining the app’s waitlist can visit queerityapp.com or visit the app’s Instagram page at @queerityapp.
