Learning to code does more than just help you launch an exciting new career — it gives you the tools to positively impact entire communities. And there are many LGBTQ+ developers doing just that.
In honor of Pride Month, we’ve rounded up a few awesome applications created by LGBTQ+ devs that help queer people foster new connections, celebrate the community, and stay safe. Read on and maybe even get inspired to build your own app.
The Pride App
As an entrepreneur, Johnathon Pritchard was always on the road traveling, but he had trouble finding LGBTQ+-owned businesses to support. What little information he came across on the internet was often inaccurate or out of date, so he came up with a solution: The Pride App.
The Pride App was primarily designed with safety in mind, as Pritchard wanted to help people avoid places where they might face discrimination. “No one should ever have to be at the threshold of a business and wonder if they’ll be targeted and mistreated for going in,” he said in a press release. “I want people to shop, travel, and entertain with pride!”
Why we love it: Want to find and support LGBTQ+-owned businesses on your next trip? Just download the app, enter your zip code, and it’ll generate a list of restaurants, hotels, and other establishments. You can read through reviews to learn about other people’s experiences with a company, or even leave one yourself.
Download The Pride App on the App Store or Google Play.
Solace
Robbi Katherine Anthony is the CEO and founder of Euphoria, a company that makes mobile applications for the transgender community. “It’s technology that helps our users be who they are even faster,” Anthony, who is a trans woman, wrote in ATX Woman.
Solace is one of the apps that’s designed to help guide users along the process of transitioning. The app keeps track of your goals and provides medical, legal, and lifestyle tips and information, covering everything from hormone treatment and therapy to updating legal documents and building a wardrobe.
Of course, an app can only do so much. These products are intended to supplement, not replace, the guidance and education that folks can get from the trans community, Anthony said in a Verge interview. “Our thrust and our charter every day is just to help people cross this chasm that is transition,” she told Built In.
Why we love it: Along with credible information and resources, Solace also offers affirmations to support and encourage people through their transition. It’ll also keep you up to date on the latest trans news and laws in your area, and it even offers a “Child Mode” for parents and guardians of transgender children.
Download Solace on the App Store or Google Play.
Revry
If you’ve exhausted all the queer movies and TV shows on your go-to channels and mainstream on-demand services, you might want to check out Revry, a streaming platform dedicated to all LGBTQ+ content. Revry offers TV shows, movies, podcasts, music videos, and more.
Damian Pelliccione, a film producer, founded Revry to give queer stories their own spotlight in entertainment: “I believe in creating content that genuinely speaks to and depicts queer culture as it actually is,” Pelliccione said in an interview with Nasdaq. “Every day I get up, I know I’m helping to spread this message of diversity, acceptance, and belonging to a world that needs it.”
Why we love it: Not only does Revry showcase LGBTQ+ narratives that typically aren’t seen in the media, but it also provides a global platform for LGBTQ+ artists to have their creations seen by larger audiences.
Download Revry on the App Store or Google Play.
Rally
Whether you’re looking for a LGBTQ-friendly gym in your area or need more players on your queer rugby league, you can use Rally, a social app for the LGBTQ+ sports and fitness community, to find like-minded athletes and active people.
“These are spaces where you can meet up regularly, make friends, hang out, build community – in short, just have the best time together,” founder Duncan Campbell told Sports Media LGBT+. “I want to make sure that everyone knows these teams exist, and that they have a family out there that’s just waiting for them, outside of the social nightlife scene.”
Why we love it: Rally lets you personalize your profile with your pronouns, LGBTQ+ flag, and your favorite sports. You can also plan events so other people can sign up.
Download Rally on the App Store.
What problems can code help you address in your community? Did this list spark any ideas for an app of your own? If so, try our courses on mobile development. We’ll show you how to Build Basic Android Apps with Java and Build iOS Apps with SwiftUI. And if you’re considering a career in mobile app development, check out our iOS Developer career path.