Hornet Becomes First Gay Social App to House Native Editorial Content

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Hornet, the world's premier gay social network, announces the launch of Hornet Version 4.0, which will bring native editorial content into the Hornet app, a first to market feature for an LGBTQ social network. Hornet will rebrand two highly-successful editorial websites, Unicorn Booty and Vespa, and fold them into the newly redesigned Hornet experience. The content will be found natively within the app under the "Hornet Stories" and "Hornet Places" tabs. The redesigned app combines the consumer appetite for breaking news and pop culture with the pursuit of meaningful connections.

In an era when many LGBTQ publications have folded, Hornet is building and expanding a global newsroom of award-winning LGBTQ journalists. With the Version 4.0 release, all 25 million of Hornet's social app users now have access to the original breaking news and pop culture headlines via Unicorn Booty and community-curated travel tips and information from Vespa through "Hornet Stories" and "Hornet Places." Web browser users will still be able to find all previously published and forthcoming editorial content on Hornet's website.

"While other LGBTQ apps have shied away from creating content through their main brand identity and have created separate editorial brands, Hornet is leaning into the brand equity it has built with its loyal user base. We're creating a complete social networking ecosystem for the gay community bringing content and connecting together," said Christof Wittig, Hornet's CEO and co-founder. "Each update to the app brought us one step closer to unifying the fractured way we consume LGBTQ-focused news and connect with each other across social apps. This marks the first time an LGBTQ brand has been able to do that."

Hornet's primary social media function that made it a global gay phenomenon remains, where guys can connect over commonly shared interests and stay in touch with their followers via comprehensive profiles. In the brand's Version 4.0 overhaul, iOS and Android users will be able to fully access "Hornet Stories," "Hornet Places" and find various LGBTQ-themed events from within the app itself, without the need to switch to multiple websites, apps or browser tabs. Users will now be able to share news, places or content of interest to them directly to their profiles.

"The gay community has been sorely lacking in breaking news and cultural information relevant to today's world," said Sean Howell, Hornet's president and co-founder. "Bringing two editorial brands into the Hornet family completely upends the way a typical gay social network functions and how the gay community can and will consume news. Now, instead of simply asking the cliché 'looking?' users can leverage what they're reading as conversation starters. We've evolved into a hub where gay men can hunt for meaningful connections while staying informed."

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Hornet's free social network app available on iOS, Android, and the web.

About Hornet Networks 
Hornet is the world's premier gay social network. Founded in 2011 with the mission to build the digital home for the gay community, Hornet has grown to 25 million total users by utilizing cutting-edge technology for its dating platform and producing original editorial content to connect a community around common interests. Hornet provides a superior user experience and is number one in the key markets of France, Russia, Brazil, Turkey and Taiwan, and is consistently expanding its sizable user base in the United States. For more information, please visit: http://gethornet.com.

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SOURCE Hornet

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