Gaydar founder Henry Badenhorst dies aged 51
The founder of one of the first gay dating websites, Gaydar, has died at age 51.
Henry Badenhorst, the founder of Gaydar, died in South Africa on 11 November, reports BuzzFeed News.
According to reports, he took his own life. Other reports suggest he fell from a tower block.
Badenhorst founded Gaydar in London in 1999 along with his partner Gary Frisch.
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Frisch died in 2007 after falling from the balcony of a building.
Gaydar is a desktop-based dating app and eventually launched an app in 2009.
The site’s current managing director, Rob Curtis, said Badenhorst and Frisch change the game when it came to gay meetups.
“Eighteen years ago, Henry and his partner Gary revolutionised the way that gay men meet, and in doing so created a safer environment for LGBT people everywhere, ”he told BuzzFeed.
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“The Gaydar team is shocked and saddened to hear of Henry’s passing and send our sincerest sympathies to Henry’s friends and family.”
The site has millions of users and is popular in countries like the UK, Australia, Ireland and South Africa.
It had more than five million users at its peak in the late 2000s.
Badenhorst is survived by his parents and siblings.
