PINK DOLLAR’ APP LAUNCHED IN HONG KONG

An innovative new app that promotes gay-friendly businesses and services to the LGBT community has been launched in Hong Kong.

The Pink Dollar app proclaims that its mission is “matching your money and voice with LGBT friendly businesses”.

Created by Paul Ramscar, the app allows users to rate businesses  listed on the service according to their LGBT-friendliness with different shades of pink.

A hot pink rating means that the business is particularly gay-friendly. Ramscar has promised to personally contact any business that fails to live up to being gay-friendly for an explanation.

Ramscar, a British-born former investment banker, said that he hopes that the app will play a role in reducing discrimination against the LGBT community.

“It’s not just an app, there is a bigger cause here,” he told AFP.

“Having lived in Europe, the culture was very open. In London, for example, there is Soho which is a gay area. You can be open, be free; walking around holding hands, there are no problems. In Hong Kong you can’t really do that,” Ramscar said.

According to the app’s Facebook page, a percentage of profits made by Pink Dollar will go towards LGBT charities.