FAQs
General Questions
What is The GYC?
The GYC, otherwise known as The Gay Youth Corner is a free social utility aimed towards people who are between the ages of 13 and 25 and who identify as LGBTQ+. If you would like to know more about the website and its history, please visit our about page.
What is social networking?
Social networking websites have exploded and can connect people in the virtual world, both personally and professionally. Social networking sites allow registered members to set up personal profiles and communicate with friends. On social media people share personal interests, jokes, videos, opinions and more. A user will have their own homepage, which details personal details (age, location, marital status, etc.) alongside a picture and other details about themselves - the music they likes, favourite movie, the soccer team they support, etc. They can send messages to friends, share photos and music downloads, and chat in real-time. They can also provide frequent status updates and what they're up to or how they're feeling.
Why is The GYC so successful?
The GYC uses the network effect to connect users to other users with similar or exact interests and experiences. Without our users, The GYC wouldn't have been so important to popular and modern culture, ergo the website wouldn't have grown to be as popular and as successful throughout the years. If you Google 'The Gay Youth Corner', you'll find that we are mentioned a lot on many different websites. Mostly in a good light.
When was The GYC conceived?
The GYC began in January 2004. Created by Hamish Priest and Jonathan McCarthy. The community had amassed over 5,000 users by 2009 and was notably the most popular LGBT youth community at that time. In 2020, after almost a decade's absence, the website was reborn with a new direction. That direction is being mastered by our new owner, Lee Craig Stewart. He is responsible for the overall infrastructure, design decisions as well as setting the overall direction and strategy.
What does LGBTQ+ stand for?
LGBTQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual/aromantic. The "+" represents non-cisgender and non-straight identities that aren't contained in the acronym.
What are the age requirements for joining The GYC?
We require our users to be between the ages of 13 and 25 years old. We will not accept anyone who is within days of becoming a teenager nor over the age of 25.
How do I sign up?
If you direct yourself to our welcoming homepage, you will find a link in which to set up your account.
What can I do on The GYC?
Like most social networks we offer you the opportunity to create and maintain a profile, post photos and videos and express yourself. You can also make new friends and share experiences.
Is every user on The GYC real?
Yes, of course. A social network is predicated on real people being able to post and interact within our community. Our users come from all backgrounds and most countries around the world.
I'm under 13 years old. Why am I ineligible?
We comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Thereby, allowing people under the age of 13 to join The GYC is strictly prohibited. We implore you to wait until your 13th birthday to join.
I'm over 25 years old. Why am I ineligible?
At the age of 26 you are an adult and allowing adults to join our community which mostly consists of children isn't allowed. At 26, there will be other age-appropriate communities for you to join.
Is The GYC a dating website?
No. We do not encourage our users to meet other users in the real world. But, if you do, we encourage you to follow our safety page.
I identify as straight. Can I join?
We are a community for gay youth, but we welcome people who don't identify as LGBTQ+. Just as long as they don't use our platform to post and spread hate and discrimination.
Is The GYC safe to use?
We have put in place protocols in which to protect your safety and privacy on this platform. We have invested in content delivery networks (CDNs), firewalls and encryption when possible. This ensures your experience on The GYC is optimal.
Is The GYC easy to use?
From the moment you create an account, you will notice similarities in how we operate our website, when compared to others available on the Internet. We do this so that you can spend more time using our platform, rather than learning how to use it.
Why is there no chat rooms on The GYC?
Chat rooms are notorious environments whereby users can mask their identities. This provides the opportunity to create false personas to lure our younger members into a false sense of security. In our community, we expect our users to be forthright and responsible on our platform.
Does The GYC profit from this website?
No. The GYC is a 100% non-profit social networking website. All website costs are paid for by our owner.
Privacy and Security
How will The GYC protect my privacy?
At every level, the website is designed to protect your privacy. We are a closed community. Users are required to sign up, verify their email address and receive approval from other users in the form of a follow, in order to access profiles and information on profiles. Users also have control on post visibility and extensive privacy controls in Settings. All user profiles are protected from search engine crawlers and cannot be viewed without an email verified account.
What is Two-Factor Authentication?
2FA is an extra layer of security to ensure that those who are logging into accounts are those who created the accounts. When you log in, you will be prompted to provide a one-time code. This is sent to your registered email address or provided by Google Authenticator.
What is an 'usual login'?
Just like 2FA as an extra layer of protection, if you are logging in from an unrecognised device or IP address, you will be sent a one-time code. All login sessions are recorded within Manage Sessions in Settings.
Will The GYC sell my data?
As your privacy is important to us, so is your data. We will never sell your data to any third-party data companies for profit. Your data is yours and we believe it is up to you what you do with it.
Why am I being asked for my location when I log in?
We ask for your location to determine your timezone. You can allow or deny when prompted.
If I post content that is inappropriate, what will happen?
In our terms and conditions, we state that posting any inappropriate content will result in possible account banning or immediate termination. We use APIs to immediately obscure such content after it is posted.
I cannot locate my year of birth on sign up. Why?
Subsequent to signing up, we will ask for your date of birth to verify your age. If the year of your birth isn't available, this qualifies as you either being too young or old to join.
I've received a suspicious email.
Phishing has become an all too familiar nuisance in the modern day. If you however receive an email claiming to be from us, please check the email address. If it does not match the domain name we are using, this is an illegitimate email which should be deleted immediately.
Accounts
What is Sign in with Facebook and Google?
No one likes the arduous and time consuming process of filling forms online. On our homepage there is a one-click solution. Simply select the Sign in with Facebook or Google icon. It uses the OAuth protocol to safely collect the most relevant information about you (your name, email address and profile photo) to authenticate and simplify the sign up process. If you've already signed up using this, you can select it to log into your account.
I'm having trouble verifying my email address. What shall I do?
If you have not received your confirmation email, please let us know.
I have forgotten my password.
On our welcome homepage, there is a link in which to reset your account password.
How do I report/block a user?
Locate the profile you wish to report. Select the ellipsis button and select Report user. if you wish to block that person, follow the previous steps and select Block user. This will effective immediately allow you cease contact with that person.
How do I change my relationship status?
To change your relationship status, go to Settings and under General, you will find Relationship status. Once changed you can save your changes.
How do I update my profile and cover photos?
To update your profile and cover photos, go to your profile and locate the relevant icons next to them. They will allow you to upload, replace, delete and crop.
Someone is stealing my photos.
Block and/or report this person and contact us immediately. We will need tangible evidence to support your claim in the form of a screenshot(s).
Why have you deleted/banned my account?
We ban or delete accounts without notice, if they are violating our terms and conditions and/or harassing our users.
Am I required to provide all profile information?
Apart from the most important stuff such as your name, email address etc., the majority of what we ask you to create a profile is optional.
How do I delete my account?
If you wish to leave The GYC, you may. You can delete your account under Delete account in Settings. Just note that this is an irreversible process. Before doing so, we recommend downloading your information first; In Settings, under My Information.
Do you require a moderator?
Despite having the ability to hire moderators to share the burden on our owner, we do so with great reluctance, given our past. The time, energy and trust needed to train someone to be a moderator comes with enormous risk.
I'm being randomly logged out. Why is this?
This could be an issue on our end, or quite possibly an issue on yours. Clearing your browser cache and cookies will log you out. Not only on our website but others you may visit and login frequently.
Miscellaneous
What's happening with thegyc.com?
Recently, we were given first refusal to buy back our original domain name. Unfortunately, the price they were offering vastly exceeded our budget as a non-profit social network.
Something isn't working properly.
If you are experiencing any issues with our website, it is important to tell us. We can promptly begin to rectify the issues you might be experiencing.
How do I contact The GYC?
Unfortunately, we do not have a postal address nor a phone number in which to contact us. However, we are contactable using our email address [email protected]. We'll endeavour to respond to your enquiry as soon as possible. You can also contact us on our social media pages.
Is The GYC available on social media?
No. If you do happen to come across an account or page with the exact or similar name, this is not us.
Could I make a donation to The GYC?
Yes. Running our platform is quite expensive, so any donations are appreciated. You can donate on our Buy Me A Coffee page.
Does The GYC have a smartphone app?
No, but we used to. Due to lack of funding, we had to reluctantly remove our Apple and Android apps from the respected App Stores in early 2022. We may or may not consider bringing them back in the future.
My question(s) has not been answered here.
If you have any questions that have not been answered on this page, then do contact us and we'll do our best to help you.
