New audio app Clubhouse is still invite-only, but controversy surrounding the room “shoot your shot: nyu girls roasting tech guys” has some early adopters already threatening to leave—and not the roasted tech guys. Many users have pointed out that Black creators had pioneered the “shoot your shot” rooms on the app, but have not received the opportunities and press now given to the white women behind “nyu girls roasting tech guys,” which recently hosted a room in partnership with pizza delivery app Slice and has been widely covered online. 

“Shoot your shot: nyu girls roasting tech guys” is hosted by a group of young New York University graduates. According to Insider, up to 4,700 users gather in the room to hear the hosts choose someone to introduce themselves and “shoot their shot” at getting a date or connecting platonically with anyone else in the room. Shoot Your Shot has attracted prominent venture capitalists like Li Jin, Anthony Pompliano, and Seth Rosenberg, and is considered a breakout Clubhouse success. 

While the Shoot Your Shot club is lauded for its mostly female moderators, users on Monday created their own room to ask the question: “Is 'Shoot your shot NYU girls' reappropriating black CH?”

“Shoot your shot” style rooms have been a staple in the app’s Black community. One similar "shoot your shot" style Club, #CuffHouse, has been running since November. 

"This is not necessarily to fault the app itself or the NYU girls, but rather all the brands, journalists, and sponsors that didn’t do their due diligence," #CuffHouse host Iman says over Twitter DM. "Prior to this, shoot your shot rooms were often criticized for being a misuse of the platform but when young white girls do it, it’s praised for its innovation."

On Twitter, users are saying that the Black-lead SYS rooms haven’t just been ignored by mainstream users and press—they’ve also allegedly been suspended.

Neither Clubhouse nor Shoot Your Shot immediately responded to a request for comment, but users on Twitter are stepping up to amplify other, POC-lead “shoot your shot” style rooms like #CuffHouse.

"Systemic racism props white people up to benefit off the backs of POC; this situation is just another glaring example in a long list," Iman continues. "Having them be championed as the first to do it, seeing all the positive press and opportunities coming through for it when they’re stealing ideas from Black people and POC. It's disappointing to see it be co-opted and profited off of, while the actual creators of these ideas receive no credit, recognition or opportunities to monetize. Our Club #CuffHouse has actually been running shoot your shot rooms since November, with an emphasis on the inclusion of QTBIPOC, while the NYU room maintained a predominantly white and straight audience (both in moderators and individuals they choose to bring on the stage)."

Others are contemplating whether it would be best for Black users to leave the app altogether.

This is far from first growing pain for Clubhouse, which has seen explosive growth since its launch less than a year ago. The app has frequently been criticized for uneven moderation, allowing for the promotion of conspiracy theories, harassment, anti-Semitism, homophobia, racism, and misogyny, according to The New York Times.