Joining the fediverse can be a daunting proposition, and it is understandable that many end up on larger more centralised servers that are easier to find. I have also had some bad experience with smaller servers also. The first one I arrived on was very quiet, almost inactive, and I should have taken that as a warning sign. Later it went down and I had to join another. Unfortunately the next server was mastodon.lol and so within a year I had to deal with the drama of that one shutting down. At least this time I had six months notice to migrate.
But bigger servers have their own pitfalls. It is easy to get lost in them, being disconnected from the admins. Many are poorly moderated and willing to federate with problematic instances that increase your chances of encountering more explicit forms ablism, racism and queerphobia. And in recent weeks we have seen the willingness of these larger servers to connect to a new service made by Meta, Facebooks parent company, with the onslaught of bigotry that will bring.
So whether you are thinking of joining the fediverse, or are already here but thinking of either migrating or forming other accounts, this guide is for you. It is also for you to share to queer friends that want to join.
Feel free to expand on this list with suggestions in replies. I will try and keep it up to date with which instances are open/invite only, if people can help me notice.
Microblogging (Twitter like interfaces)
Mastodon
The most popular microblogging software on the fediverse. Good app support
Currently open to new members
- https://chaos.social (two admins, one a polyam lesbian)
- https://queer.af (run by Erin who helped draft the ActivityPub protocol the fediverse depends on. I think she is a German trans woman? I might be remembering wrong. Will edit if someone clarifies. NOTE: the .af domain is Afganistan, and these domains will no longer be available to register or reregister, so this instance will likely end up with a new domain name in the near future.)
- https://toot.lgbt (run by Julia, a Scottish trans woman)
- https://plush.city (run by nonbinary and pan/bi furries)
- https://anarres.family (run by anarchist trans woman inspired by sci-fi of Ursula le Guin)
- https://girlcock.club (run by trans women for trans people)
- https://eightpoint.app (run by trans bi lesbian)
- https://lgbtqia.space
- https://chaosfem.tw (trans admin)
- https://towns.gay
- https://dragonscave.space (mod team includes admins who are enby, ace, agender, visually impaired)
- https://toot.cat (trans admin)
- https://pagan.plus (its primarilly for pagans, but admin is agender)
- https://tech.lgbt (for lgbt people in tech)
- https://peoplemaking.games (admin is bi and genderfluid, but server is for those involved in making games)
Invite only
You might need to network with admins or users of the following instances to get an invite
- https://weirder.earth (all LGBT admin team that includes nonbinary, bi, aroace, queer, transfemme representation, many also adhd, autistic and one light skinned black)
- https://goblin.camp (admin is pan enby)
- https://queer.group (run by bisexual lesbian and trans lesbian)
- https://queer.party (the admin is a nonbinary, gay, and polyamorous furry)
Sharkey
Can use Mastodon and Misskey apps to connect. I use Milktea (a Misskey app) for mobile notifications, but the generic web interface in the browser is so good I usually go there for interaction.
- https://blahaj.zone (run by the two Australian trans women that also run this server)
- https://transfem.social/ (transfem run instance for transfem individuals and allies)
- https://woem.men (trans catgirl instance with trans moderator)
Akkoma
- https://cooltrans.men (trans masc instance)
Social Networking (Facebook like interfaces)
Friendica
- https://embers.social (run by the two Australian trans women that also run this server)
Forum (Reddit like interfaces)
Lemmy
- https://beehaw.org (large instance, several mods are openly queer)
- https://lemmy.blahaj.zone (this server, run by trans women)
- https://hexbear.net (most mods/admin are LGBTQ+, shows pronouns with usernames)
lemmy.blahaj.zone unfortunately federates with lemmygrad.ml, which is a forum that puts gleeful support for the soviet union and the CCP above all other concerns, and accuses you of being brainwashed by the CIA if you take exception to Stalin executing gays. Beehaw.org is kind of a hugbox but they have many openly queer admins/mods and a dedicated LGBT+ community.
Thanks. I'm sure that is just oversight on the admin here's part. I've seen no indication from either that they are tankie friendly. I'll let them know. I'll also add beehaw.org to the list.
@[email protected] It wasn't an oversight as such, more that I am naïve to the politics involved. In my mind, as long as they weren't attacking queer rights, then it wasn't a priority for me.
However, prompted by several requests, I've done a bit of a deep dive to bring myself up to speed, and have made the choice to defederate lemmygrad.
@ada @[email protected] (Replying with Calckey account because Lemmy seems to have a bug where it won't successfully reply to a reply left with Calckey, it just spins forever) You have my sympathies, had a bit of a deep dive myself.
Good call!
Was this decision reversed recently? I'm noticing a ton of lemmygrad stuff in my feed now.
@[email protected] Oops, that was my fault. I'll fix it up again
lemmygrad.ml self reports as 48% queer. https://lemmygrad.ml/post/723191
It's beside the point, but I'm not aware of Stalin executing anyone for being gay. I'm definitely not aware of this being done in any significant numbers. Do you have a source? It IS true that he was a raging homophobe, as most people were back then. According to wikipedia, the Soviet Union imprisoned about 800 - 1000 people per year from 1933 - 1953 for the crime of being gay. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_history_in_Russia
This is fairly comparable to western countries at the time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_the_United_Kingdom
Still an unfortunate blemish on socialist history. But not one that convinces me that capitalism is the "One true way". Things are changing, and in my opinion, as well as many others, communism offers the brightest future for us. Cuba is currently leading the way in LGBT rights: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Cuba