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.)
- 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://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)
Calckey
Less app support (I use Milktea which is okay), but supports a lot of features that mastodon lacks, like emoticon reacts and markup
- https://blahaj.zone (run by the two Australian trans women that also run this server)
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)
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.
@toni@lemmy.blahaj.zone 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.
Was this decision reversed recently? I’m noticing a ton of lemmygrad stuff in my feed now.