We need a better online community
Aces and aros need a new nucleus of community. One that is specific to their needs (so, not Tumblr) and has moderation policies that actually aim to combat the proliferation of racism, cissexism, ableism, &c. instead of actively encouraging it (so, not AVEN, where for example you can “politely” defend racism, but calling someone’s ideas racist can get you banned). A web site that encourages the participation of smaller formal communities from disparate geographical areas, but can also facilitate casual conversations between ace & aro youth who need each other’s support. Forums, chats, maybe a wiki (for information on people, places, and events, mostly). But very much not established as a monolithic Authority on asexuality or aromanticism. Focused on building safe communities first, visibility work second.
I’ve got to be honest here; I can’t commit the time and money to establishing something like this on my own. I have a lot of things going on already, and what I can contribute is very limited. But I want to start a conversation about this. I’ve created this Tumblr account with the intention of making it a group blog to facilitate discussion on this project. I want to talk logistics:
Are there enough interested people to actually get this off the ground and keep it moderated once it’s up?
Hosting costs, and how we split/pay them
Software: phpBB? XenForo? MediaWiki? Drupal?
Multilingual community-building: how much can we do from the start?
Graphic design: it may seem trivial, but if we figure this into the startup consts, could it make the community more recognizable and cohesive?
Privacy: how do we facilitate open communication while also protecting the privacy of individual community members? Will we need to create moderated, members-only safe spaces within this community?
Most importantly, moderation policy and community philosophy: practically speaking, how do we support and protect marginalized people first, and incorporate that goal into the structure of the community?
Please reblog, submit, enter this discussion in any way you can. Let’s make this happen.
turnnoffyourmind
andulkaphoto
tangentwithtanner
blakekathryn
