lsbt.me
@lsbt.me

lsbt.me, your queer safe space in the Fediverse

lsbt.me is an independent Mastodon instance for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, inter, non-binary, asexual, aromantic and all other queer people, and for everyone who stands with us as allies. Since 3 November 2022, what began as a small idea has grown into a lively place where hundreds of people now talk, debate, laugh and have each other's backs. A place where no one has to explain or justify their identity, but can simply be whoever they are.

I am Christin Löhner, a trans woman myself, a lecturer, author and activist, and I run lsbt.me out of deep conviction. I know the struggles that come up here so often not from hearsay, but from my own experience. That is exactly why it mattered to me to create a space that does not belong to a corporation, that manipulates no one through algorithms and that sells no data. Mastodon is decentralised and open source, your data stays your data and your voice stays your voice. All of lsbt.me's servers are located in Germany and are therefore subject to European data protection law.

At a time when the shift to the right is becoming more tangible and hate has become part of everyday life on the big social networks, a truly protected space becomes ever more valuable. lsbt.me is meant to be exactly that: a place where you can be authentic without fear, and where community is not just a nice word but lived reality. This space does not defend itself on its own, though. It has to be operated, maintained and funded.

And this is where you come in. An instance of this size brings ongoing costs, currently around 191 euros a month for the powerful main server, a separate backup server with long retention, the web server, the domains and the certificates. So far I have covered these costs entirely out of my own pocket. I do this gladly, because I believe in this project, but every contribution takes a little weight off my shoulders and makes lsbt.me sustainable and secure in the long run.

Liberapay is ideal for this, because it allows for recurring contributions. Even a small monthly amount helps enormously, because it brings reliability, and reliability is exactly what a permanently operated infrastructure needs. Every cent that arrives here goes one hundred percent into servers, backups and infrastructure, and into nothing else. If you value lsbt.me, if this safe space matters to you, or if you simply want places like this, independent and queer, to keep existing in the Fediverse, then I would be very glad of your support. And if donating is not possible for you right now, that is completely fine. Your participation in our community, your posts and your togetherness are the greatest contribution you can make anyway.

Thank you for being part of it.