We've gotten some questions lately about what we mean when we say that we want our site (including both our forums and our archive) to be inclusive/a safe space, so we'd like to offer a little clarification.

When we say that we want to be a safe space, we mean that we want FFT to be a place where people can participate without being afraid that they will be attacked for who they are - especially if they belong to groups who are often attacked, invalidated, or even have their physical safety threatened in many other spaces. This is something that many members of our community have experienced, and our staff's efforts to show that we value their identities through site events, activities, and broader site infrastructure is something that many members have said that they appreciate about FFT.

We're using the word "identity" very deliberately here, because there is a difference between identity and opinion. "Identity" (e.g., gender, race, sexual orientation) is something that one cannot leave at the door any more than one can leave one's lungs there. While opinions can also be a core part of how we define ourselves and how we interact with the world, there is ultimately a difference between what one thinks and who one is - and while we broadly support our members' desire to explore ideas and learn from each other, we do have some limits on what topics and opinions we allow on the site (which are enumerated in the +Content Guidelines). Additionally, we do not allow hate speech, slurs, harassment, or personal attacks.

While we understand that policies similar to the one we've outlined here are often more heavily concentrated in some political parties than others, FFT as a site does not have any political affiliation. Everyone who is willing to follow our rules is welcome to participate here. If you find that some members frequently make comments on the site that are not against the rules but do make your time on the site less enjoyable, we have an option in account settings to +ignore content from specific users that you are welcome to use.