I was a member of Ravelry for several years. I did not use the forums but did look for patterns and occasional yarn sources. On 6/23/2019, I along with half the people of the United States were told we were white supremacists because we support President Trump. Anything showing any support for him was now forbidden. Pictures of pro-Trump items, the Betsy Ross flag, even "God is Love" hats, are now called hate speech. Items derogatory, even obscene, toward the President are okay. We were told we could stay, but the so-called "social justice warriors" (the "woke" trolls) have been actively seeking out and flagging conservative members' accounts for sometimes unspecified violations and subsequent suspensions. Some conservative forums were told they could stay, but then within 2-3 weeks they were shut down. Some people labeled as white supremacists in fact don't even like Mr. Trump. They objected to the blatant censorship happening, which was also called hate speech. Anything that does not agree in lockstep with the Forbes' and the woke trolls' far leftist beliefs is called hate speech and grounds for suspension. In addition, trolls from this site have been out in force harassing and bullying vendors, businesses, designers, and anyone else in the craft world who don't openly pledge their allegiance to Ravelry's new rules. The trolls have been brutal to some individuals and operate with impunity because sites like Instagram allow the bullying to happen. They have even worked to get negative reviews removed from other review sites, claiming said reviews were fake. Ravelry would have better served all of us by banning politics altogether. Instead, they have created a site filled with hate. Large numbers of us have left or are in the process of leaving because of this toxic environment. New, more up-to-date and truly inclusive and welcoming sites are being created because the direction Ravelry has gone. Look elsewhere if you value true inclusion, free speech, and civility. You will not find those things here.
