Ravelry & Trump
An interesting invitation has intermingled with our knit and crochet community via Ravelry banning anything Pro-Trump earlier this week.
I’m gonna start out by saying that in my quest for spiritual expansion and more inner peace, I’ve totally withdrawn myself from all things politics over the past few years. I’m strongly of the belief that the most impactful thing we can do for each other and the planet is to be 100% present in our own lives. So I’ve been on a quest to focus on what presents itself in my daily life and have largely withdrawn from media.
This week the politics found me in my cozy little crafting corner, though.
If you haven’t already, you can check out Ravelry’s policy change and announcement from earlier this week here.
I’ve received multiple emails from knitters and crocheters who are fired up by Ravelry’s announcement asking what my plan is to respond to the situation.
My plan, you ask?
I’m going to look at this situation as an invitation.
I believe the universe serves us up with any situation we need to further deepen our spiritual journey and consciousness.
By taking a firm stance on something they believe in, whether we share the stance or not, Ravelry has extended us all an invitation.
What is this invitation?
If you’re a knit or crochet designer….
It’s totally ok to be wickedly pissed off that Ravelry has put every shop owner at risk without considering the community aspect of their platform. Personally, though, I think this situation has the chance of going either way. Yes, there’s the chance that many users will discontinue shopping through Ravelry which could impact our personal incomes. In my opinion, there’s an equal chance that there could be more traffic than ever from people who passionately agree with Ravelry’s stance and want to shop through a platform they identify with.
The invitation for us designers here is to recognize this as another opportunity to continue putting forth energy into our own platforms that we’re equally passionate about.
Ravelry has been our industry leader for a long, long time…and we’ve let it be that way. How can we cultivate our own communities and environments that we can count on despite the inevitable tidal waves of business?
If you’re a Republican….
I don’t think I need to point out all the reasons you’re mad or feeling excluded. Especially since this is a new policy, it no doubt comes as a surprise and a bit of a slap to all of the Republican Ravelry users. Especially since politics in general could have been banned instead of one specific politician.
The invitation here is to admire another human doing their human thing.
Casey, of Ravelry, took a huge chance in standing for something he believes in on his platform. It may be offensive, and it may not be the same thing you agree with….but….Gosh darn it’s intriguing and inspiring to watch someone put everything they’ve cultivated over YEARS on the line to stand for something they believe might make a world impact.
Agree with his stance or not….I’m of the opinion that the world could use more of this revolutionary leadership energy.
As for me?
I’m going to choose to marvel at the beauty of all humans and the amazing impact that can be made even from within our little fiber arts community.
Democrat or Republican, it’s amazing to hear so many connected fiber artist’s voices speak out for what they think is right in this situation. Let’s all celebrate the voice that so many generations before us weren’t allowed to share and express…..even if that voice isn’t in agreement with our own.
If you’re in continued support of Ravelry, you’ll continue to find my patterns listed there here.
If you’d rather take your business elsewhere, my Etsy shop is where my business got started, and it’s still going strong. You’ll find my patterns listed there here.
Peace and love to all. May we all receive joy and abundance.
Comment and tell me….
Can you find an invitation in this situation? If so, what is it? Please share your voice.
255 Comments On “Ravelry & Trump”
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I will have limited contact with all crafting sites that deal with politics. It is my personal and private matter. I feel politics has no business in the middle of crafting sites.
I love Ravelery and have started following more yarny businessed that stand with Ravelry. While I believe that Casey may have put a toe over the line in his stance, it was a giant step in the right direction, IMO. Having said that, I don’t plan to boycott those who disagree with Casey.
Unfortunately, I deleted my Raverly account. I am not pro trump, I will not vote for him in 2020. I can’t stand him. And I understand WHAT raverly was trying to do, however, I dont agree with how they did it. This stemmed from one woman being a racist and and using Raverly as her hate platform. But Raverly took it one step further and lumped VERY Trump supporter as racist. Which is far from truen and it made Raverly the close minded bigots they claim to be fighting against.
My knitting and crocheting is my peaceful time, there’s no politics involved. As for Raverly taking a stance on this issue has upset me to no end. I was raised to never bring up politics or religion, for there is always someone to take offense. Will I still buy from people that are on raverly, I probably will. Because I don’t know what country they are from. This is why I think Raverly made a huge mistake. It’s not a place to bring politics into people’s peaceful world.
I agree that politics and religion have no place in a knitting group. But since evidently one or more designers posted hateful designs, and someone suffered threats and other hateful remarks as a result, then Ravelry is right to bar such comments and designs. They aren’t banning conservatives Republicans, or anyone else, just nasty comments. I’ll certainly continue to use their website, and I hope your business is not adversely impacted.
This really makes me sick. I believe in standing for what you believe in but when you run a business, it’s stupid to exclude some people why embracing others. I’m sure I dont agree with the way all my customers live but I’m selling a product so I’m not really concerned with that. I’m just providing a service. Like ravelry is supposed to be doing. This stance at ravelry is laced with bigotry and I’m really blown away. So I’ll be leaving once I download all the patterns I’ve purchased and will not be back. The people who run ravelry are very selfish and seem to only care about themselves.
I agree with you that it says something that someone who has created something as amazing as Ravelry has the integrity to stand up for something they believe in. Honestly, instead of getting pissed off, I think we need to think about why he chose to do something like that, and if you agree with him, then continue to support him and if you don’t, then you can choose to take your business elsewhere. Getting pissed off doesn’t really do much, imho. Personally, I will continue to support Casey (and you) through Ravelry.
They promoted it as an anti hate stance. I find it hypocritical that there are several, maybe more, patterns on ravelry that say “f… Trump”. Isn’t there hate and vindictiveness in that? I was offended when I saw those. Not because it said “f… Trump” but that that language would be used about ANYONE! I’m unsure as to how to get that messsage to ravelry. If they are going to stop hate speech, then stop ALL of it.
I’m with you I’m trying to remain neutral through all of this I did through the very beginning of trump being elected I tried to remain neutral I work 70 plus hours a week I don’t have time to deal with political BS I work with people of all Races sizes Etc what I do find upsetting as a longtime member of raverly is they have allowed the hate things of trump scarves patterns Etc to remain somehow that feels one-sided
Very well stated
I will be visiting you on Etsy only. All my “stuff” has been move and my account with Ravelry closed. Perhaps I’m the only one, but I have an issue with what I perceive to be Ravelry’s blanket condemnation of anyone not subscribing to their point of view. I posted my view and gave been accused of supporting those who spew hate. That is NOT my view – I firmly believe everyone has a right to their opinion, agreeable to me or not. That doesn’t make me a bad Democrat or a hateful Republican. It make me a person who firmly stands for American ideals. Ravelry has a right to do as they choose; so do I. BTW – I love your creations, Melody.
Hi Melody, I am Canadian so honestly this does not effect me. But I will say I don’t think politics, religion have any place in the crochet/ knitting world of any kind. We are here to support ooh and awe over all other crafters and to enjoy the community as a whole when related to these yarn crafts. This is a place to find help, new patterns, and as previously said too ooh and awe. Raverly in all honesty should of made a general stance that politics of any kind was not welcome in their community rather than placing a specific against Trump alone. While I do applaud them for their particular stance on Trump I don’t think they should of let this be known. We are already in a world of hate no need to continue this way. We all must promote peace and love for one another rather than the latter.
I would have stood by them if they excluded all politics. But I have endured comments from political views that are directly opposite from what I believe and just skipped over the ones I didn’t want to read. Apparently not all can do that. I have always supported our president even the last one that I didn’t agree with! Apparently freedom of speech doesn’t work on ravelry unless they like your views. Sadly I removed myself from ravelry.
Glad you wrote this. I will not be leaving Ravelry. I just love what has been created by Ravelry. I see their stand also as an invitation to say “no” to intolerance and yes to compassion and human connection. I knit because I love and it calms me. I knit for family and friends and feel sad that me me me seems to perpetuate so much of the planet. I hope more organizations feel free to make such a stand.
This is highly dissappointing. Every president should be supported equally. I didn’t vote for Trump or the last president but I didn’t say anything negative to the people who did. If it’s ok to have lgbt and abortion plastered everywhere our president shouldn’t be considered any different than any other political agenda. I suppose for now I’ll be downloading all of my library patterns and discontinuing use of Ravelry.
I agree with Raverly.
Although I understand your position, I will no longer go to Ravelry or any of its vendors for my patterns.
Strange that a crafting site should choose to isolate many of its users, by politicizing itself. Much like cutting off your nose, to spite your face. But then again, the same with Nazi things – this time it is just closer to home.
I absolutely love the invitation! It truly allows me to be open to the opinions of others. I hear you, but I’m my own person. I take what is important for me from any dialogue and leave the rest. I don’t have to agree, but I am going to be open. Just as I hope other people will be with me. Negative energy needs to be left out. I support the designers, not the politics. Your opinion is your own. Stay well.
Melody, I am a political atheist. This means I don’t believe in any of the parties. I deleted my Ravelry account not because they didn’t want political views posted, but because they singled out the President and his administration. By default this singles out the Republicans. Everyone has their right to believe as they wish. That is what America is all about. I also have the right to delete my account with Ravelry because, as much as they may try to deny it, they are becoming political and that is not why I joined in the first place. There are very few places people can go to get away from all the hate and negativity generated these days. I considered Ravelry one of those places. Politics has no place in crafting. Hobbies are ways to escape the dreary and mundane.
I have left Ravelry. I feel the no politics rule should have been enforce for all sides. I am a PROUD Republican! On Ravelry I have scrolled past numerous patterns for the Pussy hats, which I do NOT support. But instead of being childish, I acted like a normal adult, and scrolled on by. These are crafting sites. The owner of Ravelry is the one making things political for no logical reason on a crafting site. If you or any other craft site chooses to be political instead of an outlet for non political creativity, I will be done there too.
I think if they ban one side all sides should be banned. Making a blanket statment about people because they choose one party over the other is just plain wrong! If this had been done towards anyone else there would be more outrage. I don’t plan on using them again.
Honestly, how I have kept my sanity over the years is living by 1 simple rule. There are 3 things in this world that get people worked up. Politics, Religion, finances. Not because I don’t have an opinion but everyone has an opinion and some will never understand another persons opinion no matter what you do or say.
I am still supporting Revelry. I don’t know how politics really got involved in our little crafty community except that our current administration is blasting anyone who is different then they are and has no empathy for others. I honestly believe that politics and religion should be discussed with an open mind and understanding that you aren’t necessarily going to change a person’s mind about why they believe the way they do, but at least see it through another’s perspective. Sadly, not everyone can take themselves out of their own lives and be placed into another’s to see where they are coming from but all I ask is to keep your mind’s open and not put all Trump supporters or opposers in one basket. Everyone has their own reason for their beliefs.
Why not just ban all politics…
I fully support Ravelry’s position and admire them for standing up for what they believe. More people need to. Democracy only works well when the people are engaged in the process. We have gotten lazy and let other people take care of things and then want to cry about it when we don’t like it. Mr Trump is a liar(proven everyday), a lawless criminal and a sexual predator and rapist( accused by 22 women). He has no business being in the whitehouse. He most recently almost took us into war with Iran. I think the American people are tired of wars. The debacle at the border is shameful. If seeing and hearing about the conditions little children are living in at the hands of our government doesn’t make you ashamed then you aren’t human
Sadly, I had to end it with Ravelry..Their statement was bigoted and hurtful to me and my biracial family. Just because he ‘thinks’ all conservatives are White Supremacists..doesn’t mean it is true. That statement in itself was very judgmental and hurtful. I am a Christian, I have Christian values..I vote with these values at heart..but never never never would I hate another group or Political party because they do not agree with me. I feel you are really giving him a pass. I will find patterns elsewhere where they don’t call me intolerable names.
I see this not as an “invitation” but rather a slap in the face of anyone who does not share a particular political stance. How in bloody h311 did politics become an issue in fiber arts?!!! I’m mad as h311 that anyone feels they have the right to tell another individual what or how to think or believe. How intrusive and arrogant is that level of group-think! I, for one, refuse to be pulled into this childish game of name-calling, meanness and exclusion that is being displayed by so-called adults. I don’t believe everything I see, hear, or read in this day and age because of just such reactions as demonstrated by Ravelry. If we could simply replace the knee-jerk emotional responses to the biased presentation
of raw data with logic and our own diligent research perhaps this nonsense could be eliminated. Good Grief people, get a grip and give it a rest, most of us just want to enjoy our knitting/crocheting and the peace and pleasure it brings without all the unnecessary drama…Okay, rant over. 🙂
I think instead of just banning Pro-Trump, it should be all political endorsements, and make it a place to escape all of it. I have left knit groups that got bogged down in politics, not because I did or did not agree, but because I use my fiber work, as a way to clear my mind and escape the pressures, negativity, and stress of everything. I believe that it is not the same thing to arrange knit/crochet for causes, i.e. disaster relief, breast cancer, chemo caps, premies, shaken baby, neo-natal octupi, prayer shawls, etc. Let’s bring people together in a fiber-centric site to share/discuss all things fiber. No politics, no religion, no pro-choice debates, etc. As my mother always said when there were big dinners, don’t talk politics or religion. If you can’t think of anything to say, comment on the weather. We can comment on just Fiber, knitting, crocheting, spinning, needlework, etc.
I’m confused by your response, as if the policy change is merely political. The events that prompted the stance were due to a pattern with a white supremacist theme, posted largely to incite the reaction it got. People who asked for the pattern to be removed were targeted online, had their addresses and phone numbers published, and received death threats. This wasn’t about political opinion, it arose from hate speech and illegal actions on the part of Trump supporters.
People that voted for Trump are not banned, but hate speech is.
If ravelry wanted to be apolitical, they could have done that. Excluding a particular point of view is not neutral, it’s partisan. So is displaying the gay pride flag. Frankly, I’d love ravelry to be apolitical and am going to take my business elsewhere.
I left ravelry. As someone else said, crochet is my happy place but more than that, the way things were worded showed racism and bigotry. I will not abide by a business that will drive away certain people because of their beliefs. Reminds me of many historical times when people tried to force people to believe what they believe. I won’t but of ravelry now even if they retract their statement. If you sell elsewhere I will still support you.
Did not read the announcement but in reading your blog am disappointed in the decision of ravalry. There is so much hatred in the world right now and to carry it over into a knitting site is ridiculous There will always be differences of opinion’s in everything even the patterns we choose to knit or crochet. But please give your followers the respect to make their own political decisions
Well said!
I would like to see this as an invitation. I try hard to be supportive of other opinions. I love my crochet community and have loved finding so much support on Ravelry. If they’d stopped at banning political posts I could’ve lived with that. It shouldn’t be a political site. It’s arts & crafts. But they continued on to name calling and pure bigotry to an entire group of people based on a few. My heart is broken. I have literally hundreds of paid patterns on the site that I’ve bought over the years. It would cost me several hundred dollars to get them all printed out. I feel stuck on a platform that hates me because I’m a conservative… even though I didn’t vote for Trump… I am still a conservative. So I’m a white supremacist… according to them… I don’t think I’ve EVER been more insulted or hurt by strangers. ???
I read this…..”We cannot provide a space that is inclusive of all and also allow support for open white supremacy”. So basically they are saying that the site IS NOT inclusive to all. So their statement is hypocrisy. They do allow anti-Trump patterns…pincushions, voodoo dolls,etc. They are supporting HATE. I’m not pro white supremacy ( My family is mixed race) but I am pro American, where we ALL are free to believe what we want. I may not agree with a lot of things people do or say, and vise versa. And that’s ok. We all have the right to believe what we want to believe. And the other thing… Ravelry is a crochet and knit place….fun, relaxing….so why are people allowed to post political comments in forums? That should be banned. I feel like they are promoting THEIR agenda. They are NOT inclusive of all. Tolerance means putting up with things you don’t necessarily agree with because someone else also has the right to do and say what they want. It’s not all about you Ravelry elite.
I found your words wonderfully rational after some of the others I’ve read in the last few days. My personal opinion is that it’s his site so his rules, and I’ll continue as before. I love Ravelry but don’t spend much time in the forums. I do believe it was courageous to take a public stand, and I don’t have to agree with it, either fully or partially, to abide by his wishes. I would have probably worded the statement a bit differently — but they’re not my words. And for me, that’s pretty much all after lots of pondering.
We have normalized so much violence, hate, name-calling, and loss of rights in the last three years – maybe Ravelry needed to draw a line and say what they stand for – I have no problem with that. The two parties seem to have done the same. If only on the administration’s lack of humanity for children incarcerated in the southern border, I know where I stand. That one issue should reverberate throughout a community that thrives on crafts, colors, comfort, donations, learning and sharing…
As a marginalized person I’m glad that ravelry has decided to take a stand and I fully support it. I’ve heard that this change came about, in response to a situation involving an openly nazi-themed pattern being reported and the subsequent attack on the person who reported it. I’ve heard a lot of people complaining that they aren’t allowed to be Trump supporters and be on Ravelry and that’s just untrue. Asking that you keep your open support to yourself is not banning trump supporters. They even specifically addressed what would happen if someone tried to get someone to talk about Trump to get them in trouble. Lots of people read the blurb and didn’t bother to read the actual policy.
I’m glad that you haven’t chosen to leave Ravelry. I’m not supporting any designers who choose to do so.
I also saw the disgusting vitriol that was spewed at several makers who support ravelry. Including people who don’t even knit or crochet going on to these people’s Facebook pages to leave them bad reviews. It’s really disgusting that people are so up in arms about this that they would attempt to ruin someone else’s business.
I like your viewpoint.
Since when does politics and knitting go hand in hand!
And let’s not forget that they are throwing Freedom of Speech right out the window!
I admire your response and am happy to see you are taking such a positive approach to this hot topic.
I was pleased to see Ravelry take a position on this. My world- email-blog-text messages- phone calls and phone messages has been deluged with Trump support requests. I am proud that Ravelry took this position. Obviously, there must have been reasons for the need to make this position on Ravelry. I am proud to be an American and I believe in the writings of the Constitution. I taught my children to be respectful of others. Civility has taken a huge hit since 2016. Women’s rights have been slashed. I fear for my country and cringe at the actions of Trump and his supporters.
I have deleted my Ravelry account! I am a proud Republican. But regardless, I am a crafter. I craft to relax and politics should not be part of a crafting site. They have chose to insult all republicans. All they had to do was make a no politics rule & enforce it. If this site, or any other site I enjoy become political, I will delete that account also.
Liberals need to stop trying to rule the world. Political views have no business here. I’ve ignored everything so far, but this is going too far for me. I’m done!
I am shocked and appalled by what Ravelry has done. When I am looking at patterns and other crafters projects the last thing on my mind is race, gender or political beliefs. I am white and support our President. This does not mean I am white supremacist! And to label someone because of their political beliefs or religious beliefs is a form of hate. Would the Ravelry owners have done the same to those of their organization who supported Obama? I think not! So if you don’t agree with their political beliefs or think lock step with them you aren’t welcome! Disgusting, and frightening! I say leave politics, religion etc. out of knitting forums! Don’t vilify people who don’t agree with you. Ravelry s stance isn’t courage but cowardly! They are afraid of people who don’t think like they do so they vilify them and ban them from their site. I, for one, will no longer be using their site has my go to for patterns etc.
I agree with Carol and Audrey…except that I am not leaving Ravelry at this time. I won’t, however, be purchasing any more patterns there…but will use what I have in my library.
There is no room for political views in crochet. If you own a business and wish to make a stand, that is your right. But, as for Customers, we also have the right to not have someone else’s views cast upon us. So for me, to keep my own views, my own and my crochet time quiet, peaceful, and non judgmental, I am deleting my Ravelry. No offense intended, just not the place for me.
I agree with “Jessica”…but, all my patterns, bought or free, have either been printed out, or are in my patterns folder…..I,for one, don’t need or want the drama…..I just want to crochet and look at other’s crochet work??
I debated saying anything. I have both conservative and liberal opinions and views and have voted both Republican and Democratic tickets. What we are seeing in America now, however, is unlike anything we have ever experienced in the past; it defies logic and decency. I think most people keep quiet hoping this craziness will pass and we will get back to a country we can be proud of. As far as Ravelry taking a stand – that takes guts. Sure it would be easier ( and maybe more profitable) to just go along to get along, but taking a stand against a bully, a misogynist, a con-man, a liar…… I have to give credit to Ravelry for standing up to their convictions regardless of the outcome.
I agree with you. I don’t think Ravelry is the platform for politics. It’s unfortunate,however, that even people I know are very offended by your statements. Personally, I want to get back to a true democracy, not the dictatorial country we have become.
I am not American . I applaud Ravelry’s stance . LGBTQIA is not a choice .
Those people vowing to leave Ravelry are the ones who are cutting off their noses to spite their faces . Ravelry have had a lot of very positive publicity . Good Luck to them !
No politics please! I try my best to treat people fairly in life. Since the 2016 election, I have been told I’m I’m all kinds of horrible things from people who don’t know me, scream in my face and refuse to let me speak. All of this because i do not completely agree with the left. I will no longer use Ravelry because of their close minded behavior. If they want to be fair, they should take all political patterns and ideas off their site. I am so sick of the close minded behavior from the left, I speak up in public if I hear untruths and talking points on either side. Amazingly, hardcore democrats I know have become supporters of President Trump because of the one sided coverage and “outrage” from the far left. The left may have started a terrible precedent the way they are acting. Let’s see how a democrat president will be treated,
The invitation I see is the exclusion of certain designers, dyers, and ppl who are on Ravelry only to sell or buy their wares for political beliefs.
Ravelry should have excluded any and all political statements/wares from any source as being possibly decisive to the peace and joy this site should bring.
It’s like they’ve ‘thrown out the baby with the bath water’ by excluding one group instead of stopping it to begin with from any source.
Sad that it has come to this on a site I have enjoyed in the past.
I still like Ravelry and believe all politics should be left off the site. Crocheting and knitting are a relaxing and rewarding hobby.
Your words ” Let’s all celebrate the voice that so many generations before us weren’t allowed to share and express…..even if that voice isn’t in agreement with our own.” brings to my mind the people in other countries like North Korea or China where one has to constantly be on guard about how one thinks and speaks about everything. Or to be a woman in so many countries in the middle east and Africa where women do not have the right to go to the (yarn) store without being accompanied by a man. Or to be LBGTQ, Christian, Muslim (name a religion or doctrine) and live in constant fear of being tortured to death, etc.
Here in the United States of America not only can vote, but we can disagree with the president, state governor or our neighbor without fear of jail or death. We can have civil discourse with our neighbor, hash out ideas and even share them with our elected officials if we choose to.
We can each of us choose to support, ignore or rant about what Casey has chosen to say and do. That is something we have that so many others past and present do not have. I thank God ever day that I am an American.
Bless you Melody for your viewpoint.
As a Canadian I wholly support Ravelry’s position. Trump and his administration are the nastiest people ever born and if I never hear that horrible name again in my life I will be ecstatic!!!
My opinion is just my opinion…..but politics, religion, and sex…..we all know they exist…but
Your opinion on these subjects are just that…opinions…I dont need to see, hear, or care to know them…and ravelry is not the place to air your opinion on these subjects. You want to talk politics go to a political meeting, want to talk religon… go to church…talk about sex go to a therapist.
Ravelry is not the place!
There are other avenues to toss around opinions. Use them. Ravelry is for all people. It is for knitting and crochet. Politics and special interests belong on other sites. Whatever you believe or support, take it elsewhere.
I am a wife, mother and grandmother.? Most of all, I am a person with free will capable of ignoring things of no interest to me while embracing those that are. Ravelry’s newest policy does not affect me one way or the other. Thank you, Melody, for giving this middle-class American a voice. Now, back to knitting!
I am saddened that I feel (as a non-American as well) that I need to choose a side at all. I was happy with the many patterns I have seen, purchased and used. The website is truly miles ahead of other yarn related sites in terms of usability. For someone trying so hard to “share love” they sure have managed to spread a lot of very contagious hate all over the world. Due to that I will be taking my patterns, downloading them and leaving ravelry behind. I will also try to find ways to stay current with the designers I enjoy (such as yourself) as it is the website that has done this and not the designers themselves.
Respectfully, I’m very disappointed in your post and most of the comments so far. Ravelry has effectively banned hate speech and they will have my continued, enthusiastic support for doing so. I hope more businesses follow suit. “Staying out of it” in favor of “peace and love” is showing your privilege and it’s not a good look.
I’ll watch for you on Etsy. A no politics policy would have satisfied the purpose without the risk.
Very true.
I boldly agree with some of the comments above, and I emailed Ravelry last night to also let them know how I feel. Leave politics out entirely! This is a crafting platform, not a political one. Crafting should be relaxing, an escape of sorts. Keep all sides of politics OUT!
“Let’s all celebrate the voice that so many generations before us weren’t allowed to share and express…..even if that voice isn’t in agreement with our own.”
This is exactly why Ravelry is in the wrong. I don’t support Trump, but I’m a big girl who isn’t threatened by people that do. Being inclusive doesn’t mean excluding one side of a topic-that’s a textbook definition of being a hypocrite. I’m in the process of deleting my Ravelry account, won’t be giving them ad revenue and won’t be giving any designers that exclusively sell there my business. I’m saddened to see such intolerance reach this level in the crafting world.
I don’t remember reading about politics on Ravelry. I buy the patterns and yarn that I like. However, now, I won’t buy on Ravelry, I will try to purchase elsewhere! I have no preference of candidate or political party. But I feel my freedom speech is being violated by Ravelry comments.
I applaud them to the high heavens! There is no place in our society for white supremacy and that is what Mr. Trump espouses. I will stay with Ravelry until I die because they were brave enough to stand up for what is right. There is also no room for hate. I would LOVE to say other sites follow suit and stop the the hate that trump spews. Please Lord these steps will not be necessary in the future!
I am truly disappointed in Ravelry, it was a SAFE Place but now target’s are on some people’s backs.
Imagine what would have happened if they had taken a stance against LGBTQ, think about it! Telling people they can’t………fill in the blank if it’s tied to LGBTQ.
Imagine if this change was against the Anti Trump!!
They should have stayed neutral but they didn’t.
I’m on Ravelry to find new inspiration in my hobby, Crochet, not to discuss Politic’s. If someone wants to make something I don’t agree with, go for it, if they want to make something I agree with, great.
Stay neutral
I don’t believe politics has any business in retail unless it directly affects the business (e.g. a political stand puts the business at risk in some specific way.) I would rather Ravelry distance themselves entirely from politics rather than taking sides. I am not planning to completely disconnect from Ravelry, but will be downloading my patterns and it will not be my first choice when looking for a pattern (at least for awhile).
I totally agree, I refuse to allow politics to come into my corner of my world and could care less if Ravelry allows or disallows political content. I am happy to buy through Ravelry because I can find so much there.
Thank you. I stand with Ravelry. Casey’s refusal to allow white supremacy a place at Ravelry’s table is admirable. And wise.
I appreciate that Casey is willing to take such a risk to stand for something he strongly believes in. However, I also think it’s fool hardy to praise someone that takes a calm and commune arena and makes it super charged with discord, which will only increase division among us. I am not a Trump supporter, but everyone I know personally that does support Trump, does so because they think his policies will bring something wholesome and missing back to the American political arena and that they (conservatives) have not been heard otherwise, for several years. And I don’t care which side of the fence you fall on, or who is most right or most wrong, it’s ALWAYS important to listen to and consider the other side’s opinion. No one has it all figured out, and everyone needs help having their needs met. I admire Casey’s courage, but I’m extremely disappointed in how he’s carrying out his convictions. The steps he’s taking will not make a difference in American politics, if anything it will further entrench Trump supporters in their support.
Inclusive except- for those who disagree with them. It’s not inclusion.
Frankly, I don’t care what Casey’s stance is, political or otherwise, people tend to craft for relaxation, income, enjoyment….we come together in groups we choose or create because we enjoy them! Not to be told that our opinions are right or wrong or that if you disagree with someone, your banned
Ravelry didn’t have liberal as a requirement to join. But maybe they ought to consider making that one now.
If you don’t think that politics have any place in knitting or crocheting or any other fibre art, you really don’t know the history behind your art, do you? It wouldn’t be a bad idea for those people who are so vehemently against Ravelry’s stance on this topic to do a little research into the history of their craft. Politics have never not been a part of fibre arts.
I have said this many times over the course of the past few days, because some people don’t seem to get it. What Ravelry has done is not censorship or against freedom of speech. Freedom of speech just means that the government can’t punish you for speaking against the government. It does not apply to individuals or businesses. Ravelry is a privately owned enterprise and they are free to impose of whatever guidelines or rules they wish and if you disagree with them, you are free to leave or not to join at all. There are plenty of other places on the Internet that people are free to post their pro Trump crafts or patterns on. They are also not saying you are not allowed to support the current administration or Trump himself, but just do it elsewhere.
What does politics have to do with knitting and Crocheting? Needlework is an exhibit of talent. It has nothing to do with being a liberal or a conservative. I have my political views, and when the timing is right and the place is right, I do voice them, but no needlework site is the place for that. Come on people! Take your politics to the polls, and leave our needlework sites alone.
Well, I thought it was inappropriate for them to take that stance, mostly because it would offend people needlessly and cause more division which is the last thing anyone needs. I am mostly apolitical at this time, because I look at both sides and everyone gets mad. I think the site should ban political discussions period so we have a place to get to know each other and find common ground and see that people of differing opinions are not monsters. I did, politely, email them with that thought. Hope it all blows over soon. I just try to do what I can to be nice and help people whenever possible. Maybe it can make a small difference.
Holy typos lol!
Proof reading at it’s finest right there ^ ?
My comment is I spent 24 years and the United States Marine Corps. With that being said my time in the Military insured people the right to conduct their business anyway they want. it is a free country , however I strongly disagree with what Ravelry has done. I feel very bad for the customers as well as the Crafters who has paid very good money to have a store .. liking the current president and his decisions should not flow into a group such as this,some people have been members of this group since they were first opened,. They are basically telling the people who have the stores or pages to sell the items it’s either their way or no way that is not fair that is not what the United States is about.
I believe that all politics and religion should be kept out of business. I think the smarter thing was to ban ALL POLITICS so nobody could be offended. Now potentially everything is a mess. I personally think this was an attack on anybody believing in Trump and to call them all white supremacy is totally wrong. I know there are different races, nationalities, sexual orientations and more that believe in him so this can’t possibly be true. I believe in many different things and not once have I ever pushed my beliefs on anyone. Nobody else should either.
Craft sites should not be a place for political discourse. Everyone is certainly entitled to an opinion, but this is not the place to air it.
I agree with you that Raverly took a sting stand. We as a nation must respect the opinions of others. The only way Democracy will work is with give and take. A business’s opinion is as important as a personal opinion
I am very dissappointed in Ravelry. I have bought patterns thru this site for a long time, but those days are over. I have not criticized anyone for their beliefs here at any time. I am definitely offended by the LGBTQ flag on the home page. I have also never said anything directly to a gay/lesbian person on here either. Why should I accept having their beliefs shoved in my face. My days there at Ravelry are OVER>
This is my opinion, others are entitled to theirs. From observation, the ones that shout about hate speech and racism are often filled with them. It’s their business and they have the right to not do business with something they don’t want to. For years I have seen illegal drug crafts celebrated, an ideological/sexual perspective that includes pedophilia celebrated, extreme feminism and reverse racism celebrated. The last 2 have caused much division and harm. From here out I will probably not make purchases through that platform since they have made the decision to fully espouse what they claim to be against.
Did any of you research why that took that step? A Trump-fanatic posted a white supremacist pattern, a POC reported it, and then – because at that time reporters weren’t anonymous – the designer published her name and contact info so that other Trump supporters contacted her directly making threats. Yes, Ravelry would agree that it would be nice if we could all play together in the sandbox. But that requires EVERYONE to follow the rules of basic decency. This wasn’t about political parties so much as it was about taking steps to enforce “niceness”. It’s not excluding Trump-supporters at all – it’s just stating that rhetoric that affects other groups of people on Ravelry negatively won’t be tolerated.
I feel it’s “second gradish” “If you’re going to be his friend you’re no friend of mine”. It’s this childish way of thinking that has gotten our country with the silly problems they have now. Politics does not belong is every phase of our lives. I just wish people would grow up and stop acting with such childish spite and animosity toward one and another.
You have given a very thoughtful post, and I appreciate it. Here’s the honest truth: Casey didn’t “take a stand” for anything except hatred, intolerance, and exclusion. Unfortunately, that’s what most liberals do. They want to tell you what to think, say, do, eat, wear, watch, read, listen to, etc., and if you disagree her reaction is just one of many. Liberals DON’T want tolerance. They DON’T want others to think differently. They want everyone to think the way they do, and if they don’t, well – they do things exactly like she did. She did this to CONTROL people, to tell them what they can and cannot do. That right there is the truth. That right there removes their freedom. You can’t sugarcoat it. If it’s her business, she has the right to exclude others. But that doesn’t make it right in itself. By staying on Ravelry, people are saying she’s right, and she’s not. How is it right to exclude people from ANY social site? To say only those who agree with me are allowed in this room? You can’t come to my party if you don’t think like I do? You can’t have your kids in my daycare if we don’t think the same politically? In whose world is this okay? My best friend and I are on opposite sides of the political spectrum, and we’ve never allowed it to interfere with our friendship. We see that people can think differently yet still love one another. So therefore I will shop somewhere else, somewhere that allows ALL people, not just those who think the same politically. I choose freedom for all.
I am angry. I seriously wish Ravelry and every company would offer there business and leave politics out of it. Why can’t they just sell goods and not even bring up political things. Plus what they have said is incorrect. So basically they’ve put themselves out there against most republicans and their statement makes me think they don’t want our business. As a republican, it hurts to feel this way. IF they could just keep there mouths shut about politics everything would be fine. They stand a huge chance and unfortunately those who sell stand a huge chance of losing business.
Like all humans and all things where humans are involved -there is opinion. Sometimes one opinion is louder than others. I believe it is my choice, as it is everyone’s, as to whether I am going to let it bother me or not. If it bothers me, I can choose to block, walk away, or leave. In Ravelry’s case, I applaud the diversity allowed and the stand taken. I choose to stay and ignore those opinions I find offensive. Tomorrow things may be different for the whole world. Today is too short to worry about it.
I was very shocked and disappointed with this new policy and contacted them about it. Really, Ravelry needs to be for everyone and there should be no political postings. There are other forums for that. Ravely needs to remain inclusive and this policy does not help.
I closed my Ravelry account this morning. It was deeply disappointing to me that a business owner would allow himself to be so poisoned by politics that he would deliberately exclude a good number of people simply because he didn’t like who they voted for. It’s disappointing to me that an American can think so little of his fellow Americans that he’s willing to label people he doesn’t even know as a bunch of racists (and every other -ist or -phobic slur that can be thought of). In light of the other things that have been going on with Google, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter—it’s obvious there is some kind of coordinated effort going on to marginalize the perceived enemy. While some may cheer on this on, I can guarantee you they would not be cheering if this happened to them.
I, for one, will take my own stand. I took my patterns and left because while the owner of Ravelry is free to do as he pleases, I am also free to do as I wish. I will purchase through Etsy until they, too, succumb to the political pressure which will only be a matter of time. After that—I will get caught up on all the patterns I have that I haven’t gotten around to because I keep adding new ones! There is life without Ravelry.
I’m a Trump supporter, I voted for him and will again in 2020. That being said, I have many friends that hate him, to the point that I will not talk politics with them, I also have friends that love him, to the point where I will not talk politics with them. I don’t go to the extreme. All of these people are my friends, I love them and they are welcome in my house any time. Do I agree with Ravelry? No. Will I continue to use them? Yes. I’ve never posted nor seen anything political on their site, other than this. Conservative or Liberal, we’re all entitled to our own opinions.
I’ve been a Ravelry member for many years now. I DO post photos of the Pussy Hats I’ve customized for my near and dear so personally, I’m thrilled at your stand against our current political abyss.
It’s to be expected that others may feel aggrieved by this but it pales in comparison to the disgrace that our nation has become.
Keep up the great work & #Resist
Melody,
Thanks for you input. I was a little nervous when I first opened up your blog wondering which way the wind blew in your heart and mind.
This whole thing just adds to the craziness of what the world is coming to. As I am a Christian, my opinion is totally opposite of the Ravelry people and I had to unsubscribe. I appreciate anyone’s stand on issues and it’s completely their right to do so, however, when someone tells me I can not, or I will not do something because of “their” stand, my hackles rise. I am too old to submit to a mandate which states I’m evil and hateful if I “do not” obey someone else’s agenda. To each his own and let the rest of us alone.
I join knitting and crocheting sites to learn more about these things….not for politics or ideology statements. When a site begins to dictate what I can do, that is no longer a site I’ll participate in.
Thanks again for what appears to be neutrality. No matter what people feel about anything, they still have no right to tell others they have to feel the same, nor accept what they practice. I just hope they remember, God will not be mocked.
I will be leaving Raverly because I am a black republican who is NOT nor do I support white supremacy. Also watching the way any designer who does not publicly (on Instagram) is verbally bullied for not standing with Raverly is terrible. I’ve just unfollowed all who are arguing about it and will get my patterns elsewhere.
I have over 2,000 patterns still to download off Ravelry. You can not imagine how their statement made me feel. To be called white supremacist just because I support the President and his policies is unconscionable and Ravelry should be ashamed. If they are lumping all conservatives under one banner I believe their next step will be to limit Christian values and religious patterns from their site. Slippery slope. I am leaving Ravelry behind, and will leave those designers that openly support their actions behind also. My money is best spent elsewhere.
HATE is Ugly – no matter what form it takes. I commend Ravelry for refusing to be a conduit for HATE.
I’ve had a problem with Ravelry for a long time, and it had nothing to do with Politics. My issue is the blatant disregard for Copyright and Trademarks. I even wrote to them about this issue. They don’t care, and eventually they’ll pay for it. When Marvel, Disney, Warner Bros, etc finally decide to take action, it could be catastrophic for them.
Now with the Politics issue, they’re insane. Why is any Political talk permitted on a Knit/Crochet site in the first place? All of it should go. Yes, I’m removing my pictures, projects and patterns. I’ll stick to Etsy and Crochet Blogs.
I totally disagree with Ravelry’s basic premise for this action being that President Trump is a “white supremacist”. (It’s just not true.) That’s why the whole situation reeks of politics. While I respect Ravelry’s right to do what they want as a privately owned company, I wish they had just banned “hate speech” of any kind w/o alienating so many people. I love the service they provide, but I don’t want to have politics shoved in my face when I’m scrolling through patterns.
It feels straight up like censorship. I’d be all for it if it was no politics period. But to single out specific people/groups is discrimination. I will not stop shopping ravelry because of this I don’t go there for forums or discussions. I didn’t even know they had such a thing. Is their company based in the USA or some other country? I looked and couldn’t find info. But we have this thing called freedom of speech. People seem to be sticking their heads in the sand and ignoring what they don’t like. Everything hurts their feelings. Where did this new thinking come from? You can’t pretend you are an ostrich and stick your head in the sand and everything will be ok. It won’t be. The world is still going on around you. And the world isn’t such a nice place. I was raised that The US is the best country in the world. Some countries seem down right scary. Maybe it’s just fear mongering by the news… Fact or not I have no idea as I haven’t been anywhere. I have friends in other countries and a few of them seem nice enough that maybe I’ll visit some day but Home is California.
I will follow you on your Etsy shop only. It is too bad that people have to insult people who do not believe the same way they do. You make beautiful patterns and I will continue to buy your items.
What Ravelry has done is right along communistic lines. They believe a certain way….say that everyone that doesn’t agree with them is a “white supremacist” and if you don’t like it, well leave then. They also do not want to hear any opinions that differ from theirs….I am appalled!! I noticed last night that the pattern for “F Trump” dishcloth was still there and available. I put up with their pussyhat barrage and even though I didn’t agree, I kept my mouth SHUT. Something Ravelry knows nothing about. It has ruined my love for that site, period. I will never buy another pattern 🙁
I feel like our racist beliefs have been set back by decades. I really don’t care which side anyone is on or their beliefs. That is totally up to them. That being said I do believe if Ravelry had a issue with pro trump stuff they should have dealt with that person, company, designer and not have put it so public. Yes so people go far right or far left but a platform that has all kinds of designers, companies and individuals from all walks of life should be more careful how they handle things.
Yes, I am upset with how they handled it. I don’t see blaming the designers for it. Ravelry needs to rethink what they have done and apologize to designers who have been hurt by this.
We do have the right to freedom of speech but maybe you need to rethink that when you could hurt someone else’s likelyhood.
Thank you
Yay Ravelry:
We survived, won two world wars protecting the rights of minorities, the right to have opinions and permission to advocate for our beliefs.
S why would I penalize Revelry for utilizing their social media page to make a stand regarding their business.
I respect Ravelry and those other businesses who are willing to stand up and enforce boundaries.
Ravelry, in my opinion has the right to decide what is displayed on their web pages.
Bullying, white race supremacy, discrimination, whatever name you give it should never be tolerated at any level.
Ravelry and businesses like Very Pink and this one should be commended for not burying the issues and making a stand.
Hello
I am Canadian and I do have an opinion on the person that has been elected as president of the United States. But it is my personal opinion. How do I feel about Casey’s stand. He also has a right to his own opinion. Has he chosen the right platform to do it. Probably not but that is up to him. I will continue to support Ravelry has a knitting and crocheting community
I agree with all you say but politics affects us all in many ways and when it’s blatant it has to be called out. Same problems here in the UK 🙁
I will no longer be using Ravelry based on their decision! I am an avid knitter but they have no business in politics. I find the liberal left in this country to be the largest group of hypocrites and the most inhumane group ever! They are constantly undermining everything good thing that this administration tries to do. Bye Bye Ravelry
I chose to leave Raverly behind. I am if the mind that everyone has their own opinion and that’s great. To me is was the way they put the statement out. Calling people who support Trump white supremacists was way over the top. Yes I read the whole thing, but the headline was enough. They say they want to be fair but are far from it. I just can’t and won’t be apart of that group. Politics should not have been brought into it in the first place. When they take away the patterns that are supporting Trump and leave the ones against him (or any other person/group), I think took their stance regardless of what they wrote. So in the end I chose to leave.
I will sadly probably not purchase patterns from anyone that associates with Raverly. I do believe they did not care if they hurt the designers that sell on their site- for that if I was a designer I would leave at once- even is you agree or disagree with their stance- you can see now how much they care about your business… Not At All!!!
No I can’t find an invitation in this. I come to ravelry to marvel at creations and wonder if I can do that. I don’t come here to be dictated to. I thought this was a safe zone away from all the negativity in politics.So I guess this means I wont be buying from here any more. I can go elsewhere.
I am saddened that our country has reached this stage of intolerance. I use Ravelry for searching for patterns & yarn information. If they want to have a policy of nothing political, I might be able to support their stance. However, I have a problem with being called a White Supremacist! I was offended by the amount of pink kitty hats that were found in the site a few years ago, but the admins didn’t seem to care about that. Just sad that this has invaded my crafting world!
I’m very disappointed with Ravelry for turning themselves into a political organization. They are spewing hatred of Donald Trump and his supporters. And yes, it is all about Donald Trump. “Support for the Trump administration is unambiguously support for white supremacy.” Direct quote from the home page. How ridiculous and insulting of them to say this!
I will no longer be supporting Ravelry. I will no longer be purchasing from designers and yarn sellers that choose to ‘stand with Ravelry’. There are many of them. That’s okay, I have enough patterns and yarn to last the rest of my life. I can be pickier about what I purchase in the future.
Leave politics out of crafting! There are plenty of places and ways to give your opinions without disrupting what used to be a good platform for relaxation and fun.
I just don’t think politics,or religion are a place for open discussion in Ravelry or any other knitting or crochet forums. While everyone has a right to believe and support anyone they choose. I don’t think they have the right to continually barrage me with their beliefs. I have strong beliefs on a lot of different topics but because I respect others to be able to do the same, I don’t try to convince them to conform to what I think. Neither would I stop shopping with you or any vendors because of what beliefs they have. I’m interested in the product.
My goodness, what Mr Trump does or does not do
Will not change because of what I think or say. if I agree with him, it won’t make a hill of beans to him either. So why get so stirred up about it. Life is too short to spend big blocks of time dwelling on something you can’t change. Enough said. I’m going back to my knitting.
It’s not a Democrat or Republican Party issue. It’s a personal issue with this US President and what he chooses to stand for. As a non-American I have been utterly appalled at how the ‘land of the free, home of the brave’ is currently choosing to face the world. Front page of my home city’s (London, UK) newspaper tonight is a photograph showing a dead migrant and toddler face down in the mud of the Rio Grande. Main news item on tv last night was the treatment of migrant children in detention centres separated from their parents. Seemingly clean clothes, showers, toothbrushes and enough food to eat weren’t deemed to be important or required. It’s just shocking. It’s not the country I knew and loved and called home some years ago. There is a loss of humanity and civility that is appalling. As a nation you are better than this but at the moment your leader is choosing to silence those who need the most support. I admire Ravelry’s stand and the many designers who have chosen to support it without a thought on the economic cost to them. Those are the designers I want to support. Not those who say here’s another way of being my patterns if you are in favour of white supremacy, come and look at my Etsy platform ?
To say that we are not going to be politically motivated, even for our own mental health, speaks volumes about our own personal privilege. To live a life that allows us to disconnect from the news and ignore what is happening around us means that we enjoy the privilege of wealth, desires location, perceived ethnic background, gender identity, or any combination of these. So many of my family and friends don’t have the luxury of checking out because they are being persecuted due to skin color, gender identity, even the location of their birth.
I applaud the stance Ravelry has taken. I wish others would follow.
I think you said it very well. I totally am w/ you. And I come from the same place as to not watching news nor giving politics any of my time.
I will add that ppl are saying that politics don’t belong in crafting – but all sorts of crafters have used their crafting talents and skills for their political freedoms, thoughts, stands forever.
For ALL to consider:
“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
Evelyn Beatrice Hall
I have unsubscribed from your emails because you stand with a company that is not only okay with suppressing speech but can’t be bothered to curb-check piracy.
Regardless of who I choose to vote for, I am not a white supremacist and I object to being called as such. I also object to seeing speech suppressed; that is scarily like China (Tiananmen Square, anyone?) and North Korea (Don’t speak ill of Kim Il-sung or Kim Jong-il.). History repeats itself if someone refuses to study it.
Ravelry is akin to Big Brother in 1984. Perhaps you should pick it up sometime.
There is a back story to Ravelry decision to make a political statement. I look at this as a discussion that needs to happen. The move was precipitated when a designer created patterns that discriminated and created oppression with intent to harm groups of people. If the right feels oppressed by this move, imagine those who were targeted by the designer must feel on a daily basis. I am just saying regardless if you are left or right. It is time we take a United stand to stop discrimination and oppression.
I am offended. If I support President Trump they are in essence saying I am a racist, white supremest. Which I am NOT. This is their opinion, which they have a right to. I don’t believe their opinion is based on facts. This is my opinion, which I have a right to. God Bless America!
There is an old adage- unless you stand for something, you stand for nothing. Other businesses have taken political stands for what they believe in and I admire Ravelry for doing so as well.
I have been a long-time member of Ravelry and will continue to support them as well as the designers who sell there.
I just noticed this about an hour ago. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on it. Casey obviously believes that Pres Trump is a white supremest. I do not. This time he bans mention of Pres. Trump, who’s next..pro lifers? Those who believe in immigration reform? I’m disappointed that politics is now going to become a criteria for inclusion on Ravelry. Essentially anyone who is a Trump supporter cannot say so under penalty of being thrown off the site , very sad.
Thank you for your beautiful perspective. Personally, I have cancelled my membership with Ravelry. I’m heart broken and a bit offended by their generalized classification. But none the less, this is exactly what America is all about…Freedom. They have the freedom to make their stance I have the freedom to stay or go. I thought it through and if there are any patterns that I find that lead me to Ravelry, I’ll do my best to find the designer and purchase their pattern outside of that platform. I won’t stop buying from any designer who chooses to stay on Ravelry, I just chose not to be apart that organization.
Calling every Republican or Trump voter a white supremacist is like me running down the street calling every black person the N word or everyone with any German heritage a Nazi. Horrid. Horrid. Watch the video today of “Natalie Harp praises President Trump’s support for the Right to Try Bill” and you might get why people like Trump. I have already deleted my Ravelry and will never go back.
I have enjoyed Ravelry for many years–love to browse the patterns. Now, unfortunately they have decided to pull politics into a fun “crafting” area. Why? I will be going to my account and closing it as soon as I finish this comment. I feel that there is a place for everything at the correct time–this is not the place for politics. If anything, it is a place where a person should be able to relax and forget all about the problems of everyday life–an escape to a peaceful, unopinionated place. I respect their opinion but I get the drift of prejudice and forcing it on others. I support our president.
I agree with Ravelry. Trump needs to see that his actions affect all kinds of people. He believes that he has the right to say whatever he wants without considering the result. We should all be able to take a stand for our beliefs without backlash from those who do not agree. This is called freedom of speech. It scares me that we are starting to lose this valuable right.
I certainly found an invitation to not spend my money on a website that calls me unfounded names under the guise of “all inclusive.”
Individuals may take whatever stance they choose, but Ravelry is not the platform. Ravelry has been a GREAT site for those of us who knit and crochet. Buying, selling, searching for patterns. I really dislike the devisiveness this action is going to cause.
While I take offense to the “name calling and finger pointing”, I will remain on Ravelry not because I agree with the statement, but because I like the “product”. I have seen several patterns that I took offense to, but I just “kept on scrolling”. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and that includes me! I haven’t commented on the Facebook posts because I didn’t want to be banned. I still search Ravelry everyday and will continue to do so.
So sick of Liberals trying to silence Conservatives. I will shop elsewhere from now on. Ravelry you are choosing what I can and can not buy due to political beliefs. If I chose to purchase something Trump I have every right to. He is our President like it or not get over it and should be shown respect. I am a Conservative but I vote on who I feel is best weather it be a Democrat or Republican. What next the American flag going to be banned? Political views have no place in a place like this.
I will continue to use Ravelry. I have friends on both sides of fence. Not sure what politics is doing in the crafting world.i believe in the right of individuals to make their own choices and respect those choices. If more love and tolerance was shown to each other then we wouldn’t be in the mess we are.
I agree both sides should be heard, but this is trying to snuff out conservatism. And with a platform so large, it is wrong. Un-American! Ravelry should have just stayed out of it! Certainly crocheting and knitting have NOTHING to do with politics. This has really emflamed me. Etsy will be my choose of site. This is second seller I have heard from, and am expecting more. I too, certainly hope this doesn’t hurt your sales.
I am not a Republican and I did not vote for President Trump. I am a Constitutionalist Conservative and feel that Ravelry, being a private business, has every right to do what they want. Same goes for the bakery shops that refuse to make items for people based on personally held religious beliefs. However, both businesses need to be prepared for the potential loss of half their clientele.
My knee-jerk reaction to the Ravelry situation is, “Great! Another non-political entity has now gone political!” But, as stated above, it’s their decision to make. What I don’t like is the hypocrisy on both sides; the “I have a right to share my opinion but you don’t so I’m going to shout you down” crap.
It’s sad that the US has become so divided that we can’t talk to one another anymore.
Thank you for putting a positive ‘spin’ on this. Hopefully, it will give people pause and cause them to mull it over.
As a Canadian we are in a unique position to observe what appears to be the insanity going on in the US. I support Ravelry’s position, it is brave and morally correct. It is not that most Americans and most of the rest of the world don’t like Trump because of his politics,it has nothing to do with politics. What it is all about is right from wrong, greed ,corruption and bullying the rest of the world. To say nothing is to be complicit. Go Ravelry!
First of all, thank you Melody, for sharing your thoughts about this with us! I hope you’ll indulge me in sharing a few of my own.
Full disclosure, I used to call myself Republican. I think what they used to believe matched closest with my own morals and values. Additionally, I think Trump is a disgusting human being. He has taken stances and said things that have personally offended me and my beliefs.
That being said, what Ravelry has done is SOOOO un-American.
Stand up for what you believe, but accept that other people have different beliefs than you.
How can we call ourselves Americans with such an intolerance to people who think differently? There HAD to be a better way of making Ravelry an unbiased and safe place away from bigotry and hatred. Instead, ban ALL politics from the site and/or ban racism and hatred. Either of those would have taken REAL courage, not the political stunt that they pulled.
But make no mistake, what they’ve done is created a Safe Haven for hatred. There will be someone with means, that will create a crafting site just for Republicans and guess what? Now the gap that exists in this country is that much bigger and soon it will become a giant chasm that no one can cross.
And where will all the crafters go that want no part of that in our crafting? Don’t let politics worm it’s way into every aspect of our lives.
Now, I too, have distanced myself from politics. I know it’s necessary for the country to function, but it’s turned ugly while discouraging peace between each other. But- I am VERY passionate about how mankind is affecting their communities that ultimately make up this world. I have children that I want to have a better world to live in than the one we have now.
It hurts my heart to see all this anger between mankind. We need to find common grounds instead of only focusing on what makes us different. Or better yet, we need to celebrate our differences! Find beauty in the colors that make each of us unique.
I say to Ravelry,
“It would be tragic to turn this world into black and white. Please don’t take away our colors.”
I was a little surprised that Rav didn’t just ban political talk in general. But I support their right to take what stance they feel morally obligated to take. As a member of a Native American family we have had more than our share of problems with White Supremacists. This includes my grandparents house being burned because they were Natives who tried to save a Black teen from hanging by the KKK in the 1920’s to my own son dying in a fire of mysterious origin after standing up to the same group defending some young Black teens. Can’t prove whether they did or did not do it unfortunately.
A Jewish friend had her son assaulted at school the day after the election by classmates saying “ ethnic slur – get ready. We are warming up the ovens for you”. And they cited you know who as empowering their actions.
But intended or not, these groups seem to feel empowered to speak up and act out since the last election. So this is an emotional and very personal issue for me. Needless to say I will continue full support of Ravelry. Others will have to act according to their own life experiences. I respect their right to make that choice.
Thank God for strong people like Casey who stand up an say “no more” to those who defy human rights.
Ravelry DID NOT disavow all Republicans nor cheer all Democrats – that is specifically stated. Ravelry did not kick out pro-Trump members, or even identify them. Ravelry did not disparage the office of the POTUS.
If a member of Ravelry feels it necessary to uphold and publish the viewpoint of white supremacy -and the very public man who advocates it – on a fiber/craft forum, then Casey is absolutely right to censor.
The glorification of Hate crimes doesn’t belong on a peaceful crafting site.
Hobby Lobby made its personal religious views a requirement for its staff. Bakers are not required to bake wedding cakes for gay couples. Their stances of specific exclusion stood up in the courts of the nation.
If more contentious people took a public stand to say “NO MORE!” against human atrocities; the world would be a safer and kinder place for ALL of us.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
Edmund Burke
Thank you for this post. I was afraid that you were going to aim it the other direction. Bravo! I will still be shopping through you and Ravelry.
I am proud to support Ravelry. This is not Republican vs. Democrat…this is Americans vs. white supremacists. Ravelry took a stand against it, and I applaud them. At this juncture in history we cannot hide in our homes and ignore what is happening in the world. Has history taught us nothing? Is this how we want our country to treat blacks, Muslims, LBGTQ, the news media, and yes the migrants (especially those children living in filth at the border) . Ravelry is bravely taking a stand and I will happily support those who stand with them.
As a Canadian, I don’t know what you are even talking about. Just leave ANYTHING political out of any craft sites.
My opinion of Trump or Trudeau or any other politician has absolutely nothing to do with whatever I am crocheting.
It took me a while to find out the exact reason ravelry made this decision. Apparently someone posted a pattern that was offensive to some. And I would like a reply or explanation as to what that was about That said I love Ravelry as a resource and have many patterns stored. I agree that politics religion and sex should not be discussed in public forums. As for Casey’s decision, I believe in free speech and if ravelry is his private business he can do what he wants understanding the risks involved (losing members) One ☝️ f the LYS I FREQUENT has a no politics discussion posted. At Another shop I frequent , we often discuss politics keeping in mind we agree to disagree. I think if you don’t like ravelrys position. LEAVE. Personally I consider it a fabulousl site and will remain.
There is no place, apparently, on Ravelry to let them know how wrong-headed it is for them to do this. So I’ll do it here. I’m disgusted that we can’t even have a craft site without this kind of BS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I will chose Etsy to buy patterns and Love knitting for my free ones…I’m an independent….I want a site where all things can be displayed…If it’s offensive to me then I won’t buy, simple as that..I don’t discriminate…
Hey, its a Knitting and crocheting site.Enough said.
I feel conservatives have been targeted and banned.. I feel free speech has been violated and Lies have been told.. I left ravelry and we are in the process of creating a similar environment.. If they had excluded all things political then I would have agreed, otherwise I am rightly upset and so should everyone who has been banned for their beliefs.. This is a cheap political ploy to destroy President Trump..
I wish they would have banned all politics. I am a Republican but I vote for who will do the best job. Not by party lines. I did not vote for Obama but I also did not say he isn’t my President. In my life I treat people how I want to be treated. And for Ravelry to state I believe in white supremacy because I voted for a Trump is ludicrous. I love Ravelry and have been very upset. But I have not felt safe in expressing my views.
I deleted my account because I feel ravelry is only allowing projects that support their beliefs (the pink p—y hats, pride projects, etc. ) yet any kind of MAGA projects, or the like is banned. I feel the new rule is biased and I am deeply offended and hurt. I am not a racist, nor white supremacist, however I do support our president. I do however believe politics has NO PLACE in a yarn community.
I have read all of the comments and consider them very insightful, particularly the ones stating that political patterns and commentary should have been banned entirely. That said, I personally feel that Donald Trump is a president who is impossible to support for a host of reasons and I applaud Casey and his Ravelry co-owners for the position they have taken. I will continue to be a loyal and happy Ravelry user.
My Ravelry account has been deleted. I will not do business with businesses that discriminate based on race, color, religious or sexual persuasion, or political beliefs. To continue to offer my designs for sale would be a tacit approval of this form of censorship.
My response? I am no longer a member of Ravelry.com. This is blatant hatred and racism at its worst. I’ll bet all the patterns for the pink hats and everything rainbow is still welcomed on the site. You know what? That’s fine and if there are MAGA and other politically related things that is fine too. If there are patterns I don’t want to make I pass over them and find some I do like. Who are these people who are so perfect that they’ll eagerly alienate a huge segment of their subscribers like me. I am an: older, pro life, Christian, white woman and I support our President of the United States Donald Trump. I am sorry for the pattern makers and sellers of goods like yourself who will undoubtedly lose sales.
I stand with Ravelry.
Children are in cages and camps. Let’s stop pretending that there are any places that are “free from politics.”
We have to quit pretending things are okay because they aren’t.
Why in God’s name must politics invade every cell of our being?? This is a place to celebrate ideas and talents, not discuss our political views!
If they had said no politics on Ravelry I would be happy to comply, but I am deeply and profoundly insulted at being called a”White Supremacist” for loving my country and President which is my God given right! Who us Casey to take that away from me!! Pissed off? Yes I am!!
I believe we, as Americans, have an opportunity here to see the rights and privileges our forefathers and current military have given so much for actually at work. Freedom of speech and our opinions is the luxury many nations do not have. The freedom to stand up for what we believe and have our voices heard is the true treasure every American has.
As a designer I am, as you put it “Wickedly Pissed” that Ravelry has gone political. Before they did this I was getting 5-25 sales a day. I haven’t had a sale since they did this. I have always kept politics out of my craft business and will continue to remain politically neutral when it comes to crafts. Ravelry has put all of us designers in a no win situation. Those against their stance refuse to purchase from us, maybe not realizing that we had no choice or warning that this was happening. If we all of a sudden start selling in another platform Those that agree with them will see it as us not agreeing with ravelry viewpoint and refuse to purchase. The bottom line for me is that this political stance that ravelry has taken, has caused harm to small business owners like me who are just trying to pay the bills by sellling Designs.
Hi Melody!
I say “screw Ravelry” [(and, when I say “screw”, I really mean another, more powerful word(s)] and I’m on my way out of their website! I will NEVER use them, AGAIN!
Take care and thank you for letting me comment my opinion. 🙂
Sharon
I think we need to keep politics out of things like this. I am so fed up with Trump and his lies and scamming the USA and the world for his big deflated ego. I believe he is the anti-christ and has way too many people under his spell. I can’t stand to even here his voice and can’t wait until he is out of office and behind bars. I need non political hobbies and subjects like this to not remind of the big baffoon.
So fully agree! I am old enough to be of the generation that says “if you can’t say anything nice, then keep quiet”. Obviously there were a lot of people who can’t say anything nice and were not keeping quiet and we each have to draw the line somewhere. Ravelry is where I go to find patterns from designers around the world whom I may never hear of otherwise. It is to see projects and hear stories from others regardless of their politics, religion, race, sexual orientation, etc. These days it seems in the United States it seems to be so connected with one party so it is easy to say it is political that caused this when it was probably just some individuals. I may not agree with everyone but I do agree that we can talk and treat everyone with respect. In that belief I will stay on Ravelry and maintain my respect for those who are showing theirs.
But it’s not about being Republican or Democrat. I’m a Republican but will not stand with Trump on his views. He does not represent the Republican
Party as I know it. I agree wholeheartedly with Ravelry on this. They are banning a bully not a party.
I’m on the fence about the political situation! I don’t agree with Ravelrys actions, but I do believe in its right to take a stand.
We needed and still need an about face from the debacle that was the Obama reign! Trump was and still is the obvious choice! After all the hate engendered during Obamas 8 years I. Office, it was imperative that we turn the nation around!
I no longer call myself a Democrat.
I am a person who tries to get along with everyone. I am a proud Christian, American and Republican. I agree that politics don’t need to be a part of everything. I am totally disappointed in Ravelry. I also agree with a commenter who said that Liberals profess to be inclusive of all people but are really only interested in there own beliefs and opinions. As a Christian and a human…I can’t and don’t respect those who feel that abortion is okay. I think liberals go to far. They know everything and are always right no one other than them are allowed to have an opinion. They are doing their best to make this a third world country. With that being their goal, I don’t understand why they don’t move to one and leave America. I will no longer purchase any patterns from Ravelry until or unless they change their attitude and stance. If you are gonna ban one political party then you should ban all politics.
This is the world that we voted for. Everyone wants to b heard. I’m not going to let one website choose for me we have enough so called important people doing that for us as far as racism when u live with racism everyday of ur life who is truly responsible except for it the people who promote it and justify and help protect it everyday of their life with their rules to make sure that things don’t apply to u or ur future generations, yeah. Y stop at just supporting ravelry look into the other companies that r pro one thing or another. Just my opinion
Oh Melody I love your patterns. I so enjoyed your site but I will not be back. I deleted my acct on Ravelry. I am a deplorable and proud of it. We who are for Trump are not the problem. Like the poem by Martin Niemoller says… “First they came for…” ( look it up). That’s what is happening now. Take a stand or you will lose the right to voice your support or opinion whatever it may be. But stay silent & you will lose the right to speak if you aren’t of the hive- mind.
This comes down to simple business economics. The business owner chooses what he/she wants to promote on their website. The customer chooses whether or not they want to support their website. That’s what’s great about America. The right to choose.
“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
I know of several knitters in a couple of different Facebook groups who are very upset that Ravelry seems to be limiting their 1st amendment right to free speech. What I don’t get is why everyone is so upset. All the owners of this “private business” did was say that they will not allow anyone to spew any sort of white supremacy caca on their site. You can believe what you will, but you can’t put it out to the Fiber World via Ravelry. It’s absolutely NO different than what the owners of both Hobby Lobby & Chic-fil-et did with their companies and not allowing their employees’ medical insurance to pay for birth control.
Our fiber community has been dealing with the problem of a lack of diversity for a while now, and Ravelry is taking a stand against the current wave of obnoxious behavior that comes from those that support the person sitting in the Oval Office. It’s as simple as that.
I, for one, support @hi.ravelry completely.
I am one who is also very non Trumpian; but, in fairness to all, perhaps a general ban on ALL political comments of any kind may be warranted here.
I don’t think the owner of Ravelry should have let politics rule the site. And, if that be the case, then all politics should be banned, not just one party. This country is divided enough without making us crafters choose sides. I wish someone with know how would start an UnRavelry page that I can feel comfortable shopping with.
This is a very bad choice for Casey to make. Choosing one political party to ban from your e-commerce sight is not the best way to grow your business. I am offended and hurt by finding this sort of thing on a knitting and crochet site. He is leaving all of his designers vulnerable to losing customers through no fault of their own. I didn’t read where he had polled his designer base to see how they felt. If I was posting content for sale on this site, I would be furious at potentially losing half my customers due to no fault of my own. Up until this announcement, I viewed Ravelry as a rich community of makers and creators. Now, it is another site for political hacks to post their one sided liberal views. Such a shame in my opinion. I do not admire this man for what he has done, and I am not going to choose a political party to support so that I can use Ravelry. You are lucky to have an Etsy shop. Other designers would be wise to open one as well.
I am incensed. The “Liberals” like to espouse the notion that they are inclusive. And tolerant. It’s a concept they don’t actually follow, because they sure leave out anyone who supports Trump.
Does Casey get that there are black Republicans? Because he just said all Republicans are White Suprematists. Unless I read that totally wrong, seriously? Sure, stand up for what you believe…..I get that. But I just couldn’t more thoroughly disagree with clumping a whole group together like that. Any group, for any reason. Political or not. We’re all human beings. And until people STOP the labeling game, nothing will change. So please tell me I totally misunderstood what’s going on. Otherwise, I look at that whole thing as an invitation to steer clear of Ravelry.
I will continue to use and enjoy Ravelry.
I’m going to look at it as they just dont want anything political posted. Probably needed to make statement for trolls that are out there. I like to think independently, so therefore I’m not into posting political nonsense. I will continue to use Ravelry and dont feel it will hurt shop owners. That’s not the place to be talking politics. I go to relax and loose myself in dreams of yarn and what I can do with it.
I am a firm believer in the First Amendment. IMO a business owner should be focused on business on their site, and if they have strong political leanings, that should be focused in a blog, letters to the editor, etc. If you take a strong political stance on your business site, you will be alienating a entire group of potential customers. You can count me into that group being alienated, regardless of which side you want to promote or limit in your public business forum.
Although I am only a customer through the site of Ravelry, I am extremely concerned about the stance that they have taken and the general tone. While the operator of the site has the freedom to run the site how they choose and according to their beliefs, I find that they encourage users of the site to “flag” persons or sites that seem to be in violation of the new policy. How is this different from oppressive regimes encouraging citizens to report their neighbor or parent for statements or beliefs critical of the regime or its polices (think the rise of Nazi ideals in 1930s Germany). This is a very slippery slope. I as a customer will not longer use Ravelry nor will I shop through Etsy for those same persons who operate on both sites out of fear. Yes, fear that somehow I may be deemed to hold dangerous, non inclusive ideology.. Never did I think as an American citizen, and considers myself an ordinary person, would I feel this way. I suggest that you think about the negative impact Ravelry’s new policy will have on your personal business . (By the way, how can Ravelry say are providing a “space that is inclusive of all” if you are excluding a certain group?)
Well said Melody! I plan on staying with crafts and turning my back on any and all politics. Ravelry did not fill my feed with politics but there was a number of FB pages who did. I won’t miss them and they won’t miss me. Thank you for your level-headed comments, Melody.
I will not be using any site including Ravelry anymore if there is a push to ban anything pro Trump. Politics have no place in the crafting world. Everyone has a right to their views, opinions and beliefs. A site such as Ravelry should stay away from being pro or con anyone. They should remain neutral and simply provide a safe and stress free site for anyone to enjoy. Monitor for racism and hatred but don’t ban just because they may have a political dislike for a president. That to me is a dangerous game.
I will be closing my account, once I have all my paid patterns. Ravelry, has done a great dis-service to all crafters by becoming political. If your going to ban one political view, then ban them all to be inclusive. It shows more hate, bigotry and vitriol. I am appalled as a conservative christian to be labeled as a white supremacist. I believe many are truly uninformed and biased. I support President Trump and will continue to do so. While, I have family members and many friends that are gay, apostate, biracial, and different political views, whom I love very much. We choose to agree to disagree, that is what adults do.
Crochet has been my happy place, this was and is a disturbing, cowardly, bullying and sad stance, that has Ravelry has taken. To alienate one group over another is abominable.
I have scrolled past many patterns that have offended me, I’ve never gone to a designer’s page and insulted the designer. I’ve even used the “hide from view” option. I have never commented on any other crafters project with any disparaging remarks. But, have seen others do so, which is truly upsetting and heartbreaking.
To call someone terrible names, ban them and close their account for having 2 knitted hat designs with campaign slogans (Trump 2020 in red, white and blue and Trump 2020 Keep America Great in grey, white and red) is ridiculous and calling the designer a racist or white supremacist is truly misguided. As, would be for also labeling a crafter interested in the design. Then allowing designs that are anti-Trump, with F*¢# Trump, voo-doo dolls, etc is very one-sided, bullying and limits free speech. I invite you or anyone to watch the movie clip of “The People VS Larry Flynt”, about his stance on free speech which went to the Supreme Court.
So, while I will still crochet and buy patterns as I can afford within my budget, I will go to other venues and NOT buy any thru the Ravelry site. I will also only now buy from designers that are just there to provide a service and not a political view.
I think your response is perfect. They stood up – and everyone can choose how they respond because that’s the only thing we have control over.
It seems clear that some objectionable things had been going on and they are saying enough is enough.
The only constant is change ♥️
And change is stimulating.
Everyone has a right to their own opinion, I usually keep mine to myself because it’s mine. I don’t think that you should be made to feel bad because of what you believe and no one should try to push what they believe on you.
I am seriously disappointed in Ravelry. I am so fed up with the corruption and darkness of politics and it doesn’t matter what side you are on. I thought Ravelry was a place to just deal with what we love, which is our craft of crochet, knit, weaving, etc. It’s disheartening that they would do what they have done and bring the ugliness of the world to Ravelry. I won’t leave because it is the only place where the record of my projects are in one place. I also have a huge library there as well. I choose to ignore their stance and continue to use it for what it started out as, but I will be very wary.
I have to say it is nice to see an opinion considering both sides. I do not label myself Republican, Democrat, or liberal, I feel any side can do what’s right for the country and it’s people. That being said I do tend to lean more Republican on a few issues. Seeing the statement given was heart wrenching for me, I honestly feel that such a large group ban is just creating more environment for hate. Dealing with rasicm can happen outside of politics, including it just makes all of those who are inclusive of all people but still Republican feel targeted and unsafe which is what they were tring to eliminate for the others. I’m fine with people taking a stand for what they believe but they lost my support doing it the way they did.
Hi Melody. I understand that some people just like start fires to warm their backsides so I went to check it out for myself. I found the new policy to be rather conflicting but understand how hard it is to please everyone so am choosing to let it ride for now. If needed I will shop at other sites to keep in touch with my favorite designers as the actions of a few bad seeds are not going to stop my enjoyment of our craft.
I was horrified to see what has been done at Ravelry. I don’t believe people’s personal political opinions should come into play, and to name-call the President is just not appropriate in my opinion. Not everyone will agree with the accusations – after all, he IS the President and people voted for him!
I belonged to a Facebook page that featured Ravelry patterns – one of the admins told people to get out of the group if they supported Donald Trump, and she got nasty with people who pointed out that Ravelry is for knitting and crochet, not politics, telling them that they could get out too!
I left – such a dictatorial attitude is not acceptable, and I noticed that other people had gone before me. I sell patterns on Ravelry to supplement my pension, which doesn’t provide enough for even basic living, so I hope I have not lost a lot of potential buyers because of this very unwise move by Ravelry.
Very disappointed. I will be leaving. I wanted a place for creative exchange not exclusion.
Ravelry’s stance has left a bitter taste. The headline of the notice of policy change says it all. Because Ravelry has chosen to take the stance that ALL who support President Trump are white supremacists, and ALL are furthering hate speech, discrimination, etc., has made my decision to remove myself from Ravelry an easy choice. As far as monitoring the posts within the web site, many software programs exist that will stop a post from being visible, based on certain key words, many of which can be set up by the site administrator. In my opinion, Ravelry is making a huge mistake, and is projecting personal feelings of frustration, and personal political views onto all who use the site. It is a sad situation for all who do not engage in political discussions there, or elsewhere. If it were up to me, I would change the new policy to state that ALL politics are banned from the site, and leave it at that. I believe it is a bad move, and I believe the business model will suffer adverse effects.
Enjoy your day, and your craft.
Melody,
As a fellow mediator and basically political atheist myself,I truly believe in compassion for all, and that has no political agenda at all.
Having said that, I have to laugh at those who are all “pissed off” at Ravelry because they apparently didn’t READ the entire statement at all.
In the smaller print there are these statements:
You can still participate if you do in fact support the administration, you just can’t talk about it here.
We are not endorsing the Democrats nor banning Republicans.
We are definitely not banning conservative politics. Hate groups and intolerance are different from other types of political positions.
We are not banning people for past support.
Do not try to weaponize this policy by entrapping people who do support the Trump administration into voicing their support.
Similarly, antagonizing conservative members for their unstated positions is not acceptable.
You can help by flagging any of the following items if they constitute support for Trump or his administration:
Projects: Unacceptable projects will be provided to the member or made invisible to others.
Patterns: Unacceptable patterns will be returned to drafts.
Forum posts: right now, only posts written after Sunday, June 23rd at 8 AM Eastern
Profiles: Unacceptable avatars or profile text will be removed.
Much of this policy was first written by a roleplaying game site, not unlike Ravelry but for RPGs, named RPG.net. We thank them for their thoughtful work. For citations/references, see this post.
Now granted, Ravelry isn’t a Gaming site, and most of us do go there for patterns, yarn and inspiration. I, for one, do NOT participate in the forums, simply for the reason this entire blog post was written. I don’t hang out on Facebook anymore for the same reason. I do have three pages I take care of, one is for my web design, one for my Veterinary Technician Education and one for my Veterinary Technician’s students.
Otherwise, I have no reason to go there and Zero desire to watch or listen to crazy people.
I am not going to overreact, freak out and delete my Raverly account. I don’t spew hate speech, promote politics etc. If someone is offended by what Ravelry has decided, in my experience, and I’m 64, it’s because a NERVE was touched. Sometimes people don’t even realize just how far they’ve fallen into the mob mentality.
So I will just keep knitting and crocheting and sending light and compassion to all those who get caught up in the drama.
Namaste to all.
I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN RAVELRY AND THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. I DO NOT THINK POLITICS BELONG IN KNITTING. SORRY BUT I DO NOT AGREE WITH THIS AT ALL. I THINK IT SHOULD BE SEPERATE. CRAFTS ARE CRAFTS AND I DO NOT THINK YOU HAVE TO MIX POLITICS IN. YOU ARE ENTITLED TO YOUR PERSONAL OPINION BUT I DO NOT THINK THAT TYPE OF ANNOUNCEMENT WAS NECESSARY IN THE LEAST. VERY VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THIS SITE AND I USE THIS SITE A LOT
While I am against censorship, and I feel the decision goes against the right to g
Freedom of speech, I am glad there will be no Trump traffic. I chose to leave groups and avoid social media that has too much political talk. I detest the lack of common courtesy and humanity that Trump followers seem to engage in and chose not to engage. Those are my rights. I think if Ravelry as a public, not a private forum and that means that freedom of speech should be protected with the understanding that any bullying or hateful and hurtful talking should be handled with /by being removed from the site. Bullying should. It be tolerated.
Lovely response. Thank you for taking the time to write and post it.
I am from a different generation where things were thought of differently. I think this is all silliness and should be stopped. If I see something I don’t like or find offensive I delete it, pass over it or ignore it. Unless you ask specifically I do not talk about my religion or politics. There is too little respect and too much making of mountains out of mole hills. Everyone wants their 5 minutes in the limelight. I want to enjoy my retirement and crochet cute and cuddly things to bring a smile to someone’s child or face or mine as the case may be. In the grand plan of the universe very little of this will matter in a few years as they run willy nilly onward to the next big crisis or fad.
I will continue to support Raverly and all of the designers on it. If I had a shop I would not voice any political or religious opinions. I think you are wise in giving your patrons options in acquiring your patterns.
I can’t in good conscience associate with a business that calls people white supremacists because they support the President. In claiming to be inclusive they became exclusive. I will continue to support the designers I love on other platforms. They shave left politics out of it. Our crafting community was a place of peace and harmony which they wrecked. I saw Facebook groups where people began name calling when seconds before were all liking and encouraging each other. Very sad. I’ll be seeing you on your page and Etsy. Peace to you and yours.
I will not delete my Ravelry account. I agree that any social platform has the right to ban nasty comments or content. I do not care if you are left, right, or indifferent. Nasty and mean behavior has no place on a site. I believe we need to remember manners. This is all I will say on the subject. Peace and love to everyone. Keep calm and craft on.
Jana, you are very wise. I agree with you. I too feel a nerve was was touched!
Bravo for taking a stand! I’m with you.
I am so proud of Ravelry to take a stand against hate.
Have deleted my revelry account.
I’m a republican and brother is strong democrat and we get along by not talking politics. I resent rivalry’s strong hate against trump so i’ll be leaving. it should have said ALL politics. That would have been fair.
Wow, so that’s what all the hullabaloo is about. Pretty sad that a crafting community has to divide itself over the stupidity of politics. For ravelry to take a stance like this only proves their narrow mindedness. Very sad.
I thought that crafting would be a way to bring us together, above and beyond that silliness.
Oh well, I’ll keep crafting along, non-politically, with my head in the sand, smelling the flowers and enjoying my little life.
Hi There, This doesn’t directly affect me as I am in New Zealand, however being the most powerful President in the World, it probably does affect us here! I believe there is no need for political conversations on a hobby site whatsoever! I do think Ravelry were brave in their stance, however it should have been an overall stop to all political chatter.
I believe that when so many people went against Obama it was acceptable but when someone denounces Trump or don’t want to side with his beliefs then that person has something wrong. Unfortunately politics are in all things. I am for the people no matter who you are. As long as you are not openly spewing hate then okay. People waiting for you to speak out and take a stand shows me then don’t have their own opinion. You are on Ravelry and Etsy to not only make a profit but because you have a passion for what you do and have the opportunity to get paid for it. I like your response.
Jesus is my one true savior and man does not have control of my destiny. Melody please continue too do what you do and you will receive the support.
I feel he’s (Ravelry’s) wrong to use his (their) political views and beliefs on a site like this one! This site is about crafters, knitting and crocheting, not a platform for politics, Trump haters, ugly accusations of our Commander In Chief, and one mans’ political agenda! To put a ban on free speech ANYWHERE is wrong!
I’ve never seen anything being said regarding politics on Ravelry and feel this site and the one who did this is like the “fake media” causing dissension among its members just to bring attention to themselves and to try to influence its members and everyone else to think and follow their agenda!
It really pisses me off! I Am thinking hard to not use this site anymore because of this asinine move on their part!
If you ban support of the President then all political support should be barred..Politics shouldn’t be in a.crochet or knit community at all
Everyone has a right to their voice.
I feel that crafting sites are no place for anything political, OF ANY KIND. These sites are for crafting and nothing else. If there were patterns that had political messages, whether pro-president or con-president or any other political leaning, they should not have been added to the site from the very beginning. That is the mistake that was made. ANY crafting site should take this stance, not just Ravelry. I go to crafting sites for patterns, not to be assaulted with political messages. If I want to participate in political discourse there are thousands of sites for that.
I am so elated that Ravelry has spoken up and taken a stance on on banning anything that has to do with superiority and hate in our world. Everyone should be happy and see this as a positive example of standing up for what right and just and not being afraid to act on it.
This makes me feel even safer using Ravelry and I will continue getting my patterns there with ease and happiness.
Hugz
Sometimes the person I voted makes it in, sometimes he doesn’t. But I always have respect for the office no matter who holds it. Regarding the Ravelry post, I took issue with “Support of the Trump administration is undeniably support for white supremacy.” I felt as though half my friends were attacked with this statement because of who they cast their ballot. I’m almost fairly certain that half my friends, if any, aren’t racists. I went to Ravelry for patterns…not politics. Sometimes there were politically-influenced projects that were popular…but I usually made sure to grab one for both sides so as to have something available for everyone. I don’t play favorites. I was surprised when Ravelry did by silencing one side and letting the others shout. Do I think that the individuals that were the starting factors acted correctly? Not in the least. Since I don’t regard Casey and Ravelry as the same entities, I took issue when Ravelry (not Casey) made this public decision. Casey can be as anti-Trump as he wants. But a fiber art community? Where the majority of us are there for patterns, not politics? Don’t punish all of us for the poor behavior of a few. I’m not planning on leaving as their still a good source to locate patterns but I don’t see myself purchasing from there when there’s sites who leave their political stance to themselves…and don’t censor patterns. Adult-themed projects are less offensive than Trump to Ravelry? Really???
I stand with Ravelry.
I agree that a fiber arts platform is no place for politics. We get enough and more than we want of that stuff from television and on line/everywhere else. I personally will deal with any person or company that tickles my fancy. I do not care what others may think of me.
I have been a crocheter for over years. Never before has politics been brought into a crafting group like this. Politics do NOT belong in crafting. As another said, I have ignored the items that were distasteful to me along with the ill mannered comments posted with them.
The owners of Ravelry, in their ‘wisdom’ have done exactly what they accused the sitting President & his party of because they don’t like him. In this wonderful nation that is their privilege just as it is our’s to leave their site & hope that it will suffer due the loss of our business. It is amazing to me how those who champion freedom of speech for themselves now-a-days & say ‘we were never allowed to say what we were before, we had to hide in the closet, behind the door, etc’ – are the very ones who are doing their best to ban others from having free speech! they do not want to permit the other side the same rights and freedoms they now enjoy! as my mama used to say, ‘what is sauce for the goose, is sauce for the gander’. fair is fair.
I have used Ravelry for a number of years & thus have quite a few patterns and books stored there. I have already begun deleting. As soon as possible, my account will be removed unless their stance is changed to a more accommodating one that is truly inclusive of all people, not just those of their ‘clique’. My husband & I pastored several churches for many years. One thing we always did was to make sure that ALL knew they were welcome there, but NO cliques were allowed to exist within the church. you came there for one purpose & it wasn’t to get in a group and gossip. Ravelry is there for one purpose – NOT politics. it is there for crafting – crochet, knitting, tatting, & other crafts…Melody asked for an invitation – that is mine!! for them to be truly for equality of ALL, not just a select few.
Here’s what I’ve learned from living in West Germany, West Berlin and making several shopping expeditions into East Berlin. Complacency, not voicing outrage, and believing that their Democratic system would not allow what happened is what brought Hitler to power. I’m not saying Trump is a Hitler, but I do believe he would like to be in total and unobstructed power in the US. Trump plays into the ideals of anyone who will give him votes, no matter how harmful to others. Ravelry taking a stand in voicing outrage at injustice. This is part of our democracy, whether we agree with the voice or not. Losing our democracy is becoming increasingly at risk. Just because a person is a Trump supported does not make them bad or wrong. On the flip side, disagreeing and not liking Trump is neither nor wrong.
I’m not American but I will continue to support you as i have not found anything locally as the people I’ve been buying from in America
I deleted my acct w/ravelry. One by one I deleted all the completed projects I made over the yrs. I’m sick of being called names because I believe in the Republican Party. I am fed up w/the liberals demanding I change my beliefs in everything from marriage to gender to allowing illegal aliens to vote in our elections to murder of a baby about to be born at 9 mos. I love coffee. I always had a gift card in my billfold for starbucks. But we all know how he spit in the face of all conservatives. Liberals make no sense. I know now what cutting off their nose to spite their face means. I’m fed up w/their violence, their narcism, their desire to destroy our country. I tried to post this on facebook but they blocked it. That will be the next place I’ll have to delete. Sorry this is so long but enough is enough liberals.
Just wondering how long before my personal beliefs, a conservative Christian, will also be banned.
In answer to your question, no, I absolutely do not find an invitation from Ravelry here. The statement from Ravelry includes this “support of the Trump administration is undeniably support for white supremacy.” I find this to be a hypocritical and stereotypical blanket statement about a group of people that he clearly doesn’t know or understand. That doesn’t sit well with me, and I no longer feel comfortable using Ravelry. He also made this decision without seeking input from the designers and people that support those designers. I find it insulting that he doesn’t seem to care for all of us that spent money on Ravelry supporting his business and family all these years enough to ask what we thought before he put this policy in place.
But, Casey and Jess are private business owners, so they have the right to run their business as they see fit. I wouldn’t wish for that right to be taken away from anyone. But I also don’t have to agree with their business decisions, and I am free to take my business elsewhere.
So, that is the only invitation I find in this mess, an invitation to take my business and money elsewhere. Somewhere all welcome, because despite what Ravelry may claim, not all are welcome there anymore.
I agree with you. I have spiritually removed myself from politics. I will still support Ravelry and respect others’ opinions. I really don’t look for patterns that have to do with politics so Ravelry’s stance does not affect my purchasing patterns. Remember, Ravelry is an international site and should not be used as a platform for politics.
As a conservative Christian who is also a republican, I applaud The stance taken by Casey and Co. I’m saddened and quite honestly confused that so many Christians, many friends included, who have stood behind federal employee #45. He just doesn’t pass the decency test. #45 has done nothing but incite hatred and cause division in our country. Even though some of my friends and I don’t agree about the current administration, and the stance taken by Ravelry, I refuse to let it come between us. Hate speech is unacceptable, no matter who it is directed at.
This is just another example of people being divided by politics. I would have appreciated it if Ravelry had banned ALL political talk of any kind; but to just ban Trump supporters excludes customers. I won’t be using Ravelry anymore to post things, however if someone publishes a pattern for sale and the only place I can buy it is on the Ravelry website, I won’t punish the designer for the policies of the marketplace.
I am upset that politics has again reared it’s ugly head in something I enjoy doing for pleasure and relaxation. I do not follow any political party and I get upset with some of the language that is used against both sides. I feel that Ravelry should have banned all or none instead of taking sides. They have lost me.
Sorry for the long post, just feeling so much with political issues right now…
I’m hoping I can find an invitation in this, but at the moment feeling saddened by this stance. This comes on the heels of another company I loved sending out e-mails bashing people who hold certain conservative viewpoints (not support of Trump, but on issues themselves) and I had to part ways with them. I have viewpoints that are both conservative and liberal, depending on the issue, but given the way our nation is being divided it’s feeling like that’s not allowed anymore.
While I can’t stand Trump for the way he treats people and uses the office to benefit his family members, labeling him and all supporters as “white nationalists is far-fetched. Because he isn’t eloquent or tactful like his predecessors, he has stuck his foot in his mouth almost daily… but from reading more what he actually said in speeches, it seems the comments that seemed to be supporting supremacy were taken out of context and blew up across the media. If Ravelry truly believed he this was his stance, why not shut down Trump support a year or two ago when he was making most of these statements? It feels like an attempt to silence support before the primaries. (Also growing up in very conservative rural area, I know a few people who support Trump- at least on some issues- and they are not the rude, screaming white supremacists you see Trump supporters portrayed as in the media.)
I don’t plan on deleting my Ravelry account because I like the platform and I know they’re trying to shut down the few trouble makers that were making hate speech and using Trump as their excuse to do so… but the blanket ban on Trump support over a few violators is overkill and only serves to further separate people.
I am behind Ravelry 100%! Its refreshing to hear someone standup and speak the truth. I have always loved Ravelry, and am now loving it more. More people need to speak up, I feel like that is a huge part of this countries problem. He needs to be kicked out of office, and better yet, out of the United States. He does not, and has not ever cared ANY THING about this country, or its people. Enough said. Thank you for this opportunity to speak my truth.
As Americans we are supposedly guaranteed free speech. When a person or a business tells me they are taking away that right, I am done. I will continue being cordial toward the person, but the business has lost me forever. I happen to be a very strong Trump supporter, but even if I weren’t I would be offended. I don’t want to wake up one day and be told I cannot say anything nice about the color pink, or a pine tree, or my grandmother because they represent something someone else believes and I am not allowed to disagree. The insanity has to stop.
In my opinion, Ravelry has just “screamed”, “We we don’t want you because you are conservative.” I usually go for the free patterns, however, if I need a pattern and can’t find it, I will take your advice and check out Etsy.
My thoughts are simple, WHY ARE POLITICS A PART OF THIS ANYWAY???????? I believe that there is no place in business for politics. Isn’t crafting about freedom of expression? Keep your politics to yourself, if you want to talk about your beliefs or want to blog about them fine, but to ban other people’s beliefs is spreading HATE which is what supposedly they are against. They HATE the other ideas therefore are unwilling to even allow people to have them or express them. If they believe they are so right, how is letting anyone else express their ideas going to change or hurt that. Really, this whole thing is an example of how crappy our country has become. No one wants to be kind or listen to anyone that doesn’t share their ideas. It is sad and scary.
I’m with you, is not just about what “I hate this person…!” Which is bad enough.
But when people crosses the line, into dead threats…. this people are invading someone’s personal and safe place.
I think we all have deal with someone’s bad attitude, etc. We tend to brush it off and move on.
We have seen, what leads to this way too many times.
Then we asked “Why no one do anything about it.. !”
…..this is why!
Regardless of who it is, we shouldn’t just stand and watch.
Is sad, people are actually doing just that.
I went to Ravelry as a central place to save patterns. Since they have chosen to make political policy an issue I will be leaving Ravelry. I’m sure I won’t be missed but I’ll find another way to do what I did with Ravelry. Sites like this and so many others that are making their political stance known will soon be out of my life. If it cannot be apolitical then I don’t want to be a part of it.
Thank you for offering a safe space for comments. I feel the hateful racist stance taken by what I assume was one designer was disgusting and should have been addressed as it was. However, I am saddened by the over-the-top, knee-jerk reaction as far as Casey’s political stance regarding Trump supporters. The assumption that all Conservatives believe what this one designer believes is just wrong. I am a conservative and that is just not what I believe and not what any of my conservative friends believe. I have loved Ravelry and the knitting sites I follow because of the absence of politics in this wonderful community. Now, I feel it has been sullied, perhaps irrevocably, by both the designer and Ravelry’s response, beyond the reaction to ban the designer, which I’ll repeat was absolutely appropriate and deserved. While I’ll continue to go to Ravelry and follow those sites, I will no longer feel the sense of community I felt and will only use them at my convenience without the joy I once felt. It makes me unbearably sad.
Thank you for sharing your perspective. I am embracing the designers who have decided not to share their personal beliefs and who have tried to initiate thoughtful and respectful conversation. For those who are open in their beliefs, while I respect their right to expression, have chosen not to support them. I am fully aware of the history of the fiber arts in politics, I am just not willing to support hatred. You have my continued respect and support.
Melody,
This opportunity that you are speaking of is you starting a new pattern site!
Haha! Wouldn’t that be amazing!? Perhaps that’s what’s in the plan… it’s all so very yet to be seen.
I did nothing when they put LGBT up front and made a big deal about it. I will not do nothing now. I will download all my patterns and stop using Ravelry. It is a crafter site, not a political platform.He should have just said, no posts of anything non craft related and left it at that.
White supremacy is not a political stance. It is wrong. If everyone stood up against it, and corruption and lying, we would all be in a better place.
“Support of the Trump administration is undeniably support for white supremacy.” This is the line that rubbed me the wrong way. The post has been updated twice and this line remains. I don’t go to Casey.com. I go to Ravelry.com. I go there to seek and buy patterns. Every now and then I’ll glance through some projects. Casey, as you refer to him, has made his site a less dependable source for projects now. I don’t view Trump supporters as white supremacists. I know too many of them to think that. I do, however, view them as people who preferred Trump to Clinton. Simple as that. IF he had any interest in making this a fair fight, he’d deny projects/patterns/posts openly supporting any and all candidates. By calling all Trump supporters white supremacists, he is delivering the very same generalization and mudslinging he’s accusing the President of. I don’t plan to leave Ravelry. It’s still a fair source, although not as dependable as it once was. It’s just going to leave a bad taste in my mouth because it called some of my friends white supremacists.
The only thing that “touched a nerve” for me in this whole situation is being preached to by a Capitalist male, whose end game is to have me spend my money and time on his website.
This is why I don’t join groups – religious, political, or now, apparently, fiber related. The benefits and support of the community is far outweighed by the dictatorial and ridiculous leadership.
I understand the “My business, My rules” explanation, but that’s the definition of petty tyranny, when all is said and done.
The fact that Casey does not see the difference between his website and and RPG website, and has chosen to disregard the ramifications of his views on shop owners is an unmitigated shame. I truly wish these hardworking members of the fiber community the best, no matter their politics, religion, sexuality, or knitting style!
I am a proud Canadian, not an American. Ravelry should be more aware of the sites reach and not drag us all into their hate. I do have to say that I am shocked that a country like the United States who constantly waves their constitution and their stance on freedom of speech, would discriminate against half their population. I didn’t think freedom of speech meant ONLY as long as others agree with you. There needs to be a division of Craft and State.
you have made a very good statement. I am Canadian and we have issues with our head of government. I am just hoping that it doesn’t escalate further and start banning things of certain religions or cultures and such. people have different opinions and are free to state them, I’m just hoping with the stance Ravelry is taking they arn’t cutting off the whole foot for the sake of a toe. I will still keep my Ravelry account and still shop there. thank you for your open mind in all of this and understanding that and celebrating that people have a right to an opinion popular or not just as we have a right to agree or not agree. it is a privilege to live in countries that will allow us that without persecution.
I’m sick of politics embedding itself into every corner of my life. I don’t want to hear from or about ANYONE who is running for office a year-and-a-half from now. I now have a senator who is NOT doing her job representing me. (This isn’t hate speech – it’s the truth!) Let’s just sit and knit, enjoy each others’ company, and churn out something we love. While I don’t, you can even crochet! (That gasp was my sister the hooker ?)
I deleted my acct w/ravelry. Once again, the actions of a few have ruined it for the majority. Instead of getting rid of the bad, they chose to use it as another way to insult conservatives. It’s their loss. There are plenty of other ways to get patterns.
I am extremely disappointed in Ravelry, and all those who stand WITH them in their stance, and basically AGAINST those of us they’ve excluded. I am not elegant in expressing my thoughts, but I shall share the words of an account I follow on instagram (it’s a public account, so I’m not sharing private info). She summed up perfectly how I feel about Ravelry’s decision.
“Promoting inclusivety and then banning everyone who supports the political leader you don’t like, is contradicting yourself, since you are excluding anyone who disagrees with you, while saying everyone has a right to their own opinion.”
I am not a racist or a bigot or a homophobic or any of the other vile things the liberal left slanders me with, and I’ve yet to see someone come up with a legitimate example of our President of the United States being a white supremacist. But REGARDLESS of my strong political leanings, of which I NEVER discussed on Ravelry, I feel I have been excluded from a community of which I felt a strong part of, like a family member that’s been kicked to the curb. Because one person made vile remarks, who certainly doesn’t represent me or most. That’s rather extreme, I say, and it looks like Ravelry just used it as an excuse to promote their own narrow sided view of things.
Like it or not we are in the “classroom of the brown-eyed vs blue-eyed children” This experiment has devastating results for many. I am so sorry Ravelry has chosen to classify those who hold different views. I thought about leaving Ravelry but I have done nothing about it yet. I am not as they are and I get along well with others. I love others. Some of them are family and some are friends. This environment of hate, I hope will see it’s futility and once again believe with all our backgrounds that we should care about each other. Instead, it remains, as much as it is in Ravelry’s power, certain kinds of offenses have always been more than acceptable and quite bold against an enemy they have now identified. Ravelry will continue all causes it supports, which is their right. The only thing we ever needed to fear was fear itself but today it is the opposing opinion we need fear. Too bad Ravelry.
I’m Canadian, so unless he’s going on about trade and treaty and what not with us, he really doesn’t affect me.
(Still, don’t like the guy, his attitude, or what he’s doing to America as a whole)
Honestly, politics has ALWAYS been somewhat divisive (and that’s worldwide) but it just seems to be getting louder and louder from all sides.. the hate/intolerance, the comments/judgements/threats.. maybe it’s social media, maybe its just louder people. Who knows.
Crochet is my sanity time. I sit, I crochet, I make beautiful things, and I straighten out my brain while doing so. I have PTSD. This is necessary for me.
Ravelry should have kept ALL politics out of it. Not just one side or the other.
All Ravelry has done is perpetuate the hate they claim to be against. Sanctimonious hypocrites. The only invitation I see is the potential law suit.
I do wonder how many people who are posting that politics have no spot in a crafting group are white. It is white privilege to ignore politics, and I have a suspicion that people who are part of the groups that this current president has marginalized and spoken hateful and hurtful things about do not feel like politics is kept out of crafting when they see Trump support or hateful things posted on the crafting site.
I stand with Ravelry. Conservatism is not banned. Republicans are not banned. The outward support of a very racist and hurtful man has been banned, which makes the site safer for marginalized people. And safety for the marginalized is always a step in the right direction.
I am staying with Ravelry. I am proud that they are taking this stance. I use Ravelry as a way to connect with other crafters, not to get involved in political debate. I am a proud Canadian and I tell my children all the time how lucky they are to be Canadians and that we live in a place where all are excepted. Ravelry is within it’s rights to say “you can’t pitch your election signs on our lawn” — this right is upheld by your US Supreme Court. Let’s try to keep Ravelry the safe, comforting and inclusive place that it was meant to be.
I think a business should remain neutral and not choose ONE side. They decided to ban only certain patterns like Make America Great Again hats. But left F**k Trump hat patterns and and offensive patterns of vaginas. These are decisions of individuals who work there. A business should not force one sided views of potitics, life choices, religion, & race. Either leave it all up or take it all down. Don’t force personal beliefs onto paying customers. I went there for patterns. Not for lectures on what they feel is right or wrong.
You would be better off selling your patterns on your own web site. Not etsy. Not ravelry. That way you have control of what you sell.
The “invitation” I saw was to exit Ravelry carefully, without letting the door hit me in the arse, as the saying goes. I’m sorry, but Casey Forbes knows nothing about inclusion if he only allows content that supports his viewpoint. Obviously, he is free to run his business as he sees fit, as it is a private enterprise, but I will not be a part of his censorship campaign. I logged in to Ravelry on 6/23 because I was trying to look at some knitting. The policy change posted on their homepage was an “invitation” to delete my account, which I promptly did. My experience with the patterns I encountered while there was mediocre at best. Maybe I just happened to stumble across all of the badly written patterns, and none of the good ones. My bad. I won’t miss Ravelry. It was almost as big a time waster as Facebook.
I am just sickened by this. There is so much hatred in people. I crochet to escape from all the hatred and negativity in the US. We used to be a great Nation. People don’t care about this Country or about being an American all they care about is being right and winning at any cost. I was a Democrat but have since changed. I don’t want to be part of all the hatred and the crazy witch hunt that has gone on since the election. People we are AMERICANS not animals. When we run off of hatred we will all LOSE. I am appalled that this is happening on a knit and crochet site. I stay off of FB and Twitter to avoid politics and now it has found it’s way on a craft site. I agree that political hatred or any kind of hatred should be banned. But that’s not what happened. Only one side was banned, and the other side has gone full force with their hatred and that’s tolerated. Oh talk about hypocrisy. I am so hurt by Ravely’s hateful comments. I am a Republican, but I am also a hard working,Christian Wife and Mother and also a American who loves and cares about people no matter what their politics are. And how Ravely turned that into me being a White Supremacy that is just bigotry. I am a proud American who believes we are all free to believe what we want. But I don’t think that was meant for us to try and destroy each other at any cost. The hatred in this Country is going to destroy this Country. We need to STOP hating each other and come together as Americans. I am very sick and spent 2 1/2 years in the hospital. My life has been cut short. But I have been very Blessed because laying in that hospital bed for so long made me very a where of what is most important in this world which is Family,Faith,Freedom. So since I am disabled I spend my time Crochet for Charities using my time for good trying to help and spread love to people. That’s what is important not all this Hatred. So I will be leaving Ravely. I cannot stay on a site that supports hatred for people with different beliefs .His stand was not courage it was cowardly and almost like a big bully on a crochet site. I find this so sad!
I find it interesting when I posted a comment on another designers IG thread wondering if the same sanctions were going to be placed on the Trump haters. I was attacked by everyone following that designer. It was a simple question, and I stated what is “good for the goose is good for the gander” and noted that at what level of antagonizing a supported going to bring down their sanctions. There is no meter to tell how much antagonizing. The Trump haters can have their way doing what they want.
I do agree with banning those who were causing issues but really, a fake name and another email address and they will be back on Ravelry trolling. Other than closing the site down to new people, you cannot stop someone from having more than one account and “fake names”. It happens all the time.
Ravelry has become one sided so it seems. I no longer feel safe there, no longer trust anyone except for a few long time friendships there. I will always be wondering if/who is watching me. Being a former politician, the one thing I had learned was that you support your current sitting President, like them or not. Yes, I did vote for Trump in the last election. I followed the the campaigns plus having friends/family in “important places” also gives one a better view of who is telling the truth and who is not.
Lastly, last week at a birthday dinner some of my family and friends were there and one of them brought up the discussion of the Ravelry matter as they put it. It was a lengthy discussion, and so we pulled out our phones and left every one read the policy and the writings on the home page. They were surprised at how one person could turn a virtual community into a fascist state. We looked up the definition of fascism and truly it fits.
Fascism
1. (sometimes initial capital letter) a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.
2. (sometimes initial capital letter) the philosophy, principles, or methods of fascism.
3. (initial capital letter) a political movement that employs the principles and methods of fascism, especially the one established by Mussolini in Italy 1922–43.
So as Casey et al put it. . .
New policy, effective immediately
We are banning support of Donald Trump and his administration on Ravelry. We cannot provide a space that is inclusive of all and also allow support for open white supremacy. Support of the Trump administration is unambiguously support for white supremacy. For more details, read this document: https://ravelry.com/content/no-trump
According to the above, I have been labeled a white supremacist and I take offense to that. As I stated, I no longer feel safe on Ravelry. It has lost it’s warm fuzzy feeling. I have also started a Favorites Folder for “Do Not Buy Designers” for those who openly support all this politically incorrect hogwash there.
If Ravelry would’ve quietly deleted ‘offensive comments’ they would not have offended millions of Americans. ~LKD
If you’re white, sadly, you are one of the most hated persons on this planet. Why? Because, everything has always been their fault? The “Besty Ross” flag is now racist because, it was created during the time when blacks were considered property. Well, so was the song, “Amazing Grace”. Will the folks who cry “racist” ban that song? ~LKD
I believe there is a time to stand, a time to sit, a time to walk and a time to run. ~LKD
It will always be bad for business, when bringing in politics or religion, by chasing out one side. ~LKD
Blacks, Whites, Brown, et al built America. We celebrate the good, bad and ugly together. We move to a better place United. We all fall down when divided. ~LKD
Never forget. Teach them diligently. No fear. Be safe.
I do not like politics in any form, however, I also don’t like being told what I should or should not believe in. No one should be able to dictate that to me. Ravelry, in stating their own political views, have impacted designers across the globe. This was so wrong of them. While I have, in the past, loved the Ravelry platform, I think it’s time to come up with another forum.
When I hear people say the things they do about our President and use terms like “hate speech” for words they disagree with, I think of Orwell’s 1984. They watch the screen and yell and hateful things. He’s the enemy of the party. Reminds me of some of the things said on network news. The past must be changed. Textbooks and dictionaries must be changed to reflect “correct” language. Seriously, anyone who agrees with Ravelry’s stance should read that book. It’s frightening.
It’s a hard call. Yours is a carefully thought out “don’t step on anyone’s toes” post.
Casey certainly has every right to dictate policy on his platform, however eliminating pro Trump because it is in his opinion hateful, while leaving hateful comments and projects against Trump is at best hypocritical, and at worst sekective censorship.
IMHO, I think politics have no pace in fora such as ours. Everyone has an opinion, and to silence a few because some people are getting their feelings hurt is stupid.
I don’t agree with Ravelry’s decision, and I don’t see it as an ‘invitation’. They have insulted half of the country…there is a history with Casey against Conservatives.
By the way, I found your name on a list going around social media of people and businesses not openly agreeing with Ravelry or totally against the new rules.
I will be using your Etsy store for purchases.
Thank you for staying neutral!
I left Ravelry about 8 years ago. More and more designers have closed private or Etsy shops. I just don’t buy their patterns. I recently asked TinCanKnits on Instagram about buying a pattern at a lys instead of Ravelry. I was accused of starting trouble. I responded basically with, not at all I just wanted to buy your pattern and was banned as a starting trouble. People who know me know I don’t want to discuss politics. Period. It’s fine to paint people with a broad stroke, make assumptions of their intent, or find them as starting trouble. Think of me as you will. (People on Ravelry years ago didn’t like that I said acrylic had uses, I don’t particularly like Malabrigo yarn, and I forget what all people lashed out at me for.) Once I left I found out how much I enjoyed actually making things again. My way without that little unlike counter or nasty comments. So now like then, I will be over in my corner of the world doing what I can to spread joy any way I can.
A huge thank you for your well written response. I am a mother of two adult children the youngest came out to our family about 3 years ago. She is a transgender gay female. I don’t love her any less as a female as I did a male. We may not always understand or agree with everything she does or says but we love her for she is my child.
I think Casey sees his creation as I see my daughter. I will fight for her right to be who she is and Casey must do the same. Hateful speech, posts, designs and more have no place in my knitting world.
Melody, your stance and Casey’s stance are for the best. Well thought and I am sure were not made in haste.
I can see both sides of this and I can understand why both sides feel the way the do. I both think that Ravelry was right for what they did but at the same time I think there was a better way to have gone about it. From what I understand this is all because one or more people used the site to spread racism and hate. I’m not sure if this person/persons are still allowed to use the site but if it was me I would have banned them as well as making it a policy that NO POLITICS was allowed on the site. I think that’s were they went wrong they made it Trump specific when trump isn’t the only leader that could be accused of spreading hate, I’m not here to get in a debate about whether the things he says are hate message or not if its racist or not so if you disagree with that part of this that’s ok let’s just try not to fight about it theres enough of that going around already. By making it Trump specific they make it seem like they are targeting him specifically when from what they posted that’s not what they are trying to do. They are trying to stop the hate that people are spreading in his name, and let’s be honest for just a moment people are spreading racism and hate and they are doing it in his name because they feel it’s how he feels whether it is what he wants or not it’s what is happening. So to make a long rambling comment short and simple I agree with what Ravelry did I just think it should have been for all racist and hateful things rather than just targeting one part of it and singling out one person. It like the hydra take one had and more just grow in its place you need to get to the heart of the beast to actually do any good.
While I haven’t deleted my Ravelry account YET, I have been considering it. I’ve enjoyed Ravelry in the past, but now find it to not be an accepting environment. I have a problem with the hypocrisy of claiming to be a totally accepting environment, yet they’ve chosen to assign a vial label to a large group of individuals, seemingly without individual consideration of any type. I’m just going to say it. Not all conservatives are white supremacists. Not all Trump supporters are white supremacists. A person can support some policies, while not supporting others of an administration. This goes for government, business, etc. I have a problem with an organization that boasts inclusivity, but in reality they don’t want to include all people. Yes, don’t allow hate speech, period. That includes F**K Trump patterns, or any patterns cursing anyone. But, that’s just not the case. Those patterns & posts are still available. Ravelry is privately owned, so they can make their own choices, but so can I. I’ve decided that I will make a greater effort to support independent designers, teachers, etc, but I will not put another dime in Ravelry’s pocket until they walk the walk, when they talk the talk. They are literally doing exactly what they say they are against. How about a policy against hate speech and negativity? How about a policy toward inclusivity, kindness, and better understanding of differences?
I’m sure I’ll get banned for this opinion, as I won’t allow myself to be lumped into vial groups and won’t participate in unneeded hysteria.
I have had very limited contact with social media for a very similar reason…I don’t like politics. And I didn’t like having it enter my crafting world, it is my ONLY sanctuary. It is a world where I can dive into that is untouched by the woes of this world (usually) I was quite taken aback by the stance to be honest, because it seemed to “pick on” a certain subset of individuals. I’m not saying I agree or disagree, simply stating that I had hoped to not have to deal with it in my creative space. I actually had to remove myself from several fb groups because of the hatred being spewed, in both directions I might add. I don’t have the space in my head, or my heart, for hatred of any kind, most especially when it is a mere difference in political position/opinion. I will say I LOVE America, it’s still the only place on Earth I want to live. I love it so much so that I served in the Army and then served my community as a Paramedic. I don’t tell anyone this for a pat on the back, I tell you this because I have a love for this country and the people who live in it. And the duty to serve was my calling. I am in the people business and there is no greater joy than providing service in protection of our country, or medical care to the sick and wounded, or making something with my own 2 hands and giving it as a gift. So I commend you, Melody, for not “picking sides”. But secondly commend you for being sensitive to the needs of your followers and allowing them to make the choice of how they can purchase your wonderful patterns. Thank you for taking the time to address the concerns of many and still making them feel important.