Knitting website unravels ‘white supremacy’ by… gagging Trump fans

A popular social network for knitting and crocheting enthusiasts has stirred controversy by banning all forms of support for US President Donald Trump and his administration, saying it’s not compatible with inclusivity.

Ravelry got entangled in the toxic world of US politics last Sunday. The website is meant as a platform for sharing projects and selling patterns for various crafts, including knitting, crocheting, spinning, and weaving. But apparently it decided to celebrate Pride Month with a bit of political censorship, disallowing the expression of support of the current US government.

“We cannot provide a space that is inclusive of all and also allow support for open white supremacy. Support of the Trump administration is undeniably support for white supremacy,” the site administration said in a blog post. The ban covers all projects, patterns and forum posts.

The website explained that it was just a gag order and not a ban of Trump fans or Republicans from the platform. So, as long as you keep photos of your Trump-shaped tea cozy to yourself, you’ll probably be fine. Or better yet, switch camp and knit a Trump-shaped needle cushion – which seems perfectly in line with inclusivity! Or maybe no Trump image is now OK?

On the bright side, Ravelry said users should not “weaponize” the new rules by entrapping Trump fans into voicing support. And “antagonizing conservative members for their unstated positions is not acceptable” on the website. Yay!

The policy was modeled on another hobby website, RPG.net, which brings together fans of tabletop roleplaying games and disallowed pro-Trump speech in October last year.

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