Hey everyone. I wanna talk about something serious for a second.

I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that things are politically tense here in the United States. It’s been tense for a while, but it feels like events are escalating and speeding up since the start of the new year.

Since we started Foxsy, I have tried very hard to avoid controversial subjects because I want to foster a community of calm. Politics is the opposite of calm. I know that many of you likely use art as an escape from all that stuff, and I didn’t want to cause any tension.

We’ve always seen Foxsy as a soft spot for people to land away from the pressures of the world.

But as things continue to get more intense, it feels very weird to keep running Foxsy like everything is business as usual. Art has always been a powerful tool in politics, both as propaganda and protest, so it absolutely has a place in political discussions.

I don’t want to decide for you—instead, I put it to you.

Do you think there is a place for politics on Foxsy?

The best idea I’ve come up with is a forum specifically for discussion, art, and art history regarding these sensitive topics. That way it could be something that people can visit as they choose to participate, but it won’t be in every member’s feed.

What do you think? Do you have suggestions for how to approach this?

And let’s keep the comments about HOW to talk politics, not about the politics themselves.

Edit:

Alright, wow! Thank you everyone for voicing your opinions and being so thoughtful about it all!What I’m hearing is a lot of “no thanks!”. I appreciate y’all seeing where I’m coming from and meeting me at this weird position. While some of you use art to process and make sense of the world, many of you use art (at least, here at Foxsy) to take a break from all the toxicity.

Some of you ask a really good question that does come at the heart of this issue: what is considered political?

Because you’re right. Some people’s very identities are deemed “political” and they can’t escape that label no matter how much they try.

Here is what I think my next steps are going to be: I will talk with the team about creating community guidelines that specifically spell out what is and is not allowed. That way we can all have a clear idea of what kind of community vibe we’re feeling.

At the end of the day, I want to make sure you all are happy. And right now, there isn’t enough interest to justify opening up that can of worms.

Once again, thank you for all your opinions! You all rock!