When’s the last time you’ve come across a platform made by and for women, trans and non-binary people?
Received in 41,000 inboxes each week, seen around 2.5 million times per month, and currently reaching more than 93,000 on social media every day, Salty is an online community that is best known for tackling topics that are neglected by mainstream media which range from sex work and relationships, to #MeToo and LGBTQIA+ (only to name a few).
Since its launch in 2018 by Claire Fitzsimmons, Salty has become a place where various voices can be heard in an uplifting community. The newsletter is dedicated to covering important subject matters that are still (but shouldn’t be) perceived as taboo. As Fitzsimmons says in her own words, “we’re building something more evolved than the one-sided outlet/reader relationship – we’re creating an authentic, uplifting community in a massive, underserved market.” Cover stars who have graced the cover of Salty include Munroe Bergdorf, Jazzmyne Jay, Rachel Cargle, and KhrystyAna, all of whom have been involved in activism.
Credit: Salty
However, as one may imagine, acting as a progressive and distinctive voice that confronts media censorship, hasn’t been easy for Salty. Right off the bat, the newsletter was kicked off of Mailchimp for “violating community standards” before finding a scrappy new solution to keep the newsletter going. Salty has had to prevail over plenty of barriers, with all of the numerous cyber attacks, de-platforming and misogynistic harassment campaigns it has since endured. Facebook rejected Salty’s ads under the assumption that trans models were promoting escort services and Medium even tried to launch its own outlet called “Salty” with food journalist Mark Bittman. Moreover, Instagram regularly censored Salty’s content, which prompted the community to voice against the app’s policies and led the app to change its restrictions surrounding nonbinary nipples.
Salty instances a tight-knit community that perseveres as an alternative to venture-backed media that is reliant on advertisements: until now, the platform has been entirely independent and volunteer-created. In order to sustain its growth, Salty put out a choose-what-you-pay membership program to give its readers the chance to help build an accessible platform that passes the mic and amplifies the outlooks of women, trans and non-binary people. Access to a Members-Only newsletter will allow members to promote their own projects and events, ask for advice, and meet each other.
You can find more information on the program here.
Follow Salty on Instagram
Follow Salty on Facebook
Featured Image: Salty
