A quick note to our queer members
We saw the recent news about Steam and Itch.io being forced to restrict legal adult content by Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal. As usual, plenty of creators guilty of existing while queer are getting caught in the crossfire.* We’ve also seen a bunch of recent signups from affected folks looking for a safe online place.
This is, to the best of our ability to create and maintain it, that place.
However, we highly value transparently. We’ve had our own issues with that type of pressure in the past. In addition to payment processing, our refusal to prohibit legal adult content makes it incredibly difficult for us to get certain types of insurance. (Like, more than one carrier has literally told us “we can’t write insurance for somebody falling and hurting themselves in your office because you won’t prohibit adult content on your servers.” Oh, fuck off!) We’ve been able to navigate that successfully thus far, but it’s a fine line. Steam and Itch also navigated it successfully, likely with the best of intentions, right up until they didn’t!
We cannot promise that we (and by extension, our members) won’t ever run into similar problems in the future. But we can promise that we will always fight. We can’t promise that we will win. But we can promise that if we fail, we died trying. (And even if we did somehow get forced into banning adult content, adult content != queer content!)
You. Are. Worth. Protecting.
Given this and all the other recent bullshit, we just wanted to make that clear to all of our queer and LGBT+ members… the brand new and the very, very old.
Also, the Fair Access to Banking Act (FABA) is currently in the US Senate and would prohibit banks and payment processors from putting this type of pressure on businesses engaged in legal activity. It was introduced and co-sponsored by 43 Republican Senators big mad about alleged bias against conservative businesses. If you’re in the US, please encourage your elected representatives to support it, if not because it would really help this sort of thing then because irony is an important part of a good, nutritious breakfast.
*I’m not sure that “crossfire” is the right term, given that the fanatics behind pushes like this are absolutely fine with it. Getting rid of adult content isn’t their goal, it’s their starting point.
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Thank you, friends. ❤️
Comment by Finn — July 28, 2025 #
Hell yeah. Keep it up.
Comment by Rach — July 28, 2025 #
Thank you, again, for taking the ”free speech” part of your name seriously.
Comment by Porter — July 28, 2025 #
I did a lot of research before I settled on a hosting provider. Time and time again, you prove my trust was well-placed. Thank you!
Comment by yay gay — July 28, 2025 #
Hell yeah, I love y’all.
Comment by CJ — July 29, 2025 #
as a trans woman, this is really really nice to see and also reassures me about recommending here to my friends for hosting <3
Comment by Jessica — July 31, 2025 #
thanks goat
Comment by GDNacho — July 31, 2025 #
Thank you. This means a lot to hear—both the solidarity and the realism. I’m really glad y’all continue to do the work of running NearlyFreeSpeech in the way that you do. It’s important and valuable work, and the Internet wouldn’t be the same place without you. <3
Comment by Des — August 2, 2025 #
Thank you so much. I’m glad I recommend y’all to people.
Comment by LichL — August 2, 2025 #
once again, nfs is the greatest of all time
Comment by deadmall — August 6, 2025 #
Thank you for years of consistent clarity and dedication.
Comment by _A. — August 6, 2025 #
Thank you for this message.
I recommend NFS every chance I get, and I’ll happily to keep doing so.
Comment by smolrat — August 7, 2025 #
You are the fuckin best
Comment by Katie — August 7, 2025 #
much gratitude
Comment by Arthur — August 10, 2025 #
Yet again, stellar commitment to doing the right thing, and clear and unambiguous communication.
NFS FTW
Comment by Gordon — August 12, 2025 #
Big props for doing the right thing – again and again – even though it is never easy!
Comment by Steve — August 12, 2025 #
This makes me feel better. It’s scary out there for us, and I’m glad you’re on our side. Thanks.
Comment by Natalie — August 17, 2025 #
Customer satisfaction, CHECK! Thank you.
Comment by ak — August 17, 2025 #
Best response to this situation you could have had. So glad I found you, and I feel even more justified recommending your service after this.
Keep fighting the good fight.
Comment by Ian — August 18, 2025 #
I did not realize I needed this until I saw it.
You are a force of good in this world.
Comment by m — August 22, 2025 #
So glad I found NFS early in my dev days and will continue to recommend it to everyone looking for website services. This post is now included in those recommendations!
Comment by Sassifrass — August 22, 2025 #
Thank you so much for your solidarity and clarity about the situation!
Reading the ToS yesterday is what encouraged me to move my art portfolio (features LGBTQ/adult artwork) to NFS. This blogpost + how thorough and easy to use the guides from NFS are have made this a webhost I feel confident to share with other LGBTQ/adult artists!
Comment by maxbanshees — August 22, 2025 #
i host my site here, and your post is exactly to whom you’re referring to re: creators. thank you from the bottom of my heart for your work. <3
Comment by kradeelav — August 23, 2025 #