27 progressive Twitter users worth following for a deeper look at a few familiar topics.
Looking for a more 'social' social network? Give these recommendations a try.
Twitter can be a huge waste of time — unless you're following the right people.
To mix things up, I try to follow new people at every available chance. Finding new voices and views to follow, however, can be challenging. After all, Twitter's "Who to Follow" section can feel a little stale at times. So if, like me, you're on the lookout for some fresh perspectives, here's a short list of some of the people who make my own Twitter feed fun and informative.
1. Sara Benincasa — @SaraJBenincasa
Author and comedian Sara Benincasa is your go-to Twitter account for lighthearted takes on current events, measured opinions on serious matters, and more than a few laughs. Her latest book, "DC Trip," came out late last year, and her next, "Real Artists Have Day Jobs," is due this April.
2. Jane Doe, MD — @DrJaneChi
Jane is a physician (who happens to also provide abortions), an intersectional feminist, and lover of small, furry animals. There's almost certainly something important happening in the world you don't know about that Jane is tweeting about right now.
3. Robin — @caulkthewagon
Robin is a Bostonian who spent much of last year organizing around the #NoBoston2024 cause, fighting the city's bid to host the 2024 Olympics. She tweets about labor, organizing, and a variety of progressive causes.
4. Melissa Gira Grant — @melissagira
Journalist Melissa Gira Grant is the author of "Playing the Whore: The Work of Sex Work." She writes on sexual politics, technology, and workers' rights.
5. Imani Gandy — @AngryBlackLady
Imani is the senior legal analyst over at RH Reality Check. Her tweets on race, gender, and pop culture are supplemented by some really great, insightful articles.
6. Andrea Grimes — @andreagrimes
Andrea is a digital editor at the Texas Observer. She's passionate about reproductive health, and she's absolutely hilarious on Twitter. In response to the "ice bucket challenge," Andrea launched the "taco or beer challenge," in which you eat a taco and/or drink a beer, and donate to help fund abortion. Because hey, why not, right?
7. Michelle Kinsey Bruns — @ClinicEscort
As her handle indicates, she's an escort for patients in and out of abortion clinics, helping to shield them from anti-choice protesters. Michelle's series of tweets about clinic violence using the #is100enough hashtag went viral late last year after the shooting at the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood.
8. Katie Klabusich — @katie_speak
Katie is a writer and host of "The Katie Speak Show" on Netroots Radio. She's a fierce advocate for abortion rights and bodily autonomy and is just an all-around solid choice to follow on Twitter. Last year, she was featured in an Upworthy story about abortion stigma.
9. Chris Mosier — @TheChrisMosier
Chris is an athlete and the first transgender member of Team USA. He's the executive director of GO! Athletes, a nonprofit for current and former LGBTQ high school and college athletes.
10. Molly Knefel — @mollyknefel
Molly is a journalist, writer, and co-host of the "Radio Dispatch" podcast. She's also an after-school teacher for grades K-8. She's a great follow for anyone interested in hearing a fresh take on current events.
11. Jessica Luther — @scATX
Jessica is an Austin, Texas-based independent journalist and sportswriter. She's done some truly impressive work on the topic of sexual assault within college athletic programs.
12. Carlos Maza — @gaywonk
Carlos is a research fellow at Media Matters for America. Until recently, his work focused primarily on LGBT rights, but it has since expanded to include a wide range of progressive causes.
13. Jamie Kilstein — @jamiekilstein
Jamie is a musician and comedian. He's the co-author of "#Newsfail" and co-host of the "Citizen Radio" podcast. Last year, Jamie was featured in an Upworthy article about catcalls not being compliments.
14. Ijeoma Oluo — @IjeomaOluo
Ijeoma is a Seattle-based writer and editor-at-large at The Establishment, a multimedia company founded, funded, and run by women. She's a great follow for smart takes on the intersection of feminism, race, pop culture, and parenting.
15. Pasta — @pastachips
Pasta is an Edinburgh, Scotland-based sex worker who writes and blogs about politics, labor, police violence, stigma, and other issues.
16. Monica Roberts — @TransGriot
Monica is a Houston-based blogger and civil rights activist. She's won multiple awards for her blog TransGriot, and in 2013, she was named to the inaugural Trans 100 list.
17. Chris Geidner — @chrisgeidner
Chris is the legal editor over at BuzzFeed News. In the past, he's done some truly phenomenal writing on LGBTQ issues, but lately he's been churning out some truly informative posts about the death penalty and the Supreme Court's role in its future.
18. Cameron Russell — @CameronCRussell
Cameron is a model, writer, editor, and climate activist. In 2012, she gave a TED Talk about appearance and the privilege that comes along with winning a genetic lottery. In 2013, she founded Space Made, an artist collective based in Brooklyn. Her tweets tackle issues of gender, race, and climate.
19. Linda Sarsour — @lsarsour
Linda is a racial justice and civil rights activist and media commentator. She's a Palestinian-American and Muslim. Her informative tweets give a fresh look at what sadly remains a very relevant issue: Islamophobia around the world.
20. Zoé S. — @ztsamudzi
If you're interested in issues surrounding race and gender, then Zoé is a must-follow. She's blunt, unapologetic, and so frequently just spot-on in her observations.
21. Chase Strangio — @chasestrangio
Chase is a staff attorney at the ACLU, working with its LGBT & AIDS Project. He's a great follow for anyone interested in learning a bit about some of the struggles facing trans and gender-nonconforming people when it comes to the police.
22. Cyd Zeigler — @CydZeigler
Cyd is the co-founder of Outsports.com, a website dedicated to covering LGBT athletes. With some of the first athletes in major sports coming out as LGBT in recent years, Cyd's work has been essential reading as we watch these early pioneers make history.
23. Leah Torres, MD — @LeahNTorres
Leah is an OB-GYN who, yes, provides abortions. She's an advocate for her patients and is a proponent of comprehensive sex education.
24. Tina Vasquez — @TheTinaVasquez
Tina is an immigration reporting fellow at RH Reality Check. On Twitter, she shares her eye-opening opinions on race and gender and is most certainly worth a follow.
25. Ian Thompson — @IantDC
Ian is a legislative representative at the ACLU. He works on issues ranging from LGBT rights to sex education. Prior to working at the ACLU, he was an intern in Rep. Dennis Kucinich's D.C. office.
26. Dave Zirin — @EdgeofSports
Dave is the sports editor at The Nation. He hosts the "Edge of Sports Radio" podcast, and his work rides the line between sports and politics, giving him a unique perspective. He's the author of eight books.
27. Upworthy — @Upworthy
OK, OK, I work for Upworthy, so of course I'm going to recommend you follow us. But have you seen our live-tweets of award shows and debates? Or how about one of our UpChats? They're super fun and informative. And as a bonus, you get all our fun articles delivered right to your Twitter feed.
