In 1983 Steve Dyer created the Usenet group soc.motss, possibly the first-ever online LGBT community. It was an important part of my life in the early 1990s. There’s a couple of good retrospective histories of motss: Avery Dame-Griff and David Auberach.

I wanted to re-post Steve Dyer’s original October 1983 post from when motss was first created. At 1AM!

Subject: Net.motss is born!
From: sdyer@bbncca.ARPA (Steve Dyer)
Path: watmath!utzoo!linus!decvax!genrad!wjh12!bbncca!sdyer
Date: Fri, 7-Oct-83 01:05:04 EDT

Net.motss is a forum for the discussion of gay-related issues of interest to all members of USENET. Its name is an acronym for “members of the same sex”, coined by contributors to net.singles as an analogue to MOTOS–“member of the opposite sex.” It is therefore, unfortunately, a euphemism of sorts–an alternative to the preferred ‘net.gay’. Nevertheless, the proponents of the group have gladly passed on this minor issue so that the group should be swiftly formed.

It is designed to foster discussion on a wide variety of topics, such as health problems, parenting, relationships, clearances, job security and many others. Gay members of USENET will find this a supportive environment for the discussion of issues which have immediate impact on their everyday lives. Those who aren’t gay have an opportunity to be informed by the discussion, and are encouraged to read the news items and contribute their own questions and opinions.

Net.motss is emphatically NOT a newsgroup for the discussion of whether homosexuality is good or bad, natural or unnatural. Not is it a place where conduct unsuitable for the net will be allowed or condoned. Rather, like every USENET news group, it is an opportunity for people all across the world to express their opinions, exchange ideas, and come to appreciate the diversity within the USENET membership.

/Steve Dyer
decvax!wivax!dyer
decvax!genrad!wjh12!bbncca!sdyer
…!ima!bbncca!sdyer

I like a few things about this. The statement this was a safe space for LGBT people, not a forum for debate about our existence. That it was a world-wide community. The inclusion of health as a topic, this at the start of the AIDS crisis. And the fact that the name was a below-the-radar euphemism. The phase members of the same sex has a history going back to Kinsey and the 1970 US Census!