A First-Year Reflection: What We Built, What We Learned, and Where We’re Headed

As we come to the close of our first year, I want to slow down for a moment and reflect on everything that went into building Queer and Unbroken. Not just the visible work, but the research, planning, testing, and intentional decisions that shaped what this project has already become.

Queer and Unbroken officially launched on September 21. That means everything you see today was built in a very short period of time. Even so, this year was not rushed. It was deliberate.

This post is my attempt to lay out the full picture. The work. The growth. The early signals. And the opportunities ahead.

What We Built in 2025

Queer and Unbroken was never meant to be just a blog.

Before launch, I spent significant time researching queer history, trauma-informed storytelling, digital safety, accessibility, and sustainable monetization models. I also studied where marginalized communities are often harmed when platforms grow faster than their values. What works. What fails. And what quietly burns people out.

That research informed every decision that followed.

Since launch, Queer and Unbroken has grown into a multi-layered ecosystem that includes:

• 31 in-depth blog features grounded in research and lived experience, including historically informed pieces, personal narratives, and community-centered reflections

• 17 Patreon-exclusive posts offering deeper context, behind-the-scenes insight, and reflective writing

• A curated LGBTQIA+ resources section built for accuracy, clarity, and care

• A dedicated About page that explains why this project exists and who I am

• An Allies page created specifically to welcome advocates without centering them

• A Patreon layer designed for deeper engagement without locking essential content behind a paywall

• A Shopify web store featuring 20 intentionally designed pieces of merch that allow people to support the project financially

• A Linktree hub that functions as a central access point across social platforms

• Community settings intentionally locked down to prioritize safety, consent, and moderation

Many of the Patreon posts are now being thoughtfully integrated into the main website as Patreon-exclusive content. Paid supporters can read them in a more immersive, long-form environment on the site, while free members can still access them directly on Patreon. This structure is intentional. It balances accessibility with sustainability, and it reflects both technical constraints and strategic goals.

None of this happened by accident. Every layer was built with effort, care, and purpose.

Audience Growth and Early Signals

Since launch, Queer and Unbroken has seen approximately 2,000 website views. For a values-first, niche project that launched late in the year, that matters.

What matters even more is how people are engaging.

On average, visitors explore two to three pages per visit. Roughly 43 to 44 percent of sessions are engaged sessions. This tells me that when people arrive, they are not just skimming one page and leaving. They are choosing to stay, read, and explore.

Interestingly, our strongest engagement has not always come from our biggest traffic spikes. While paid campaigns did what they were designed to do by increasing awareness and clicks, our quieter weeks have consistently shown the best engagement rates and some of our lowest bounce rates so far. That suggests trust. It suggests alignment. And it suggests that the foundation is working.

One piece in particular, Holiday Safe Spaces for LGBTQIA+ People, became our most-read feature. It was supported by our first short brand awareness campaign on Facebook and Blaze. The results were encouraging, not just in clicks, but in behavior. Readers explored additional articles, visited the resources section, clicked through to Patreon, and followed links to the shop.

The work was not just seen. It was trusted.

Social Growth and Visibility

We built our social media presence from the ground up across Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Reddit. As of now, we have reached 466 followers on Facebook alone.

We recently ran our first follower campaign on Facebook, and it has already resulted in more than 400 new followers in a single week. That growth did not happen by hoping people would like or follow. It happened because I asked directly.

That was one of the most important lessons of this year.

Sometimes you have to clearly invite people to do what you want them to do. When I stopped beating around the bush and started offering direct invitations to support the work, people showed up. And they are continuing to show up. I hope that as we move into 2026, that active allyship will help Queer and Unbroken grow even more.

Data-Informed Decisions and Invisible Labor

Another thing worth naming explicitly is that this project is not guided by vibes alone.

Every major decision is informed by data, analytics, and my professional experience as an SEO Marketing Specialist. I am watching how people move through the site, which pages lead to deeper engagement, where readers drop off, and what content compounds over time. That information shapes what I build next.

Behind the scenes, this has meant:

• Designing the website architecture from scratch

• Building content categories, internal linking, and navigation intentionally

• Setting up and reviewing analytics to understand real behavior, not assumptions

• Making accessibility and readability decisions early

• Choosing moderation and safety over scale

• Creating systems that prevent burnout later

This kind of infrastructure work is quiet, but it matters. It is what allows a project like this to last.

Organic Search and Discoverability

Another early win has been search visibility.

All of the search engine success we have seen so far has been organic. We have not run paid search ads. Even so, Queer and Unbroken has ranked as high as number three on Google for terms like “queer resilience,” and we have driven traffic from Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo.

Google in particular has responded well to our LGBTQIA+ History and Ancestors content published in October. You can expect to see more of that work return next year.

Sustainability and Funding

At this stage, I am still personally funding Queer and Unbroken. Hosting, tools, software, and infrastructure all cost money. Paid Patreon supporters are already helping move the project toward sustainability, and I am deeply grateful for that support.

In 2026, my goal is to grow our base of paid supporters so the platform can become fully self-sustaining. I have already opened a bank account for Queer and Unbroken, and when the time is right, I plan to formally incorporate the project. That step is about protection, clarity, and longevity.

Looking Ahead to 2026

Next year is about expansion, not reinvention.

We will continue publishing in-depth blog features every Monday and Wednesday, with occasional supplemental reflections on Patreon. In January, I plan to begin publishing interviews with queer elders, creators, healers, and advocates. These interviews will appear as written pieces on the site, with audio versions available for those who prefer to listen.

I have already invested in microphones and recording software, and this new channel will be called Queer and Unbroken: Figments. It will focus on stories of resilience, community, and lived experience.

Throughout 2026, we will focus on:

• Sustained, intentional publishing

• Deepening Patreon-exclusive content

• Thoughtful growth of the email community

• Clearer pathways between content, community, and support

• Expanding formats without losing the heart of the work

Queer and Unbroken is not meant to be loud. It is meant to last.

Thank You

If you are a paid supporter, thank you for believing in this work early. You are directly helping build something grounded in care, truth, and resilience.

If you are a free member, thank you for being here. Your presence still matters. Reading, sharing, and engaging all help more than you may realize.

This first year was about laying a foundation. Next year, we build upward.

With deep gratitude,
Jamie Collier
Founder, Queer and Unbroken