Sure, they matter, but does anyone actually pay for them? Tons and tons of publications that do this kind of work either end up on shoestring budgets or shut down entirely because nobody wants to fund them — not investors, who think they’re too “niche” or not “commercial” enough; not the community of readers, who may not even be able to pay enough to keep them afloat; not grants, which aren’t always available and are shrinking in supply.

Autostraddle’s ability to keep hanging on as the frontrunner for queer women’s media despite having a tiny fraction of the budget of Buzzfeed at all is nothing short of miraculous. The Toast only really happened because the founders were rich enough to bankroll it. I know of a lot of other projects that stay tiny, even when they’re powerful and important, and many that just folded because there just wasn’t enough.

If you think this really matters, then make sure they can survive — and better yet, thrive. No point crowing about how “important” they are if you’re not also going to compensate them for their work, expecting them to sacrifice just for your mental satisfaction.