@jerry
"A major factor in your experience on the fediverse has to do with the instance you sign up to."

I completely agree. I rarely encounter harassing posts, and I know a significant factor is being with a small, actively-moderated instance.

Because the fediverse is dstributed among such a huge number of instances, moderation has to be a shared responsibility. Mastodon developers could do more to beef up moderation tools, but admins have a huge responsibility for what shows up in their space. Even with the most diligent moderation, users will have to take some action.

As a member of a marginalized group, the formula that has worked for me (so far) is choosing a great instance, communicating with the admin (who is very responsive), and accepting follow requests if I think the person jibes with my vibe, and blocking/reporting obvious trolls.

Crossing my fingers this keeps working for me.