proship means being 'pro', or for, people shipping/enjoying whatever fictional content they like. its a stance lots of people take in fandom spaces to say if i don't like something i won't read it but i won't bully someone else for liking it. you might be a proshipper and not even realize it 😙

you will see a lot of proshippers will also say things like 'don't like don't read' or 'dead dove, do not eat'. basically meaning, they will tag/flag what they are posting accordingly, and it is up to others to curate their online experience for their own interests and comfort. to me its a way of saying clearly to others i will not harass, bully or harm someone for liking things i don't like. even if those things are considered 'extreme'. i also personally find it a good way to find others who share these same beliefs in online spaces. i put it in my profile to show this to other proshippers, but also to let 'antis' (those who don't share these beliefs, who feel internet harassment is justified if someone is posting fanfiction they don't like) know i have no interest in engaging with them. i hope it is a flag to let others know not to contact me about what i am posting, who i am following or what i am reading being disgusting. i am an adult, and i will decide for myself what/who i do or don't like. i don't believe liking things in fiction equates to real world harm.

this is a long answer, but its a term that has been wrapped up in a lot of misinformation and twisted to fit the narratives of other people. i will leave some links below to where you can find some other information, with some of that history if you like. also, congratulations on asking about it! lots of people don't and make assumptions or listen to misinformation/witchhunters. its always good to be curious ❤ if you wanted to ask more questions or talk more please feel free to leave me another ask or dm me, ive been in fandoms for a long time and have seen the term 'proship' grow a lot. (im so new here im flattered you asked me tbh, or perhaps it felt safer with a newer face. but either way im happy)

some links that I know of, though some of them may be a bit old now. they still hold good general and background info:
https://learnaboutproshipping.carrd.co/
https://proshipresources.carrd.co/
https://define-proship.carrd.co/