Hotboy was duly thanked by the board for his efforts for Second Pride and it's membership and for a job well done, it was also noted that organizing events for such a diverse group is not an easy task.
The meeting then went on to a call for candidates for the vacancy as Events Director.
After some discussion it was decided that
- Interested parties should submit notecards to the Co-Chair/Secretary Andy Long a.s.a.p. but no later than Monday January 20, 2014, 5PM SLT, expressing their interest and outlining their experience in event planning and organizing in SL.
- The Second Pride forums will be opened for questions and responses until Friday January 24, 2014, 5PM SLT.
- The time of the board meeting to review the candidates and appoint the new Events Director is a yet to be determined but will occur during the weekend of the January 25, 2014.
The minutes from the meeting are posted on the Second Pride website, Meeting Minutes of Emergency SP Board Meeting January 11, 2013.
---
On a personal note, I would like to add the following.
I was extremely saddened to learn about Hotboy's resignation. However, after reading his statement, I fully understand that he must have been under great personal strain to finally take this step. I commend him for doing so. There is most certainly a limit to what attacks and pressures we can expect our elected officials to suffer for the common good.
To some degree I feel responsible for adding to the pressure by calling for events catering to all timezones. However, although I believe that such a move is necessary for Second Pride to grow, I would have accepted that it may not be doable at this time.
The new Events Director should hopefully be able to call upon the support of Hotboy, and others with previous experience of this post, as well as a group with an abundance of experience and ideas on how to handle things. This job cannot be accomplished without other people acting as shields, giving support and performing necessary tasks, thereby allowing the Events Director to focus on the main objectives.
Considering all that has happened since the board election, I'd say this new resignation should be an opportunity to analyze what's going on with Second Pride. Seriously, how many people have resigned since the election? In 2013 I got closer than I had done before to the elections and to some events around it. Frankly, I hope to never see those stuff again happening so close to me. Anyway, my impression is that Second Pride creates more division than integration opportunities. Given its nature, we should probably ask ourselves honestly if that's what we want to see. And I think our reflections could start by the idea of community: what community, if any, does Second Pride gather, serve and represent?
ReplyDeleteHis personal attacks are one sided from his point of view.
DeleteWhat you do not understand is that he has many times been a very rude person to people that are nice or new to SL for no reason. I have personally seen this and stayed out of it and away from him. I have been in SL since the end of 2004 and I remember when he started playing originally and then got busted for using internet pics as himself lol.
He still to this day gets together with groups of guys and once in a while they go harass people at other sims. If you guys want to run an official PRIDE for SL then you need to make sure you have legit people representing it. It is a very good thing he left.
Hi Ricco,
ReplyDeleteAs you know, Second Pride is an organization created to bring a large Pride celebration to Second Life every year, uniting all members of the LGBT community. Our current board consists of members from each aspect of our diverse community and we reach out to lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people, and straight allies. As I'm sure you're also aware, many LGBT in SL live in areas in their real life that do not allow them the freedom to participate in a Pride Celebration. This makes Second Pride especially valuable for our community. If you'd like more of a reminder about what Second Pride is about, there's a wonderful video to be found here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/59kjv1px1lw6bn0/pride-13.mp4
From the start, this board has faced external drama from many, making our volunteer positions difficult. We, however, refuse to give up on providing this opportunity despite those who choose to be divisive and try so hard to dismantle an institution that has been a cornerstone of our LGBT community for years. We do not create division, we work around the division created for us. We are currently making efforts to unite the gay community, the lesbian community, the transgender community, and the straight community to promote recognition of our continued battles for equality and acceptance. In short, we are your board and we represent your community. You are more than welcome to attend our public meetings and give your feedback at any time. The meeting times, which are held at both Euro and North American time zones each month, are posted on our website at http://second-pride.com/, Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SecondPride, Plurk at http://www.plurk.com/SecondPrideFestival and Twitter @SecondPrideCD so regardless of what social media you prefer you can always keep up to date.
Thank you
Merrick Genesis
Second Pride Marketing Chair
Hi, Merrick,
DeleteIt's good to see your optimism and, please, don't misunderstand me, I don't intend to underestimate the importance of promoting Pride in Second Life. Anyway, maybe I didn't make myself clear. You said that the board has been facing external drama from many, for instance. Let's start from there. So, drama comes from "many" and not only from a dozen individuals. Why is that? Because individuals are mean and selfish? Because SL is a place for drama no matter what you do? Maybe because Second Pride is seen as a field of power and dispute about how we and others see the "community"? Isn't it time to start asking ourselves questions like that and to understand where drama comes from before it cauuses more board members to resign and mor people from the "community" to get away? Second, what's "external drama" there? Drama that comes from outside the board? But Pride is not only the board. So, who is being excluded by the use of that word?
Going further, I'd suggest you to rethink some ideas. For instance, the idea that "we are your board and we represent your community". You cannot really know that, and it's not a task for the board to decide whom it represents. Again, I think it would be more useful to try to verify if the so-called community feels represented, or if only parts of it do, and why parts of it don't feel represented if this is the case... I'm not suggesting that the event should not be carried on while people think of all that, but from what I saw, I think Pride could really benefit from some reflections.
Ricco, I haven't seen you at a Second Pride meeting. I invite you to come and learn more about the organization and what it is truly about as well as how the board operates. When you've been to a few meetings and understand more about how Second Pride is truly functioning, rather how you think it is functioning we can further discuss this. Thank you.
DeleteRicco, if you'd really like to share your concerns, I strongly suggest coming to a meeting. Our meetings allow for thoughtful and orderly consideration of concerns that will provide input from all members of the board. If you're still having issues that come from what can only be described as a horrible election and need to vent, you can definitely IM me. The meetings are the place to make constructive changes and suggestions, however. Pay attention to group notices or watch our social media for the next meeting time. Thank you.
DeleteMerrick, you haven't seen me because I haven't gone. No need to start with that attitude - "when you have been there and seen what it is rather what you think it is we can start talking". See, I wasn't attacking you, my first comment here wasn't directed at you and I didn't ask you to answer it, you did it cause you wanted to. I didn't bash at the board members, I didn't minimize the importance of Pride or the difficulties of the board. All I did was to suggest some reflection. If you don't think it is worth doing it, ok, don't do it. No need to disqualify my suggestion with that "legitimacy" argument (the mechanism is: you haven't been there, so you can't talk about it). Unfortunately it does not respond to what I said, it's just a way to avoid any answer. On a side note, if you are interested, I haven't been there because what I saw during the elections made me sick and I tried to stay away. Later, when I heard about Pride, I heard of more drama (as you, yourself, acknowledged) and I kept away. Maybe, from what I see, it's not yet time to get involved -not for me. Good luck there.
DeleteWow, so the world doesn't stand still while I go to work ;)
DeleteI thank both of you for a good discussion and would like to add some thoughts of my own.
First of all I I believe that Ricco, in my opinion, unfairly accuses the present board and the organisation of Second Pride for much of the shameful brouhaha caused by the losers in the election and their minions, before, during and after the election,
There is an interesting post concerning this on my friend and mentor Eddi Haskells blog today An Important Message From Petr Hastings-Vanbeeck, Presiding Chair of Second Pride
Secondly, I also believe that it would be good for us to discuss what we mean by the concept of "community", with special emphasis on what we mean when we - and the world around us . speak of "the gay community. I would be happy to take part in such a discussion at any time.
However, while waiting for that discussion to commence and come to a conclusion of any kind, I cannot believe that we should stop working for what we believe can benefit "the gay community" in SecondLife and simply do nothing at all.
There are, in my opinion, certain easily identifiable interests, problems, difficulties and goals that are shared by many or even most of us, such as the right to be what we are and to be accepted for it, to be with whom we love on similar basis as other loving couples and to be treated fairly, indeed to be given the rights and dignity anyone who is straight has and - that beautiful phrase from the United States Declaration of Independence - the right for each of us to "the pursuit of happiness".
P.S. Sorry, I forgot an important detail.
DeleteIn my experience the best way to influence the work and direction of any pursuit is to join in it and do your very best to achieve the changes you find necessary. Rarely does one find any pursuit or organisation that in time will develop in the way or direction one would like to see standing outside and simply observing it and/or refusing any participation with it until it fulfills all ones ideals.
Bock, quoting you, I think you may have read to much into what I said and then added some over-interpretation of your own - lol. Read my comments again, I didn't accuse the current board or the organization of anything. But unless I'm misinterpreted again, I will stop here. The debate is already leading to misinterpretatios and the use of "marked" terms - like "minions" (which implies that they are guided by a despicable someone, right?) - and that's not where I intended to go. I frankly think now that I'd better stay away. Hugs.
DeleteAlthough I promised Tom that I would not respond today, I will still say this - or I will not be able to sleep.
DeleteI stand corrected, Ricco. I should not have implied any accusation on your part, nor should I have used the words "losers" or "minions" and most likely some other words and phrases. My choice of approach and words lowered the discussion about some interesting points that you were making. I deeply regret my action and ask for your, and any other readers, forgiveness for stooping to those depths.
Hugs
Hi, Bock, you know what? You should have kept your promise to Tom. I mean, don't worry about me, and there's nothing to forgive you for, it's alright.
DeleteExtending the comment I posted before, I tend to agree with you that the best way to achieve the changes one finds necessary is to take part in the changes and not only watch things from a distance. Maybe that's why I should silence now too.
Hugs.
I forgot to stress something: thank you for this amazing blog and the coverage of Second Pride. Hugs to you and Tom :-)
DeleteI do listen closely to what Tom says, but sometimes - even after having heard what he recommends and understanding the reasons for it - I still have to act according to my nature. In this case I knew I would not be able to sleep well if I did not apologize at once.
DeleteThank you for your forgiveness and for your kind words.
Hugs
"no first or second life obligations at all and lots of time to spare"
ReplyDeleteI would not consider that a qualification I would think that is someone with no life and a loser more than someone that can do a job. Obviously you are looking for people that can not focus or commit to something because they are lazy and have no life.
LOL I think you may have read to much into my joking exaggeration of what was said, Anonymous, and then added some over-interpretation of your own.
Delete=D
Deletedjhotboy fan
ReplyDeleteI normally do not comment on gossip. hotboy is his own person. period. no one is perfect with that said. i was at his event i am a fan of his. when you have people attaching you for doing your job being a great dj. you have to get on the defensive hes done nothing wrong to anyone that did not deserve it. people are jealous and that's what it is. since anonymous wants to comment and spread shit why you hiding? are your pictures real? if your so perfect lets see you at the meetings? and your going to ask why am i commenting anon? cause i can i have nothing to hide and will reveal myself when i want to.