With DJ Cupric at The Shipwreck

"The Gay Archipelago" (GA) is a huge collection of gay and lesbian owned sims that collaborate on a voluntary basis in various projects and joint ventures in SecondLife. Every year the GA hosts a huge Summer Festival and Pride celebration with loads of different events, parties and exhibitions spread out over many of the sims.

This years Summer Festival is going full force at the moment, so after having rested all afternoon I decided to drop in on one of the many parties.

As I landed at The Shipwreck the first thing that met my eyes was the sight of the talented and creative Regi Yifu's delicious and perky ass wiggling about in all its bareassed glory.

DJ "The Coop" (Cupric)

The party had just started so people were still dropping in all over the place, but DJ "The Coop" Cupric had already set the tempo which he meant to follow throughout the party.

The high tempo suited my mood perfectly. I accepted a dance invitation and started looking around at the assembled hotties. That's one of life's simplest pleasures that I thoroughly enjoy.

After a while I was joined at the party by my son Guyke and a well-rested and benign Butch.

When Butch was informed about where I was teleporting him he said stoically, "Oh, then I had better undress a little."

I (far left), Regi (center) and the always studly Draghan Marksman (second from the right)

Regi's luscious globes center stage

Uncle Vaan

GA lead Garth Raleigh-Underby and hubby Mitch Underby-Raleigh

Gay Archipelago LGBT Summer Festival 2013

From a press release by Gay Archipelago.

PRIDE & PROGRESS' - LGBT Summer Festival, 2013

JULY 4TH THROUGH JULY 14TH, 2013

The Gay Archipelago in Second Life proudly hosts the LGBT Community at the annual Summer Festival beginning July 4th and wrapping up on July 14th!

Our Festival theme this year celebrates and reflects the simple joy of individual Pride and Community Pride as well as the tremendous Progress that has been made recently, and sometimes quickly, within the arena of LGBT civil rights around the world.

On behalf of the GA Festival Team, I welcome you all to enjoy the custom-created Dream Delta festival sim and the many events we have planned during the 11 days of the celebration.  We have the some of the finest entertainment to be found in Second Life on deck for you.  You can find the complete daily calendar at  www.ga-weblog.com  any time.

Thirteen beautiful GA estates beckon to the tourist in you to see the highly-popular 'Vistas & Blossoms' multi-sim landscape and garden exposition.  Grab your cameras, get lost in jungles and explore mythical regions in the '11 most beautiful days of Summer.'  Oh, and when have completed your grade tour, feel free to cast your vote for your favorite destination at the Peoples' Choice voting station at the Program Start Point.  There's $L33,000 in awards to be made on July 14th in this friendly and fun event.

Like to build in SL?  Think you have what it takes to take home the top prize of $L10,000?  Or perhaps you would like to watch and learn new and varied  techniques of creating a build.  Its all good in this year's LGBT Sandbox Build Contest to be held Sunday, July 7th.  Entry applications are available, open and for more information contact the LGBT Sandbox Manager, Alum Dagger.  Everyone is welcome!

Stroll through the remarkable sand castle 'Market Fair' for an unsurpassed shopping experience - and pick up unique quality free items from some of your favorite SL merchants and organizations.

You are invited to tour of one of our many exhibits hosted on multiple regions; dance to your favorite DJ's as they whoop it up to celebrate LGBT Pride Season; see Role Play from the Gay Archipelago in action; or take in one of the live performances that make our calendar shine!

Come along and hang out on our beach - meet some new friends or enjoy some time with old friends and family.

Be safe.  Be Proud! Happy Summer, 2013!

Garth Raleigh

Lead, Gay Archipelago

Your transport to the festivities

For a complete calendar of events please visit Gay Archipelago Weblog

At the Opening of "Viva l'Italia"

I was invited to the opening of my friend Eddi Haskell´s photo-exhibition "Viva l'Italia" today. my son Guyke accompanied me to.the opening, partly because I always like to hang with him, partly as my chaperon to keep me out of trouble. 

We were a little late in arriving because we had wasted a lot of time getting dressed. After starting out in full gala with tuxedos that could have fit in well at the royal wedding in Stockholm today, we dressed down until we were in extremely casual attire. 

When we arrived the party had already filled up with a host of beautiful men and some women. Mikedacook "Mikey" Dinzeo was the DJ of the evening. I enjoyed his music thoroughly while talking with Guyke in voice and the other guests in local or Instant Message, all the while hungrily looking at the men at the venue - one in particular whom I will spare the embarrassment of being mentioned here. 

Many of my buddies or long time acquaintances were at the party like Eddi and Benja, Garth and Mitch, Rico and Avacar, Mikey's partner Robin, Judas, Mattias, Khar and Christo,.but also many men and women that I did not know - yet. 

All in all, I had a great time, enjoying the beautiful photographs, the great music and the pleasant conversation. .

Guyke and I admiring one of Eddi's works

I and my favorite among the beautiful photographs

Brent (I was to distracted by his hotness to catch his last name), a
 mysterious and silent stranger with a sexy avatar. I noticed he had rezzed
in 2009, which means he is  like 15-20 years younger than myself

My buddy Christo Spyker.
What is this thing with Dutch men and their bare feet, I wonder?

Christo grooving

My friend, the always charming Kharissa Indigo,
mskes a fashion statement as always

The exhibition will continue until the end of June, I highly recommend you pay it a visit at The Eddi Haskell Gallery (SLurl)

More pictures can be found at my buddies blogs, Eddi Haskell's Second Life and Benja Aquila's Second Life

The Prouder, the Better!

My friend Garth Raleigh once convinced me that there really cannot be too much pride in the world, any world!

I am therefore extremely happy to post this press release from him about the upcoming Summerfest at Gay Archipelago.

"I’m very pleased to to extend an invitation to YOU to JOIN in the planning and operation of the upcoming LGBT Summer Festival in Second life!

The GA is widely considered to be the leader in the LGBT Community in the virtual SL platform and, as in past years we’re getting set to present the SL Community with a major Pride festival which will be enjoyed by thousands of people – from all over the real world and all over Second Life!

There’ll be fun and entertainment for each and every taste; shopping; exhibits – and well……whatever YOUR ideas are can become reality. This IS Second Life, after all. ㋡

Like people? Like to make new friends? Enjoy learning new skills? Have talents that you would like to lend to the LGBT Community in Second Life? Not sure, but you like to be involved somehow?

✩ THIS INVITATION IS FOR YOU!! ✩

I will be hosting an informal ‘organizational’ gathering this weekend (Sunday May 26, 2013 – 12:00PM NOON slt) at the GA Office on Caicos (part of the West Indies Gay Islands cluster in the GA).

I’m inviting you to come and join the Festival Team Group in one of several areas. Here’s a brief summary for you to consider. where we have openings:

◆ PUBLICITY/PUBLIC RELATIONS & PROMOTION

◆ EVENTS PLANNING / MANAGEMENT

◆ BUILDINGS & GROUNDS

◆ MARKETFAIR MANAGEMENT/OPERATIONS

◆ FESTIVAL SPONSORSHIP COORDINATION

HOW DO YOU GET INVOLVED? Contact me directly with an IM or a notecard and let me know you wish to join in with the creation of this wonderful & traditional event for the LGBT Community.

After I hear from you, I can make sure you have a nice chair to relax in while we talk, laugh and brainstorm together as a group (I’ll pass you the LM too)

Can’t make the meeting I have planned? No worries – there will be more. You are always welcome. Stay in touch!

Be safe. Be Proud!
Garth Raleigh

Lead, Gay Archipelago"

IDAHO Day 2013 (Updated)

Today is the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia (url).

In almost 80 countries around the world, loving someone of the same sex is still considered illegal, at times involving lifetime imprisonment and, in nine countries, it is even punishable by death!

And in many more countries still, citizens are denied their right to live according to their preferred gender identity.

As well as legal discrimination's  social homophobia and transphobia serve to daily deny millions of people across the world their basic human dignity.

The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) was created in 2004 to draw the attention of policymakers, opinion leaders, social movements, the public and the media to this issue.

It is not one centralized campaign; rather it is a moment that everyone can take advantage of to take action.

The date of May 17th was specifically chosen to commemorate the World Health Organization’s decision in 1990 to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder.

Today is the day to take action in your local area, talk about it or simply mention it, just spread the word!

Update 1
The European Union´s Agency for Fundamental Rights today presented a report of a survey among 93 000 gay inhabitants in the EU and Croatia (read the summary here)

The lowest rate of discrimination occurs in the Netherlands followed by Denmark and Luxembourg, while the highest rate of discrimination occurs is in Lithuania followed by Croatia and Poland.

Update 2
Read my friend Garth Raleigh's suggestion in the comments below about how to take part in the manifestation in SecondLife today!

Menswear Fashion Week 2013

Listen up, all you male fashionistas of every conceivable sexual denomination and subgroup.

The Menswear Fashion Week 2013 is upon us. It started yesterday April 19 and continues through April 27 with a lot of shows and events. For the the calendar, please go here. When there are no shows and events it's all about s-h-o-p-p-i-n-g!

The organizers have this simple request of the visitors: "To keep lag low during the shows, be sure to grab our attendee package, wear the alpha layer, remove all attachments, and select your favorite Menswear Fashion Week Icon to help Derby, Stache and Tie continue their adventures at Menswear Fashion Week 2013. We look forward to seeing you here!"

Limousine to MWFW 2013 (SLurl)

I am personally going to visit as much as I possibly can and I hope to see all you hot guys there!

Event blog Second Life's Menswear Fashion Week 2013.

(Tipped by my buddy Garth Raleigh)

"You Can Call Me Cupid!"

I celebrated Saint Patrick's Day at the Gay Archipelago yesterday.

My mood was excellent and I had bought a stunning new suit, fitting for the occasion, at Marketplace. The suit was a statement in itself which shouted to the world that here comes a fashion forward man with great confidence in himself and his impeccable taste. It was therefore rather disappointing to notice that my finery blended in beautifully with the unfortunate choice of carpeting for the venue.

Being me, I did not let this little adversity spoil my fun in the least.

I was accompanied to the party by my friend Butch Diavolo. The man had an excellent time mocking my wonderful outfit.

Within fifteen seconds of our arrival at the venue the impetuous man was nagging me to animate him. When I had fulfilled his wishes and turned my attention to the assembled guests, I soon noticed that he suddenly stopped dancing with me and was not dancing beside me anymore.

After looking around for him I saw that he had thrown himself at poor innocent Judas/Atreyu/Craig and was now dancing couples dances with the young man instead. Please notice where the eager young man has placed his large hand... even if it can hardly be noticed on Butch's huge ass which is as wide as a barn door.

I said to Butch, "Here I bring you to a dance and you dump me in the middle of the dance floor for a hormone-fueled young lad, whom you met little more than a fortnight ago?" Butch answered me in his usual sullen way, "I have known Judas a long time, I only re-met him at Garth's and Mitch's wedding."

Lately I have become aware of that my mere presence somewhere seems to be a catalyst for budding romantic entanglements around me. I informed Butch about this phenomenon and told him "You can call me Cupid!". He simply snorted at my profound insight.

As the two men started to draw the whole venues attention to themselves in the most scandalous way (they should really have gotten a room) I called in the cavalry in the shapes of first the sweet Ziggy and, a short while later, my son Guyke.

Although Guyke had to leave shortly afterwards, it was good to see him again as he has been away in first life. Ziggy has also been busy with his first life so it was good to get a few dances with him and catch up before I had to leave for my beauty sleep.

GA Community Mall - Grand Opening

"A FIRST-EVER within the LGBT Community in Second Life!  GRAND OPENING, SUNDAY MARCH 17TH, 2013

After many months of planning and construction, the newest service offered by the GA Coronal estate is a mall  dedicated to non-for-profit organizations in the LGBT Community.  These organizations are not asked to pay any rent or lease for the spaces provided, however they can sell some of their  products to help raise funds to maintain their varied goals and pass out their information to everyone.  We've got some of these groups installed comfortably - and more on the waiting list as we continue to build!
The GA Community Mall (SLurl)

The new GA Library is ready to receive visitors as well with it’s welcoming space for people to relax in the new Community Mall complete with video-streaming of LGBT events courtesy of videographer and VJ, Teno Theriac.
The GA Library (SLurl)

The Gay Land Office / Travel & Tourism Center is set to go for this weekend as is the outstanding Fine Art exhibition at the GAllery nearby!   􀀈
The GA Land Office and Travel & Tourist Center (SLurl)

You are all invited to the Grand Opening Events to celebrate this achievement and help support this growing venture for the LGBT Community in Second Life!

Garth Raleigh, Lead, Gay Archipelago"

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

12:00PM (noon) SLT      

To kick off this day-long celebration, the one-and-only Oliver Elton from Theatre on the Hill, headlines the stage at the Oval Concert Hall to get you in the mood for St. Patrick's day.

The Oval Concert Hall (SLurl)

12:30 PM SLT   

A very special live performance by Second Life performer, AM Quar.  Come hear AM rock the Oval with his hot guitar licks in Blues, Latino, Rock and Love Ballads!

The Oval Concedrt Hall (SLurl)

1:30 PM SLT  Posh Plaza Party

Posh Club continues the upbeat festivities with a 'Naughty Paddy Plaza Party' on the GA Coronal Plaza -  featuring the awesome DJ Alum with leprechaun hosts Lickinu and Megan. There's $L500 on the contest board for (what else?)  'Best In Green'  

The luck of the Irish to you all!

The GA Coronal Plaza (SLurl)

(Thank you Garth for this press release!)

The Wedding of Garth and Mitch (Updated)

If it was a fairy tale it would start something like this. "'Twas on the day when Dejerrity Mycron got 11 inches¹ on Manhattan Island, New York, N.Y., that Garth Raleigh and Mitch Underby were married in the humongous cathedral of Splendid Place."

The Much Honored Bock McMillan, laird of Southern Charm and prince of Cascade Falls, arrived to the cathedral fashionably late with his sullen aide-de-camp the commoner Butch Diavolo in tow. Butch was sullen because he had been ordered to accompany me and forced to wear shoes for the occasion.

"Do you really think that I can arrive at such a festive occasion without being accompanied by a  strikingly handsome man or with a peasant without shoes?", I asked him. "Now drop your c**k and grab your shoes, we have to be there in five minutes!"

The cathedral was already full of family and other guests of the two grooms when we finally arrived. Unfortunately I had my double-talk problem (today with a delay of a few minutes). This also affected my movements so I was walking all over the waiting guests before I could grab an empty seat.

Soon after we had arrived and taken our inconspicuous and uncharacteristically humble seats the officiant arrived. It was Draghan Marksman in the guise of a rabbinical neko², or as my aide-de-camp chose to call it "A Kosher Cat". He looked absolutely stunning. 

A short while later the wedding procession made it´s entrance into the cathedral and the two grooms took their places at the pews.

The wedding service was fairly traditional with highly moving personal vows from the handsome grooms. Mitch tried to make a run from it all mid-ceremony, he most likely got a bout of the wedding-jitters, but to the relief of Garth and the assembled guests he re-logged quickly and the ceremony was completed in an orderly fashion.

After the ceremony there was a reception nearby. While trying to move there I encountered some troubles and decided to re-log. Before leaving I thought to myself that I should perhaps try unchecking the HTTP Textures again, as previously suggested by Whirly, to try to cure my old #01587329-problem. So I did that before leaving.

When I arrived back the company had assembled to hear speeches and toasts to honor the newly wed. My double-speech and double-movements had amazingly been cured, to my great relief.

There was also a show, mainly with the amazing entertainer Oliver Elton, but also a special appearance on stage by Atreyu Raleigh (or Trey or Craig I got confused by the many names people gave him) a son of one of the grooms who joined Oliver for a rendition of the gay anthem "Its Raining Men". I was so enthralled that I unfortunately forgot to take a picture.

Update
After talking with Craig Raleigh in-world I am proud to add this picture from the part I missed. Thank you Craig!

Craig Raleigh in "Its Raining Men", photographed by himself

During this performance, when Oliver and Atreyu turned their backs to the audience and bowed, a guest said "I see cracks, and they´re not on the ceiling mind you..."

The wedding party then moved into the adjoining room for champagne, cake and some dancing.

Above myself and my aide-de-camp flanking the newly weds. Below the officiant gets into the groove with the booze and finally topples over.

The rest of the guests were well-behaved although some intimate ass-fondling could be noticed by an observant onlooker (me).

It was here I re-encountered Rob Colter, the poor man who had been sitting beside me - and behind my emerald gown - at the Miss Wigstock 2013 contest. Rob was a perfect gentleman and tried to convince me that he had not been bothered in the least.

We were also treated to a spectacular fireworks show to the backdrop of the castle. This was again the widely talented Oliver Elton´s work.

After the fireworks show I noticed my typos increasing rapidly, which i a sure sign that I am getting very tired and should go to bed, so I congratulated the happy couple a final time said my good bye´s and dropped out to first life. When I dropped off the party was still going on and it may probably still be...

I hope you live happily ever after, Garth and Mitch!

¹) 11 inches of snow, you dirty-minded little sods, this was the day the northeastern blizzard Nemo hit New York, N.Y., remember? (This joke is credited to my brother-in-law Dej)
²) A neko is sort of a human cat, i.e. an avatar with a human body shape donning a cat tail and cat ears and sometimes also whiskers.