Pride Month 2023

 I promised my dear husband Tomais to post this great meme on this almost dead blog.

We are celebrating pride again, both in our first and second lives. We do it because we can, for those who cannot, and to aggravate the haters.

Happy Pride Month Everyone!

Dates Decided for Second Pride 2017

The Board of Directors of Second Pride had a General Assembly Meeting in the Second Pride Headquarters Conference Hall on Sunday, April 30, 2017, at 01:30PM SLT.

At the meeting the dates for this years festival were decided. Below are the festival dates as well as release dates for sponsor, vendor, and DJ information.

Festival dates Friday June 23 - Sunday July 2, 2017!

Sponsor Packages available from Monday May 8*
Vendor Packages available from Monday May 15*
Performer Applications from Friday May 26 - June 18th

*) Please note, there is likely to be a shortage of available space at this years festival as it is going to be held on only one sim. You had better be on your toes and leaning forward to grab a place!

Please contact LLedge Eames or Viktor Sandman if you need any further information or have any questions.

Organize for Solidarity & Support

I believe in individuals standing up for their rights, but I also believe in the need for individuals to organize themselves as they as a collective always are stronger than any one individual ever can be and in a collective they can share support with each other.

Today is the International Worker's Day in most parts of the civilized world when we celebrate our right and ability to organize, unionize and show solidarity in expected and unexpected ways.

This is Billy Bragg singing his song "There is Power in a Union" to scenes from the movie "Pride" (2014) by director Matthew Warchus with screenplay by Stephen Beresford.

Sweden's Got A New Stamp

Sweden got a new postage stamp on May 4th, 2016, when a stamp was issued with the Pride flag. The stamp is - according to the press release from PostNord Sweden - designed by the artist Lisa Rydell.

"By issuing a postage stamp with Pride flag, we want to stress the equal value and strength of people's unique characteristics and differences. The Pride flag has to our knowledge never been reproduced on a stamp before, and it feels great that it is now possible to send physical love greetings using the Pride flag over the world", says Per Ljungberg, Communications PostNord Sweden.

PostNord Stamp annually receives hundreds of suggestions for stamp designs. The idea for the Pride stamp was sent to the council that chooses new stamps by Lisa Rydell, who was also commissioned to design the stamp.

Lisa Rydell is an artist and has worked extensively with the design of, among other books and exhibition posters. She got the idea of ​​the Pride flag stamp during a long stroll in the summer of 2014.

"Swedes very much like to both receive and send stamped letters and postcards. The selection of the stamp is for many an extension of the greeting, which will be extra strong with the new Pride stamp. A subject that is also in line with PostNord's internal work concerning diversity", says Per Ljungberg.

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I love the idea, but am a bit puzzled about the credit given to Ms. Rydell for designing something that was already designed.

"Strange, very strange!", I say to myself with a phony Clouseau-ish French pronunciation. I wonder how much she earned for that brilliant, inspired and truly original bit of copying?

Stockholm Pride, July 27 - August 1, 2015

It's time again for my friend Apmel's neighbours to raise the Pride-flag.

Stockholm Pride, the largest Pride-festival in Scandinavia, started today and ends on Saturday.

For more information about this event, please visit the official website Stockholm Pride (English).

SCOTUS 5-4: Marriage Equality in the US!

The Supreme Court of the United States today gave us their decision in the case of Obergefell et al. v. Hodges, Director, Ohio Department of Health, et al.

With a 5-4 majority decided, for a freedom to marry nationwide in the United States. (Kennedy delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan, joined. Chief Justice Roberts filed a dissenting opinion as did Scalia, Thomas and Alito, the latter three also filing opinions in which one or more of the other dissenters joined.)

You can read the complete decision here: http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/14-556_3204.pdf.

Happy Pride everyone and especially my sisters and brothers in the United States! The second largest democracy in the world has now accepted same-sex marriage!

Let's celebrate!

Second Pride - June 19th Through 28th

Come be a part of the largest most diverse LGBT Festival on the grid!

Second Pride needs your help and participation to make this years 10th anniversary the best Pride ever!

Interested in performing at this year's Second Pride Festival? Just follow the link below and submit your application today! Festival Performer Information & Application

Interested in being a Sponsor or a Vendor? Sponsor & Vendor Packages. Hurry, hurry - there are still some packages free!

Get involved! Meet new people! Meet up with old friends! Show your Pride!

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Although I already know that Second Pride's claim to this being the organization's 10th anniversary is challenged by some, I choose to accept it. (Nota bene, in my response to a comment by my dear friend Garth Raleigh, I - after having reviewed what  Second Pride actually says - correct myself as to the organization claiming anything of the sort.)

In my mind Second Pride - and any other LGBT organization on the grid, that can show any connection between their existing organization and the ad hoc committees celebrating Pride in the early days of SecondLife, can make the same claim.

"I'm Sorry..."

To the guy who punched me tonight for kissing my boyfriend pic.twitter.com/SMVmTpDCdL
— Cole Ledford (@ColeLedford11) November 7, 2014

This news reaches me via Wicked Gay Blog and Gay Star News:

"A US student, who was beaten up for being gay, tweeted a defiant message to his attacker and instantly became a viral sensation.

Ohio student Cole Ledford, who tweets at @ColeLedford11, was beaten up for kissing his boyfriend, and was left with a painful black eye.

Yesterday (November 7), he tweeted a picture of himself and his injuries alongside a text with the words: ‘To the guy who punched me tonight for kissing my boyfriend.’

‘I'm sorry that you called me fag,’ wrote Ledford.

‘I'm sorry you hit me for no reason. I'm sorry that whatever insecurities you have don't allow you to accept others for who they are. I'm sorry that I threaten you.’

‘I'm NOT sorry I'm gay. I'm proud to be this way. I'm proud to be confident enough to love who I love and to love me. I'm proud to have friends and family that love me regardless of me. Honestly, I'm not sorry.’

Since posting the image, Ledford has become somewhat of an overnight star. His tweet was retweeted more than 23,000 times.

He later posted a cute photo of him and his boyfriend with the caption: ‘Boyfriend wanted to say hi and thanks for the support! Off to Cleveland to see the fam! #loveislove #youallrock.’

He also tweeted: ‘overwhelmed by all the support. I have a nasty black eye but other than that, I'm fine. Thank you all so much! Love > Hate.’

He’s also been encouraging his new-found followers to support equality charities if they want to help.

‘If what happened to me makes you want to make a difference please consider donating to the @HRC and help their fight,’ he tweeted."

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Another everyday hero steps out of anonymity for a while to make us all proud. Proud to be humans, to be men and most of all to be gay men.

Fantasy Gay Pride - September 19-28, 2014

I got this press release through Garth Raleigh, who is one of my most prolific sources, and I am very happy to share it with you all well in advance so you can get your outfits together in time.

Garth also told me the LGBT fae community is one of the happiest and most drama-free he has encountered in SecondLife.

"Every year a small group of creators get together to create a week long celebration of everything GLBT.  Our aim is to promote acceptance of all positive sexual orientations of all genders. All sexualities are very welcome to our festival to raise awareness of these issues worldwide - all on a unique and intriguing land with creations and magic never seen before from our very talented fantasy and fae designers.

When they were first told, fairy tales were not innocent stories for children. They often dealt with themes that were definitely adult in nature. This year's presentations will cover the erotic, twisted or hidden side of the tales we've all grown up with. These are not your grandmother's fairy tales!

 

The Press Book will be published soon with lots more information and photos. Details of live music performances to be announced. 

Whinge & Pluckett - Karalia Halostar & Greville Oh, will be presenting a completely new show this year, a sequel to "The Fairy Who Loses His Wings" called "The Fascination of Cemanus". 

Come and immerse yourselves in legend and wonder, ancient archetypes we all hold deep in our psyches... the curious, the strange..the challenging...the erotic! Our fae nature resonates to these strong and subtle primal earth energies; these ancient powers.

Creators this year are:

Aznana Shieldmaiden

Corkie Houston

Donn Canis

Greville Oh

Hakuin Clarity

Karalia Halostar

Qrystver Khandr

Shay Sunnyside

Aznana Shieldmaiden - Publicity Assistant

Blackdog Ashbourne  -  Technical Consultant

Greville Oh - Chief Goffer. Publicity & Performer/Singer in Whinge & Pluckett

Karalia Halostar - Musician Extraordinaire in Whinge & Pluckett

Shay Sunnyside & Aznana Shieldmaiden - Performances Organisers

Our phenomenal DJs are:

Astoria Luminos - Smokin'Hot Elven DJ,

Lysana McMillan our Sounds Siren,

Shay Sunnyside - Fae DJ of Farhaven. 

and Starhawk Starostin - The Music Master

Chiaroscuro Guardians will be Greeters as well as Security for this wonderful week.

Our Sponsors are an important element in our event. We welcome support from any group or organization that wishes to help promote understanding and acceptance of GLBT lifestyles. The celebration site will prominently display sponsor logos and contact information .

We fight for global GLBT rights - there are still countries where gays are attacked and tortured and where being gay is punishable by imprisonment or death. We are glad the movement for marriage equality is growing as more and more countries embrace and champion it. We will get there, GLBT people will be accepted everywhere - we will demand it as a fundamental human right and have a fabulous time doing just that.!

GRATEFUL THANKS TO ALL!

Greville Oh"

GA SummerFest 2014

The Gay Archipelago's Pride celebration, the GA SummerFest 2014, starts on Friday July 11th and goes on until Sunday July 20th.

For more information about this Pride event please visit
GA SummerFest 2014 Main Page
GA SummerFest 2014 Destination Guide
GA SummerFest 2014 Calendar.

The event is also a celebration of the Gay Archipelago´s seventh anniversary.
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Clear your calendars, guys and gurls, this should be a lot of fun!

Toronto On Pride Day

Matt Thomasto on Instagram, via J.M.G.

Another Try...

Dear @ebbealtberg (@SecondLife @LindenLab) can we expect a visit from you at the ongoing largest #LGBT #Pride celebration on the #Grid?
— Bock McMillan (@BockMcMillan) June 26, 2014

Please help getting the message across by retweeting if you are on Twitter.