Re: SP Donation to The Trevor Project

The Chair of Second Pride Lee McKay today posted on the Second Pride website (url) about the completion of the donation to The Trevor Project.

WooT! 

That's US$2.170 from the generous donors in SecondLife to the aid and assistance of struggling young people.

Second Pride: Habemus Praesidem!

The LGBT+ residents and our straight allies of SecondLife waited with bated breath for the announcement from the Special Meeting that had been called on Saturday for the particular purpose to appoint a new Chairperson.

All eyes were fixed on the tiny chimney perched on the roof of the Meeting-skybox for a sign of either black smoke or white smoke. Then suddenly, at 1:40 PM SLT, the smoke appeared. And it was gloriously white! The board had agreed (6-0, with 1 abstention) on a Chairperson for Second Pride.

Sister's and brother's, sing out in joy and exultation, for we are no longer orphaned lambs shambling our way through the desert in disarray, facing the dangers without a leader to guide us. 

Please join me in welcoming our new shepherd, and leader, 

Lee McKay!!!

SP Election Results Announced

Today we received a notice in the Second Pride Festival Group with the long-awaited announcement:

"On September 27th, 2018, the Election Committee hereby certifies the following results for the Election completed on September 26th, 2018.

For the Marketing Director seat
60 votes - Jimmy Augustus-Gracemount (jimmmmmy) - Winner
9 votes - Kaiden Brandt (Kalculate)

For the Building Director seat
44 votes - Sтαятєя Ɛνєηѕтαяя (starter232) - Winner
23 votes - Dҽʋιɳ Kɳιɠԋƚ Dɾαƙσɳ (devindevin1111)

Congratulations!!

ReZ, SP Chairman"

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I would like to join the chairperson in congratulating the winning candidates.

I would also like to thank the other candidates and wish them better luck next time. I hope we can convince them to work with Second Pride, even without the Directorship.

SP Election Certified, But Announcement Slightly Delayed

According to a message on the Second Pride website, the results of the voting for the Marketing and Building Director have been certified by the Election Committee and passed on to the Chair for an announcement. 

The Chairperson is out of the country at the moment, and you’ll see this announcement in-world and [...] on the website as soon as he releases it. 

[Second Pride is] still looking to fill the Community Relations Director seat…more on that coming soon as well!

SP Elections Update & More

REƵ VALE-SŦARFALL™ (DJReZ Cyberstar), the Chair of Second Pride, in a Group Notice yesterday in The Second Pride Festival Group and a message on the Second Pride website:

"The new voting solution will be completed soon and voting is expected to start within the next day or so. Watch here and in the Second Pride Festival group for updates and instructions.

The candidate for Community Relations Director has decided not to accept the position. Therefore, we have an open seat and per the Bylaws, that seat is available now for anyone who wishes to be considered for it. This would be a Board appointment unless we have TWO candidates before voting begins."

Second Pride Election Update

According to a notice in the Second Pride Festival group, the ongoing election for Build & Marketing Directors has been temporarily suspended due to a technical glitch in the equipment.

Voting will, according to the notice, recommence with a different method as soon as possible.

The Chair and the board extends its apologies to the candidates and the membership.
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I applaud Rez and the board for acting promptly when the problems were noticed. After all, we all want a result we can rely on that reflects the will of the membership.

Thank You, Board & Volunteers of Second Pride 2017

The fountain and the globe

I have just finished reading LLedge Eames closing statement for the 2017 Second Pride Festival. It begins like this (For the complete statement please go to The Second Pride website (url)):

"Thank you for an amazing 2017 Second Pride Festival!

As the sun sets on yet another wildly successful and my last Second Pride Festival season. I’d like to take a moment to say some thank yous. I am so grateful for this years outpouring of participation not to mention I had the pleasure of working with some of the most amazing talents from across the grid.

Our 2016 – 2017 Second Pride Board. Jak Calcutt with his outstanding builds and designs, creating a feast for our eyes, Marge Beaumont for her behind the scenes accounting, Tootsie Nootan and her security team (Levi & Kit) keeping us all safe, and Viktor Sandman for all his patience scheduling and wrangling our performers. To our volunteers. Kahvy & Garrett Smith for undertaking and creating some fantastic social media buzz along with all those bloggers. Lee McKay and his webmaster skills that put us back online."

The shopping mall

After thanking the sponsors, vendors, performers and others that contributed to making this one of the best festivals ever, he goes on to thank the attendants and then finishes

"On more than one occasion I was greeted by complete strangers and then thanked for providing them with such a true and wonderful pride experience. It was comments like that and many more that told me we had hit our mark. I can’t begin to thank this team enough. You ALL really outdid yourself and should be proud of all you accomplished.

As I mentioned earlier this is my last year as Chairman. It has been such an honor to be involved in this organization. As much as I am ready to step down, I will miss it and all the nuances. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to bring my hope and joy to you all through this wonderful outlet."

The Japanese Garden, a permanent exhibition

Well, I would in turn like to thank the board of Second Pride for - yet another - amazing and enjoyable festival. This Second Pride festival is up there among my top three all-time favorites since I first started going to Pride in SecondLife in 2008.

I can hardly imagine all the hard work and dedication our board and the volunteers put in to this venture - and all the work they did the rest of the year - for the LGBT+ community in Second Life. 

It is even harder for me to understand why the boards dedicated work throughout the year has sometimes been met by criticism by fringes of the community, especially those who do not lift a finger or support the efforts in any way whatsoever. 

The memorial chapel

Second Pride must exist first and foremost for the LGBT+ residents in SecondLife, to be an inworld presence, to offer support to other smaller LGBT+ organizations, and to represent our community to the surrounding community and to Linden Lab. All else must, in my not so humble opinion, be secondary to that.

I am saddened that the present board say they doesn't wish to continue, although I do understand their position. Hopefully some of them can be persuaded to continue, or at to return after some rest and relaxation from these responsibilities. 

My deepest gratitude, again, goes to the board of 2016-2017 for a job well done!

The main stage

All the pictures in this post show the wonderful work that Build Director Jak Calcutt did for this years festival-venue. I have them in a folder named "The sim that Jak built".

LLedge Eames: "Why I'm Passionate About Second Pride"

LLedge Eames is the chair of Second Pride. This statement was posted on Facebook today. 

I am completely in support of all that LLedge has to say on the reasons we have - indeed why we need - Second Pride in SecondLife and wish to share it with you all.

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LLedge Eames, Chair of Second Pride

"So the Second Pride Festival is almost over, and what a ride it is has been. The festival is already well on it's way to become one of the most legendary seasons of Pride yet. 

With amazing DJ's and Hosts coordinated by Viktor Sandman our Event Director, Content creators from the A-list, volunteers Kahvy & Garret Smith wrangling social media, Lee Mckay's website designing, Tootsie Nootan our Security chair and her team (Levi & Kit) keeping the festival safe and so many sponsors helping, this Pride Festival could be nothing other than a great success!

As donations are poring in I want to take a moment to talk about pride, and about the money involved in second pride as well.

I myself and the members of my board team have donated many beautiful party decorations to the Festival to make it amazing and Jak Calcutt our Building Director really outdid himself! T L C Home Collection donated a lot of new animals to the Japanese strolling garden, and many others have helped make this years festival amazing!

Yet, many ask me: Why Second Pride? Why donate?

I've recently read a blog by one of Pride's Bloggers, Bailey Saxmundham. Being Transgender, who better to ask?

"People ask "Why Pride?". There have been so many advances over the years since the Stonewall Riots in 1969, but there is still a way to go. Some of the advances have been overturned.

Pride isn't about parties - it is about visibility and solidarity. It is about community and belonging. It is about not giving in and not giving up."

http://baileysaxmundham.blogspot.nl/2017/06/pride.html

And that hits it right on the mark for me. It's not about the parties. It's not about the honor and glory of those that shine on the stage, or those that didn't make it to the schedule this year. It's about coming together and forming a front. It is about not giving in and not giving up. About providing a place in SecondLife where we can be safe. Safe to be ourselves, all year round! A place to come back to when the going gets a little tough. A place to relax in the park or to remember in the memorial. And yes, a place to party and celebrate!

Some say, Pride is commercialized. But in reality, those sponsors and vendors show their own pride the best way they can: by bringing their business. By saying, we don't care about the haters, we are rising above. Buy my Pride? PLEASE do!!!

Because with that money, we can have this sim. This place in this virtual world called Second Pride. Not just during pride week, no, all year round! We are featured in the SecondLife destination guide and have had Lindens visit our festival. We will work with Linden Lab to list our sim as a permanent gay destination after the festival. That is where the money goes first of all: that place we can call Home. And we are proud of it, and of everyone donating their time and funds into this. Second Pride is owned by the community, and paid for by the community. And that, is a beautiful thing.

And the surplus? The Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal, Rainbow Roads, they all benefit. Second Pride is working with the Madonna show on a huge 4 hour benefit for Rainbow Roads this coming July 22. Also there's the nonprofit charities that we have given space on the sim: UCC SL, TAVA (Transgender American Veterans Association) TRC (Transgender Resource Center), and SOS (survivors of suicide / depression support project). New this year for the festival we invited the Care and Hope Center (awareness and support for victims of domestic violence)

Yes, there are many ways to support the community in the real world as well. But not everyone is able to participate in the real world, the same way they can in SecondLife.

At Second Pride, we can be who we want to be. In whatever shape or form. We can help, reach out, come together and make sure none of us gives in, or gives up. And that, makes me PROUD!

Happy Pride Everyone!
LLege Eames
SecondPride Chair

The Difference Between A Master & His Pupil

http://photomonkeysl.tumblr.com/post/151429075144/nocturne

 

It's the same wonderful chair by Apple Fall and the same man (although in another avatar-shape and unclothed), but a different venue and a different photographer.

It is easy to spot the differences between the two works, this one by Tomais is the better one in every sense of the word. If you should wish to compare with my snapshot, see my post My Man. I have much to learn, but will keep at it.

My Man

This morning Tomais and I had a nice talk with Garrett & Kahvy up at The Northmead Gallery.

While we were talking I unpacked the two new arm chairs (one with pattern textures and the other with solids) by Apple Fall that I had bought yesterday.

As I was checking out the textures of the patterned chair, Tomais jumped into it to try out the animations. He looked so absolutely beautiful so I decided to snap a few shots.

I am a truly fortunate man to have such a handsome, intelligent, charming, lovable and extremely patient husband.

Petr on Pride

The Chair of Second Pride, Petr Hastings-Vanbeeck shares his final thoughts on the past year as an elected member of the board.

Petr also, sadly, discloses that he does not intend to run for re-election in the coming elections.



Read Petr's post Confessions of a Digital Daddy Bear; PRIDE.

On the Terrace (Revisited)

Just me.

P.S. Yesterday, i.e. the same day I posted this picture, I learned that Guyke and Butch absolutely detest the socktops I always wear to cover up my ugly SecondLife ankles.

I am not sure I will stop wearing the socktops, but I am trying right now to see if I can get used to the ankles. It may however ultimately come down to either not wearing short pants or not wearing socktops, in which case I will definitely continue with the socktops. Just saying...