Getting to Know Marcellias

I first heard from Marcellias through a note card he sent me, either just before Second Pride or one of the first days of it (Pride has messed with my perception of time).

It was one of the kindest and wonderfully caring note cards I have ever received. I will not tell you any more of its contents for fear you think I am bragging, but lets just leave that subject with the knowledge that Marcellias is a thoughtful, kind and caring man who knows how to express himself well.

Marcellias hung out with me and my friends a couple of times during Pride-week, dancing, chatting and enjoying himself like crazy just as the rest of us.

One of the very first things Marcellias will tell you about himself, is that we has a weakness for the color purple but that he is trying to get to grips with it. I told him, I don't mind at all if my friends have hang-ups as long as it does not involve hurting people or animals, so we should get along well.

The other night, when I had difficulty sleeping, I logged in-world to get some relaxation while I was waiting for my sleepiness to come back. Marcellias was in-world, so I asked him if it was a good time for me to come over to visit his home in SecondLife as I had promised to do. Marcellias told me he was working on his outfits but would be happy to have me over to show me his place.

The first thing I noticed when I got there was that it was raining, which is the first time I have encountered rain in SecondLife. Apparently you can get grass that does that, aren't our builders and designers creative?

Marcellias took me for what he called "the 5 second tour" of his place - which lasted for about 30 minutes. All I can say is that he has created a beautiful and peaceful haven for himself in a bubble up in the skies. The place is full of animals of every kind imaginable and the lots of sounds from them. Do not have your music on when you get there!

You will not at all believe Marcellias insistence on his purple-craze though, not until you see his bedroom. But even that is no way as bad as he himself thinks, it is true that it is purple but still cosy, warm and beautiful.

After the tour we sat down for a little chat out on the balcony of his cottage, until I felt that my need for sleep stared to overwhelm me and Marcellias was called away to assist in a fashion crisis concerning a tattoo.

It was great visiting with you Marcellias and I will be happy to show you my home, as soon as my brilliant and sublime, but temperamental, builder and interior decorator Butch Diavolo allows me to have people over.

Dedication

This is to all the hateful trolls in first life, in SecondLife, in all other virtual worlds and last but not least in the blogosphere, especially the one that lately - for unclear reasons - called me a misogynist.

I know I should not post two songs back-to-back but I stumbled across this and here you have it...

(I tried finding an uncensored version of this particular video but without success, if you know where I can find it please tell me!)

A Little Eye-Candy

Disclosure by Wrong Direction

(Yeah, the presidential election is long since over and no one remembers Mitt Romney any more, but who cares...)

This is a political parody based on One Direction's song "What Makes You Beautiful" , but the original shows a) younger guys and b) less skins, so my choice is easy.

Sneak Peek - The New Kitchen

My brilliant and sublime builder/interior decorator  Butch Diavolo has - grudgingly, but still - agreed to allow me to post this detail of his ongoing work on my new kitchen at the build site on Southern.Charm.

Doesn't it look awesome?

Early Notice: Alt Avatar Ball - Saturday 7/13/13

The Details

EVENT: Alt Avatar Ball
DATE: Saturday 13 July
TIME: 10am – Noon PDT
PLACE: Club Morpheus, LEA11, Second Life
WHO: You! Come as your alt!
WHAT: Make a notecard with:
Main Avatar Name: eg “SaveMe Oh”
Alt Avatar Name: eg “Vaneeesa Blaylock”
and give your notecard to the host Agnes Sharple.

Then dance, talk, and make your guesses. There'll be prizes for correct guesses and a big prize for whoever makes the most correct guesses!

....
For more information please read I Rez: Alt Avatar Ball

It's Canada Day Again

   

William Shatner Sings O Canada by Jacob Medjuck, National Film Board of Canada

Have a wonderful day, my Canadian friends!

Open Letter to A Well Meaning Woman

My son Guyke will undoubtedly tell me, that writing this post is creating drama, but as I have told him in my opinion people who say that others are taking part in drama are often not willing to take a position on an issue or unwilling to declare their opinion in public. They instead accuse those who are willing and dare to do so of creating drama.

After logging off from SecondLife tonight I was tired and going to bed but wanted to check the latest updates on my blog list.

I happened to notice the following title on one of the "recent posts" on a blogroll, it read (translated to English and to English/American customs): "Second Pride Festival. Isn't That Like Brussel Sprouts at the Christmas Dinner Table?"

The post was on a Swedish SecondLife blog that I haven't been reading for several years, due to the fact that the blog owner (on this blog unlovingly referred to as "the mudslinger" ) made a personal attack on me by challenging whether my late partner Ars Northmead has ever existed.

The writer of this post was however not the mudslinger herself, but one of her sisters, cousins, friends, whatever, a woman with a more reputable image.

As far as I am aware, neither the writer, nor the blog has any connection or affiliation whatsoever to or with any LGBTQ person, organisation or community, be it in first life or SecondLife. This fact however in no way daunts the writer of the blog post from expressing her opinions on when and where the LGBTQ  community as a whole and worldwide should celebrate Pride and how they should do it to appear less gimmicky. 

The writer utilises the interesting and insidious technique of phrasing all her statements as questions, which makes it completely impossible to hold them against her. I will however say this to her in an open letter:

My dear madam,

Your views on when, where and how we should celebrate our Pride, however well meaning they may be - and I must stress that I see them as well meaning - are from a purely heteronormative perspective and are, in my most humble opinion, lopsided, inaccurate, uniformed and/or false.

The fact of the matter is that every day, in every nation (yes, even in Sweden), in the virtual worlds and cyberspace and in every walk of life LGBTQ persons are verbally and emotionally harassed, underpaid compared to their straight (or closeted) equals, less likely to be promoted compared to their straight (or closeted) equals, emotionally, physically and mentally abused, violated, maimed and killed. 

We will continue to celebrate Pride as we ourselves see fit, even if you should happen to disagree and consider, it more of a stunt or gimmicky. We do this to come together to rejoice over our past victories, for mutual support and to support our brothers and sisters in less democratic countries where they are forbidden to express their homosexuality in private as well as in  public under the risk of fines, imprisonment or death penalty, where they are also forbidden to demonstrate their pride in any way, shape or form. And we will continue to do so as long as we see it as necessary and fitting.

If you should wish to see and experience what Second Pride is all about, please let me inform you that the festival has always been open for everyone to visit and take part in. Alas the festival for 2013 was concluded a week ago but I would be happy to accompany you and show you around the exhibitions and the parties at next years Second Pride Festival.

Yours kindly,

Bock McMillan

P.S. I have made the following list on the present status of samesex marriages worldwide to correct the false facts you give in your post. The information is readily available for everyone on Wikipedia. (I have updated the information on California according to recent developments)

As of May 2013 the following thirteen countries have legalized same-sex marriages

1. Argentina, 
2. Belgium, 
3. Brazil, 
4. Canada, 
5. Denmark,
6. France, 
7. Iceland, 
8. The Netherlands,
9. Norway,
10. Portugal, 
11. Spain, 
12. South Africa and 
13. Sweden

In August 2013 the following two countries will also legalize same-sex marriages (laws have already been enacted that that will come into force at that time)

1. Uruguay and 
2. New Zealand

As of May 2013 several sub-national jurisdictions in the following countries have legalized same-sex marriages

1. parts of Mexico and 
2. parts of the United States.

As of June 26, 2013, the following sub-national jurisdictions (states) of the United States have legalized same-sex marriages

1. California.
2. Colorado, 
3. Iowa
4. Maine
5. Maryland, 
6. Massachusetts, 
7. New Hampshire, 
8. New York, 
9. Vermont and 
10. Washington

In the following countries bills allowing legal recognition of same-sex marriage have been proposed, are pending, or have passed at least one legislative house in

1. Andorra, 
2. England and Wales, 
3. Finland, 
4. Germany, 
5. Ireland, 
6. Luxembourg, 
7. Nepal, 
8. Scotland and 
9. Taiwan 

In the following sub-national jurisdictions bills allowing legal recognition of same-sex marriage have been proposed, are pending, or have passed at least one legislative house

1. parts of Australia, 
2. parts of Mexico and 
3. parts of the United States.