What surprises you most in-world?

Cherry, the level of abuse that gays have to endure in sl is far greater than being called 'fat'. My friends have had their home invaded by hate spewing homophobes more than once, and they now keep it's location secret simply so that cannot happen again. They don't have parties, they don't have people over to visit, just so they can have one safe refuge from the ugliness of this world.

And that doesn't even begin to address the harassment they endure out in the world on a day to day basis.

I am truly sorry that anyone would call you a name, but is small potatoes compared to what gays in sl have to endure every day.

Originally Posted by Aebleskiver Thibedeau
Homophobia is wrong, and it should not be allowed.



No, Ricardo, that *is* my point, and it has been all along.

It may be worse than you think Cherry - *I'm* not just agreeing with *you* now - I was going to write something similar!

Pep (checks his list of phobias just in case)

I am giving but one example. Speaking as someone who is still being stalked and having rumours spread about me (including IMming everyone in the room warning them not to talk to me) I do know all about persecution. I refuse to BE persecuted, however (my crime was asking someone to stop spamming, in IM, once, two years ago).

Yes there is homophobia. There's also all other sorts of hatred. Actually, I think as a fellow woman you could surely empathise when mysogeny rears it's ugly head and I am sure you deal with that often, on a daily basis, as do I. I challenge it openly and in an adult manner then I MUTE PEOPLE.

I don't let such idiots affect me. I am not, you see, a lulzcow.

There is a choice.

PS ... why is it ok to allow people to be abused for being an endomorph huh? I get enough of that in everyday life without such crap in SL (my av is not fat). I'm openly bisexual SL and RL, we get abuse from people in general and the lesbian community quite often are hateful towards bi girls. Wider perspective please! I know lots of gay people who never get ANY hassle whatsoever for their sexuality.

Why should any?

What surprises me most is how open people are.

Which can be a bad thing at times (for upper Midwestern stoics like me anyway) but in the big picture, it's pretty cool, especially for polyglots.

No one is saying they should Aebleskiver. Why should black people, or people with a disability, or people without a diability, or people with green hair, or frankly ANYONE.

Wider perspective.
***

Something else that never fails to amaze me is when you get massive scale builds like that ship that was three sims long. The sheer SCALE of such a work ... incredible. And so detailed!

I thought you'd find this study I posted a while back on the diff between the bi and lesbian deal in women helpful in some way: http://sl2rllove.blogspot.com/2008/07/bisexual-women-not-lesbians-study-and.html

I find this conversation very interesting.
I am a gay male and state so in my profile and can honestly say that I have NEVER been treated poorly in my entire time in SL. Never. Not once.
I have been welcomed at biker bars, fancy clubs, Gor sims, and vampire dens.
In fact I have found acceptance in unbelievable abundance in SL, far from my experience in RL.

I'm sorry for your friends experiences, but I can't help wondering why their SL experience is so different from mine.

FaTeke

"So shines a good deed in a weary world."
Willy Wonka

FaTeke typifies what I was trying to say before. I also don't know anyone whatsoever who has had hassle for their sexuality in SL - I do know people of both genders, inbetween gender, genderless etc who have had bunny boiler treatment though.

Exactly.

I am a heterosexual male and though I don't state it in my profile it's probably pretty obvious (!) and I can honestly say that I have never been treated poorly in my entire time in SL except by a very few "well balanced" females.

Pep ("Well balanced" female = one with chips on both their shoulders)

Stop flirting for a bad time, Pep. Someone might take you up on it

It's been the same for me. Regardless of my appearance or behavior, I've been pretty darn accepted by just about everyone. (^_^)

The closest I've ever gotten to intolerance has been here on the forum... And frankly... It's never been ACTUAL intolerance yet... Just closer to it. Even then, not by much, and by a very select few. (^_^)y

(Thanks all for being so nice!)

Lately- getting in

I don't think you have the right to rate other people's harassment. You have no idea how it might have made her feel.

Thanks Eli. After all, I have no insight into homosexuality on my own terms *G*

I have to agree with this statement too, if you think being Bi or gay in SL is bad try coming out in a World of Warcraft or Everquest server. SL is by far the most accepting game on the net and has the best LGBT community. I remember when one of the top clerics on my server in everquest declaired he was gay he almost had to quit EQ because he found no one would group with him ... things finely did settle down for him but it took a long time for him to be accepted again.

In fact, I would put that as the Thing that suprised me most in SL, the level of acceptance of people with differnet sexual orientation than the "norm".

I never came to SL looking for cyber, I played Everquest for 8 year and was burned out from the grind of having to kill 24,000 Giant Rats to get the next Level, Raid for 6 hours to get a sword with 20 more hit points on it etc. I figured I'd try SL as it had no levels and I had seen some screenshots of players characters and was impressed with the level of character customization.

I was totaly shocked to find LGBT and BDSM clubs and groups here. and dispite my tounge in cheek statements I do *not* hop on a pose ball with everyone who asks. What I really enjoy is talking to other people "like me" .. it makes me feel much less alone in the world.

It isn't allowed. It's specifically forbbiden in TOS/CS. Your friends should not be hiding at home... they should be ARing left and right.

I think the level of harassment, as in RL, depends very much on where one goes. Litta was initially black, and oscillates now between black shape/skin/hair and white. She's never encountered a single racist comment, but then, she doesn't go to a lot of rowdy venues with bunches of newbies. My "noob helper" alt is a fairly anonymous-looking white tanned guy.
.

/me just smiles at Kyllie

Hey if you want real intolerance try XBox Live!

I found when I tried an alt with a black av (very pretty she was too) people didn't talk to her. Having said that, I think that was more to do with the changing way people handle SL these days than racism.

I am constantly surprised at land prices. Virtual land that you can never really own can cost a fortune in RL money when you think about it. LL impose a completely artificial "space" limitation, and we all buy into it.

There's clearly a market, but I am constantly surprised regardless.

What do you mean by 'the changing way people handle SL these days' Chezza?

Most of the time now I walk around in SL as a 6'2" Leopard skin Furry Neko, not an animorphic one but one with with Human features.... and I've noticed a difference too.
So its not just "human race" or "sexual orientation" that draws these sorts of reactions.

I also agree with your previous statment about some (but definitly not all) Lesbians attitude towards Bi women. When I was younger I used to get involved in Pride events in my city, and if it came up that I was "only" bi I could feel a definite shift.

I'm now married in RL to a guy and have two children. but that does not make me any less Bi nor does it revoke my membership in the LGBT community. ...but to some more millitant Lesbians and Gay's it makes me a sell out. Which I really feel sad about.