Merryjests Writes on "Crumbling" Lighthouse

 

For those who want to read more on the Lighthouse vs Bella Epoque, or the "Gang of Homos," controversy, Merryjest Starfield just posted a few words of his own about it, "The Crumbling Lighthouse." He would comment, "I have to admit that this wasn't exactly how I wanted to start the Star Dispatch, but times being what they are... here we are." 

 

One can read his article on his website here. 

 

More on the "Gang of Homos" Controversy

 

Several days ago, the Newser reported on the Bella Epoque store having to move after the landlord Lighthouse (landland.ansar) evicted the owner, Jani La Belle (Janire Coba), she posting that this was done so out of discrimination, showing him making a "Gang of homo" comment. The response was much support for her and condemnation of him. Since then, Lighthouse finally answered the Newser. But more details have come out, such as someone else going over to talk to him, as well as looking around, and feeling things aren't adding up. 

Read more in People. 

 

Store Owner Evicted, Landlord Upset Over "Gang of Homos"

 

Bella Epoque is a store some who were at the Fantasy Faire may remember as the one who supplied the outfit for the Fairlands Quest this year (and earlier). It's got a huge amount of items, over 5600 listed on it's Marketplace page. But the store's inworld location has recently changed after it's landlord suddenly demaned they leave. 

It's owner, Jani La Belle (Janire Coba), explained the situation on her Flickr.

BELLE EPOQUE MOVING!

Hello all. Due to homophobic reasons from Lighthouse (landland.ansar) the owner of the sim, I had to find a new home for belle Epoque. I already have one, i am just rezzing all my stuff again. Please be patient for a couple of days while it's under construction! Love you all!

She posted a picture of a message from the landlord, "Please do me a favor and I don't want even on my sim you rent from me as well dont want to see you face you and your f**ken s**t friends. gang of homo." 

 

I contacted Jani, and she stated the move was going well, "I got a new land and started rezzing everything, ans today store was open. And I got massive support from the SL community." She stated she hadn't had any trouble from the landlord before, "Not at all. My store has been there for 10 years. I asked him for a little land for a fundraising event, he said yes, and when he saw my friends are lesbians, went all sexist homophobic, disrespected them, banned them, asked me to move the charity event out of his land, and then banned me from my sim and returned my store. 

 

"Yes, he called us GANG OF HOMO, and yes we proudly are (smiles)."

 

I asked how long would it take for the store to be in full operation.  She answered, "I did my best and worked my a** off. In a couple of days the store will be ready 100% And the landscaper will go decorate when she has time, it'll look great."

 

Of the previous landlord, Landland Ansar, "His profile is, something. ... you can read his profile to have an idea of his, ideas." For years, there was no trouble with him at all, "I just paid regularly and never talked to him, and he never talked to me." Then last year, things started to change, "I had a little issue with him last year when he started asking me for items for his parties and complained they we're not clothing. Then (he) started giving me tips for my business, about making clothes for men etc. He was pesting me so i asked him not to tell me how to run my business." Of his profile, "10 years ago his profile was empty, only picks to his rental office."

 

She wasn't letting the incident get her down. In fact, she was taking the phrase and quite literally wearing it as a badge of honor, issuing tee shirts with the words "Gang of Homos."

Belle Epoque GIFT

So, as most of you probably know by now, I had to move Belle Epoque because of some good ol’ homophobia. But instead of letting it get me down, I’ve decided to flip the script and have some fun with it.

Introducing -  the GANG OF HOMO CHALLENGE!

Put on your Gang of Homo tee, snap a pic, send it to the one who dropped the oh-so-charming comment, and send me a screenshot so we can laugh our homo little a**es off together!  Let’s turn shade into sparkle, babes! 

 

Many have responded to Jani, offering her well wishes and expressing shock and surprise at the situation. "Wow! That is absolutely appalling behavior." "Oh, it's disgusting!" "...I'm very sorry for this unpleasant and disgusting situation and I'm glad you're working on a solution!" "So sorry Jani. You are a very talented artist, and will find a sim worth your creativity." Yours truly found out through a Fantasy Faire fan on a Discord channel. 

 

Of her work in the Fantasy Faire, "I am a world builder, region sponsor and sim designer, and I design the quest outfits too."

 

Jani would say, "I want to add that I won't tolerate any kind of intolerance, there'll ALWAYS be a response to any kind of violence against a vulnerable community. And we're a proud GANG OF HOMOS. And please thank the sl community and the support i've received inworld and in social media."

 

The Newser reached out to Landland for comment. But as of the writing of this article, there has been no response yet. 

 

Bixyl Shuftan

 

Commentary: Is Furry Discrimination Widespread? Probably Not

 

Recently in the SL Enquirer, there was an article about the discrimination those who prefer furry avatars face, going as far as to call them "the most hated community" in Second Life. There have been tales of discrimination against furs in SL for years. But how much could most expect to encounter? My own personal experience suggests: maybe not too often. So in response, a commentary of my own.

Read the story in People.

 

SLife And Times: Two Sides of Banned For Being Furry

You go about Second Life in a type of avatar that you're quite proud of and helps define you, at least in the virtual world. One day, you get an invitation to a place you haven't heard about. You have time, as well as some nice clothes to wear, so you figure you might as well give it a try. But once there, you're told to change who you are, or leave. This is the situation one of our readers faced. So how should one respond? While the Newser has written about the subject before, this time we got in touch with someone from the venue in question. As it turned out, the other side did express some sympathy, but naturally the two people had quite different viewpoints.

Read the article in People.

Reader Submitted: Collection of Places That Restrict Furry Avatars

If you go about in a furry avatar full-time in Second Life, most clubs and other places will welcome you as long as you behave (especially if you tip). But there are a few that give you the equivalent of the bouncer at the door and tell you to leave because of your appearance. Sometimes the place is a historic RP area that won't make allowances for people wearing an observer tag, saying they want to preserve the period atmosphere, and won't allow humans not in dress code either. And then there's the club that gives no reason at all. Lia (Female Winslet) has been gathering a list of such places.

Read Lia's reader submission in Extra.

Furry Discrimination

Second Life allows one to appear more or less what they want to look like, either able to make the avatar ourselves or more commonly purchasing it from a builder. One would think as long as one kept their privates under clothing, all would be well. But that's not necessarily the case. There are a few roleplay sims that insist on visitors resembling the people of the period, which don't get many complaints from nonhumans as humans get the boot too if they don't change outfits. But what really gets people irritated are the handful of places that kick out furries and other nonhuman avatars for no good reason. Grease Coakes had the misfortune to run into one recently.

Read Grease's story in Extra.

Commentary: Judging on Apperances

In real life this week, the United States says goodbye to President Obama, the country's first from an ethnic minority. While he accomplished a few things, such as the "Affordable Health Care Act," his term was also noted for initial hopes of a nation finally free of racism dashed as his political opponents were charged with bias and in turn his most vocal supporters were accused of it as well. In Second Life, as we can all look like whatever we want to, one might think an avatar's appearance wouldn't be a big deal. As it turns out, there are a few places that are likely to hassle you for being the wrong kind. But how widespread is the problem?

Read more in People.

News and Commentary: Avatar Trouble at the Basilique Linden Meet-Up

Earlier this month, the Linden meet-up for May 2015 took place. It was described as the most packed meeting of Lindens and residents since they were being held again. Taking place in the Basilique area, the Newser's Bixyl Shuftan received several requests to look into a certain issue about the event. However, none of these requests were about the Linden-sponsored music festival, the SS Galaxy, or other questions to the Lindens. They were about the sim's policy about nonhuman avatars.

Read more in People.

Commentary: “We Don’t Allow YOUR Kind Here!” (March 2009)

In March 2009, Bixyl Shuftan wrote a commentary for the Second Life Newspaper about a few instances of avatars being discriminated against because of their appearance. It was among the articles that drew the most responses for the paper. With the old paper's archives gone, the article is reprinted today in Second Life Newser, along with an afterthought about developments on the topic in the five years since.

Read more in People.

Real Life News Reflections in Second Life

While Second Life's more active residents were united in support of the Relay For Life in mid-July, the nation itself appeared to be divided over a controversial trial. A man had been acquitted of murder in the death of a 17 year old youth, and there were numerous protests against the verdict. Because of the ethnic differences, the youth being black and the defendant Hispanic or white (the latter depending on who in the media was speaking), opinions about the trial were portrayed in the national media as being sharply divided among racial lines, and once again the subject of race relations was in the national spotlight. Just how well do we humans treat one another?

Hamlet Au wrote about resident exploring the issue in Second Life several years ago. when she put aside her white human avatar for a black one. While she got some complements, a few of her friends shyed away, and there was one moment in which a couple strangers hurled racial epitaphs. It was a couple years ago in which I had my own chance to experience the issue for myself for about a month after a "Bid Me Human" for the Relay For Life. I wasn't treated differently by friends, and indeed some people (all users of human avatars) asked me if I would be keeping this new look. It was notable Europeans I knew made good-natured barbs about the avatar while Americans didn't. Only about two friends of mine complained about the avatar, and one was from real life and never came on Second Life, finding out after he read the paper, "Stay foxy."

As Second Life's furred folk on rare occasions suffer some harassment from human avatars (and vice-versa), it's been debated whether this is a form of racism as well. Some, mainly furs, feel it is. Others feel a class of avatar doesn't really count as a race, even in an inworld sense.

How much was the trial discussed inworld? The news got around while I was with some mostly furred friends at a club. Those making an opinion were supportive of the verdict. Another I ran into later disagreed, and commented when he tried bringing up the issue elsewhere, they didn't want to talk about it, saying they came to Second Life to get away from real-world issues.

It was last weekend that noted journalist Helen Thomas passed away. She was most well known for her time as one of the White House press corps and her no-nonsense, blunt manner. A few years ago, in March 2009, she appeared with Bob Schieffer as part of a "mixed reality" event with the two on stage at the University of Washington's Edward R. Murrow School while their avatars were at the University's sim in Second Life, footage from the real stage was televised in SL while a screen behind the reporters showed the scene and chat lines in the virtual world. Questions from both the real and virtual audience were given to the reporters.

Following the event, Hamlet Au and Philip Rosedale were invited to have dinner with the two journalists. Hamlet described Rosedale as being "most passionate" in his talk about the virtual world. Thomas however was unimpressed, "I don't like your world. It doesn't have any people in it."

Yours truly got a cartoon out of the event, plus ran into Pooky Amsterdam and kept in contact with her since.

The following year, Thomas resigned following her making some anti-Israeli statements, which were later put up at a Palestinian propaganda sim in Second Life.

Source: New World Notes

Bixyl Shuftan

Avatar Discrimination: A Club Gives Furs the Boot

While checking out a club that appears on the "A List" group, Grease Coakes got a rude reception from the host. He wasn't questioned about his language, behavior, or the clothes he had on. No, he was tossed out of the club because they didn't like his choice of avatar.

Grease writes about his experience in People.