Pride goes to Second Life

If you live in a major city like Los Angeles, San Francisco or New York, seeing Altoids participate in Gay Pride celebrations is old news. This year, the "curiously strong" candy maker is expanding their participation to the online game world Second Life.

Part of the power of the internet has been its ability to let people who are isolated in their home town connect with similar people from far away. At the same time, virtual cities found in massively multiplayer environments like Second Life or more traditional role-playing games like World of Warcraft, Everquest and City of Heroes quickly become a second home for its participants..

So. Reading about Altoids' Second Life Pride display, I started thinking about what these online worlds can offer people who don't live in a city big enough to support a Pride Celebration, how it can offer a chance to share that feeling of community found at Pride events. These virtual second homes can be a way to feel less isolated and to see a number of other LGBTQ people.

Gays have long been connecting in social areas like message boards, blogs and networking sites, but online environments like Second Life has the visual impact. Seeing a large gathering of gay people can a powerful thing to behold, even when they're really a collection of pixels meant to look like a large gathering of gay people.

Looking further, I've found that Second Life participants have also created their own Pride celebration, including a virtual AIDS Memorial Quilt. Seeing that kind of community spirit come together just leaves me with a little smile on my face.