When I spotted the image (above) on a naturist blog, I immediately decided I had to replicate it in an SL context. I’m uncertain if it’s staged, or if it’s real. If real, it’s possibly a ‘voyeur’ shot, which we take a dim view of at SLN. However, as the couple aren’t readily identifiable, I’m relaxed enough to include it.

And below you’ll find a similar shot replicated in SL.

My only concern is where the RL naturists keep their money!

Harry

It’s a horrible RL world out there. Nations sabre-rattling, mostly regarding the Middle East, disease, famine and all other manner of ills.

In the general scheme of things, having an opinion on the sexuality of others should be low down (or preferably off) people’s list of ‘concerns’.

And yet we see people, churches, often, wailing and gnashing their teeth regarding homosexuality. Look, Reverend, look, Father, look, Imam, look, Rabbi, it has got nothing to do with you. Shut up!

And if it’s not the churches, it’s sometimes politicians expressing their homophobia, none more eloquently, currently, than Russia. New laws were passed in June, outlawing ‘propaganda’ by gay people, something that has allegedly led to a rise in homophobic attacks in the period since. Well, perhaps not so eloquently. Were homophobic vigilantes part of the deal?

It depends where you regard the line in the sand is regarding ‘propaganda’. People do need to be informed of their rights and have free access to information on all sorts of matters. Being teenage is a weird enough period of life in general, and I feel it’s important that people have a whole raft of information to a confusing time regarding their sexual awakening, heterosexual and homosexual alike. Contraception, safe-sex, confused feelings…all need to be information that is out there, at all times, allowing people to make informed choices on their feelings and actions.

We’ve seen, in South Africa and other African nations, AIDS-deniers in positions of ignorant power, former President Thabo Mbeki being a disgraceful prime example.

Iran has denied it has any homosexuals in the country (but seems to have no issue with girls as young as nine years of age being married off).  China and (South) Korea have had a mixed history on acceptance of gay people. Even here in western Europe there are ludicrous differences in how different nations approach the topic of gay marriage.

A while back we mentioned a (naturist) party we’d attended in SL, and promised photos, a promise still unfulfilled. We’ll get to that, hopefully, before the next party to which we’re invited! 🙂

However, I felt it important that we declare our support for love, in the real world and in Second Life. That we take it where we find it, regardless of which hue it comes in. Straight, bi, gay…it’s still love, still more important to grasp than hate, for gays, for Muslims, for Jews, for red-headed people, for the obese, for anything, in fact.

Two of my SL gay friends were in attendance at the party, and thanks to a new animation set at the sim, demonstrated their love for each other with a big kiss. Has a gay kiss in SL ever been blogged before? I don’t know, or care much. What I do care about is that our friends felt amongst non-judgemental friends who accept the SL love they’ve found for each other and are proud to include them amongst our SL friends.

A reminder: it’s not your place to judge others. In SL we’re a pretty tolerant bunch. Nekos, furries and all manner of weird and wonderful avatars pass without us even blinking. Let’s ensure that we don’t allow RL prejudices to spill over into SL. Within days we may find that we’re all watching Syria, and an attack on its borders in the name of ‘outrage’ or ‘freedom’. I, too, share your revulsion at poison gas attacks, but the west must make a much stronger, clearer and provide absolute evidence of it happening before they undertake another mis-timed, ill-judged military adventure. We shall watch the footage unblinkingly, detached, almost, as Syria’s refugee crisis grows, as the innocent, the women and children, are displaced and maybe even dying on our TV screens.

All watched without comment.

And yet we find that we still can’t tolerate a gay kiss, a nipple, naked bodies, on TV.

Ella.