Daily Archives: May 8, 2014

Still Not Asking For It

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I’m indebted to reader David, who sent me this link and asked what I thought. David, I’m not sure what your views are, but having read the article (thank you for sending me the link) I’m in agreement, particularly with the line ‘Just because a person is naked doesn’t mean you’re entitled to f*** them.’ My experience is that some SL sims which are nominally nudist/naturist contain some avatars who possibly need reminded of that fact. The boorish attitudes of some RL males are sometimes carried into SL. Guys…you know who you are…the ones with implausibly large penises that are badly coloured and sometimes permanently erect….you’re looking for cyber, expecting cyber, because you couldn’t buy a personality in the charisma aisle at Wal-Mart, and wondering why you can’t get a RL girl. Time to grow up (and in one physical department, grow down when in world). Still-Not-Asking-for-it   Pookes

Enlightened Linden Labs

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I picked up this story from London’s Independent newspaper, which reports that a kind of Second Life game for Nintendo, sporting little avatars that look like 8-bit computer inventions less sophisticated than Mario. It appears that gay relationships are outlawed/banned/discouraged…take your pick.

 

Tye Marini, a gay 23-year-old Nintendo fan from Arizona in the US, launched a ‘Miiquality’ campaign to protest against the exclusion of same-sex relationships in the game.

In Tomodachi Life players are encouraged to create avatars that mirror their friends and family in real life.
“I want to be able to marry my real-life fiance’s Mii, but I can’t do that,” Mr Marini told the Associated Press. “My only options are to marry some female Mii, to change the gender of either my Mii or my fiance’s Mii or to completely avoid marriage altogether and miss out on the exclusive content that comes with it.”

Mr Marini noted that the inclusion of same-sex relationships was more important for Tomodachi Life as the game was intened to be a “representation of your real life”.

“You import your personalised characters into the game. You name them. You give them a personality. You give them a voice. They just can’t fall in love if they’re gay,” he said.

Note that: You give them a personality. You give them a voice.

Which is precisely what we do with our SL avatars.

Yes, we’ve all had reason to moan and bitch about Linden Labs in the past, and will probably do so in the future, but hats off to them for allowing/permitting/encouraging (take your pick) SL to accurately reflect RL.

Yes, I know there are technological issues involved in making SL readily available (graphically) through smartphones. It’s  a shame that it hasn’t happened because, if it were possible, I reckon SL would be the pick of any virtual reality worlds and that people would be deserting other platforms in their droves to come to SL. Simply because it accurately reflects the wide range of sexuality that exists in RL.

So, bravo Linden Labs!

ringo and cecil_001b

 

A couple of my SL gay friends, Ringo and Cecil, demonstrate their love for each other.

It’s 2014. We don’t really need to inhabit a world -real or virtual- which has a pre-1960s, mid-20th century, mindset, do we? If it’s none of your concern (and the sexuality of others should never be any of our concern if it’s between consenting adults) don’t go there. And don’t try to impose your mindset on others.

Ella.