L'Amour Diversity Magazine Issue 16, February 2018

ISSUE 16, FEBRUARY 2018

Celebrating uniqueness not trends!

L’AmourTHE Diversity Magazine | Issue 16, February 2018 2018 1 VALENTINE’S DAY WITH CONTESTANTS of MMI

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Publisher’s Note

Sometimes I truly feel if there were me a play by play on skype with 10 of me that it still wouldn't be pictures and all went fantastic. enough people to get all I need Congrats to Matt & Rie. done. We are hot during MMI - 2018 and all the contestants are working very hard. We have been through some challenges, made friends, and had a lot of open conversations with it all in the feedback meetings.

n i m a h Ava J

With every year, MMI brings us new and unique people. This motley crew is no exception to the rule, my nickname for 2018 MMI peeps, I always give them nicknames each year. They're so much fun, and they each have their own unique personalities, drive, passion and special way of doing things.

We have some great articles for L'Amour Divsersity this month. A Story of One Vampire family and much much more.

I would also like to say that this is the first time that L'Amour Diversity is going to be going out late. But with good reason, as my Editor in Chief, Rienna Iron went to Sweden to meet her sweetheart on Second Life, Matt. And just so the readers know I made them give

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L’Amour Diversity Magazine | Issue 16, February 2018

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Celebrating uniqueness not trends!

ISSUE 16, FEBRUARY 2018

STAFF PUBLISHER/EDITOR Ava Jhamin EDITOR IN CHIEF Rienna Iron FASHION EDITOR Trinity Aironaut WRITERS Ava Jhamin, Rhiannon Colclough, Karin Deuttmann, Hadley Carrington, Rienna Iron, Resmay Bloodstorm-Coba, Trinity Aironaut PHOTOGRAPHERS Ava Jhamin, Trinity Aironaut, Matt Iron, Resmay Bloodstorm-Coba DIVERSITY MODELS VanessaDelRio Underwood, Resmay Bloodstorm-Coba, Trinity Aironaut, Vichonette Constantine, Ava Jhamin, QueenBrat Bracken

The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Publisher. ®2017 L'Amour Productions. All rights reserved.

Second Life™ is a registered trademark of Linden Research, Inc.

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Trees are just now starting to get their pretty little white buds and the weather is vascilating between hot and humid and cold and rainy. But at least I'm not buried in snow!!

Have a great March and we will see you in April!!

All of the ads in this month's issue, represent MMI platinum sponsors, which means they donated at the top tier for Lindens and merchandise or gift cards.

We greatly appreciate our sponsors!!

This month, we are also bringing you some really great stories and articles.

We have a few current event articles regarding the recent shooting in Florida and the #MeToo movement, both articles bring some new ideas and perspectives to the table regarding some pretty serious topics. We aso have a fun history of Valentine's day and my very favorite article to layout in this month's issue is the interview with the stunning and talented Falbala Fairey.

We here at L'Amour Diversity hope that you had a wonderful Valentine's Day and enjoy March as it is now, just around the corner! In my state, the Bradford Pear

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Editor’s Note

Well, we made it past the hub-bub of the holidays and MMI is in full swing!

This issue of course, is our Valentine's Special issue with lots of great things in store. The MMI models are our Editorial this month, each of the models we showcase this month in our editorial worked very hard and won their spot in this month's issue.

Table of Contents

14 MMI Contestant Interviews

See what the contestants of this year's MMI have to say about their experience in the competiton

38 #MeToo Rienna Iron brings us some thoughts on sexual harassment and how the digital age has changed the way we experience social outrage.

46 Shootings in America The recent shooting on Valentine's Day in Florida was a tragic event. What can we do about these tragedies, do gun laws help?

60 The Story of One Vampire Family Ava brings us the story of Black Baron and his Vampire clan. They take role play pretty seriously and love it!

64 The History of Valentine's Day How did Valentine's Day get started?

Who was St. Valentine? Rienna Iron answers these questions and more!

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Valentine's Traditions Around the Wo Rienna Iron found some interesting traditions from Valentine's Day in different countries.

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Valentine's Editorial - MMI Special The MMI Contestants show off their winning styles from their competitions.

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The Princess & the Frog

Ava's favorite fairy tale, read how she tells it here.

Falbala Fairey Ava brings us a great interview with the gorgeous and talented Falbala.

Hear about her SL history and how she became such a great model.

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Spotlight

MMI Contestant Questions I think one of the best parts about MMI for me, is hearing the feedback from the contestants, and restructuring it for the next upcoming year. I feel it is important for MMI to grow every year, and to know that change is always good and will just make the competition that much better.

modeling careers.

Now, without further ado, we bring you the contestant feedback for this year's MMI competition.

I want the readers of L'Amour Diversity to know, when contestants are asked questions, that they are done with all honesty and integrity. I never coach or have anything to do with how they answer the questions. I know sometimes things might be said that may be difficult for Cy or I to hear, but it's ok because to grow it needs to happen and we believe everyone is entitled to their opinions and feelings.

Abby

Contestants may sometimes feel they were misjudged or not agree with the feedback they get, but that is part of being in a competition. Judges see what they see and even if a contestant doesn't agree, on feedback they get, they all know that when they sign up for a competition, they are agreeing to be bound by what the judges see and say regardless of their personal opinion of that particular judge's feedback.

It is our hope that contestants will take the feedback they are given and use it to grow and move forward with their

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1. Have you enjoyed your overall experience with MMI so far?

Yes. Aimee Yes, I have it has terrified and exhilarated me all at the same time.

Herb Yes, even though it has been very stressful it has been a great learning experience.

Kitty So far, I have enjoyed the overall experience. There is some high energy, genuine, and very creative people in this group. People have been nice and polite.

I have seen or experienced very little drama.

Holly Yes, I have had a blast and made lots

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of friends, and I think I have improved because of doing the MMI. I loved the different challenges each week. It's fun to see your brain storming come to a "reality" in poses and looks.

It's fun to see what my new friends come up with given the same theme.

Heather

Jonelle It's been quite an experience, very different than other pageants.

LeAnn I have enjoyed the challenges, the creativity of everyone and learning and improving.

YES. It's been a learning experience Noreen EVERY SINGLE CHALLENGE! I haven't ever done that; how do I do this? I just Extremely! find I'm spending an awful lot of time on Sarah each, it's like my night time job.

It has been a challenge for me.

I go to work in the day, I come home to try to get a good look and program Sheva together for the weekend, and it's EVERY WEEKEND. It's a struggle to push Yes, very much so I have learned a lot things off every Saturday from like noon and seen what things I need to work on more. I made several new friends and until 4 - 5pm.

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making ourselves better as models and as people in general.

Aimee

Whsky

Walking straight I have tried and can't do it but will keep trying.

Yes, I have enjoyed it.

Herb

Zakros

Pictures. I have never played with the shadows and trying to get it all perfect has been tough.

I have enjoyed it very much. I am a newer model and MMI has allowed me to have a close look at modeling. MMI has Kitty taught me that to be a model is not just There are two things that have been a piece of cake. hard: time and building. I started a new job in RL just before MMI started; which 2. What has been the hardest part for you as a contestant for the Mr. & Miss has really limited the amount of time I have for each challenge. Two of the Model International Competition? challenges pretty much require you to be a builder. I am not a builder by any Abby means. The extent of my building is moving prims. So, having to make sets Constraints of time.

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was a huge learning curve and very time Jonelle intensive.

Hardest part for me would be coming up with an idea for sets to represent my Holly outfit. I am not a builder, so building has been a challenge.

The hardest part for me is walking, if I ever get good at that I will be so happy!

LeAnn Heather I am working at thinking outside the box and getting away from playing it safe, Hardest part.... hardest part.... but it's hard to guess what the judges EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING is the will like or dislike. hardest part! Learning how to use the Lumira the weekend before the first photos were to be submitted, learning Noreen that I needed the Strut It Hud the very The times .... and not the ones innight before the first walk in the ice house, learning how to input the poses I between the contests but 10 am was told where to find the night before which is my 7 pm RL and normally our dinner time, so my family kind of rolls the first walk, failing miserably at it, trying again, and again. Being so unsure their eyes when I try to hurry them (5pm SLT is 2am RLT).

I was on the right track, asking Cy if I was on the right track, being told it's in Sarah the notecard, checking the notecard, STILL being unsure because it could be taken a few different ways. Hardest Thinking of a theme for the fourth challenge. part? THE WHOLE COMPETITION!

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Sheva

part for me, some of the challenges are quite difficult, but time management has been the hardest balancing REL and other SL responsibilities I have.

I think the hardest part for me has been the photography. I really didn't know much about it and made several mistakes and it cost me a lot. The Zakros seminar that was done did help me a lot but as a novice photographer I had a lot To find outfits for my mesh body. and to learn and others more familiar with it to learn the right photo settings of FS. did much better than I did.

Whsky Time management has been the hardest

3. Was the communication with staff professional and conducted in a timely manner on all matters relating to MMI?

Abby

Herb

Yes

There were a few glitches, short notice of a class didn't allow me to attend and had a notice sent several times till it was correct

Aimee

Yes, I have had no complained everyone Kitty has been so nice staff and contestants. The communication is very good. We got the schedule of events before

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this, is it wrong? casting. We get the requirements for each challenge a week in advance. All communication comes from one person Jonelle in the competition group chat. All IMs Yes. are answered in 24 hours or less.

LeAnn

Holly

Yes, all my questions were answered in Absolutely. Each question has been a timely manner, or I was guided to look answered and the notices and clear-cut directions have been spot on. at My note card again.

Heather

Noreen

Everyone's communication was professional. You told us right up front what happens to unprofessional, rude, abusive, or nasty communication - we go bye bye. And everyone in L'Amour is professional, just not too cooperative (CY)! Notecards. YES, I KNOW IT'S IN THE NOTECARD, I just don't understand, am I getting it right if I do this? Of if I do

Yes - my/our fault if we did not read all NCs Sarah Yes

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Sheva

Abby

Yes, it was. When I had an issue and went to them with it they addressed it right away and investigated things to make sure things where right.

None that the staff is not already aware of.

Whsky

Make it a bit easier lol

Yes, communication with the staff was very professional and in timely matter.

Herb

Zakros

Aimee

No, I think it has a good format as is Kitty

Yes, the communication has been professional, I have got all info I needed. Some of the challenges were taking 2-3 And other contestants have helped me hours; which is longer than expected. a lot in the simplest things.

It makes it hard to schedule with RL if events run over by over an hour. Limit 4. Was there anything with your MMI the amount of time it takes to set up props. Need to set up a consistent experience that you felt could be communication phrase to be used with improved on? If so what?

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the DJs to help coordinated the music.

LeAnn

Holly

I am enjoying the whole competition, the only drawback which cannot be corrected, is lag.

Well I feel like I am pushed to be better and that is what we all want ...is to be better at styling walking posing etc. so MMI is all about improving.

Heather Shorten the number of weekends it takes to get to a winner. What is it 3 months?

Jonelle Consideration of RL time constraints would be appreciated. I would suggest allowing contestants to receive judging notes/scores even if not able to attend feedback sessions. I would make it so you cannot ask questions or complain if you are not present, but still be able to get your scores and judges comments.

Noreen Maybe it would be a help if one could have a "reading rehearsal", so one knows if the one reading out is to fast or to slow and one could tell in both cases, as my reading speed is not necessarily the one of the speaker at the show.

Sheva I think, the one thing I would suggest an improvement on is about the judges and them doing the job correctly and making sure they give us not just things we messed up on but also suggestions on how to fix them. Also, to not just give a low score and say nothing as to why.

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I had that happen 3 times once on the audition walk again on a speed challenge picture and then again on another challenge. I also think they need to be made aware of all options available to us that can be used. I was told I didn't follow directions because I did not use one item like all the others had but I had asked if an option which was in the box was allowed and I was told yes so, I used it and I was the only one who did. so, I think there was a mis-communication about what was allowed.

Whsky Yes. During the pose challenge, there was an odd number of contestants and the odd person out was restricted to 3 poses, whereas their opponent could use their full arsenal, I think this could be re-thought so give the odd person better chance to move on.

Zakros To make clear in the first start to all contestants that the photos are as important as the runway and stage.

5. Do you feel that feedback was helpful in a way that it will make you a better model?

Abby Yes Aimee Some of it yes others perhaps not but over all they have been fair I know my faults.

Herb Some but I have seen where judge's opinions tend to sway their scores Kitty Yes, I feel that almost all the feedback has been constructive and done in a positive manner.

Holly The feedback was helpful, most of the time I knew what my weak points were, but the judges offered suggestions on how to improve so that was great.

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Heather ABSOLUTELY VITAL. Without knowing what I did wrong with a photograph, with a choice of theme for something, with whatever, how can I improve for the next challenge? If I make it to the next challenge?

Jonelle I loved getting feedback for what areas I can improve in while continuing each challenge.

LeAnn Some feedback was very useful, but some of it seemed a bit harsh and unwarranted. That comes from different viewpoints though. I take what I can use and leave the rest.

Noreen Most of them absolutely - they help to focus on everything even the tiniest.

Sarah Unfortunately, no as I have been given mostly harsh feedback so far and I don't feel that feedback of that nature neither helps the model grow as a person nor as a model.

Sheva Yes, absolutely we all make mistakes and we all have different opinions it's good to see the things we mess up on, so we can try and improve the next time time. We don't always see things when we are looking at ourselves. It's always a good idea to have the opinion of others because they might see something you missed.

Whsky Yes, the feedback was very helpful and will help me to improve.

Zakros Yes of course, I have learned my mistakes and I will go on working on them. And in feedbacks I have got good advice how to do that.

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6. Was there anything you didn't like about MMI? Abby The occassional asshat judge.

Aimee

Jonelle I feel building a stage and working in outfit and animations in one week was not enough time. I think that if we had more time on this it would have been set up better and rehearsed a lot better.

Only one complaint was told on very first challenge the entry one. Show your LeAnn back as all detail on my sweater was The only thing I didn't like was last there. minute changes on Challenge 3 for the Winter Olympics, leaving my partner Next one I have big tattoo butterfly on my back so turned to show it. One and I scrambling to come up with a new plan. But we are professional, and we judge doesn't ever turn your back on persevered, me in feedback. At that point I was ready to run away.

Noreen Herb Being ill with fever all last week It's hard to commit for a long-term Sarah event Kitty

The harsh feedback.

Each week MMI used to list the running top 5 and their scores. That gave you an idea of how you are doing and in what direction. I understand why MMI no longer does it because it may make the leaders targets or first-time competitors demoralized.

Sheva

Holly

No

If I don't make it into the top five, I'm coming back next year, so I guess not.

Zakros

The only thing I didn't like was I just felt like for one challenge that the judges were not told all the facts and or options allowed. I was told I didn't listen because I used an option none of the other contestants did but had been I'm wondering if there a way each week told it was ok to use. Being told I didn't follow the directions when I had done to at least post the running highest not feel very good. and lowest scores; Highest and lowest running scores of the top 5; or highest Whsky and average running score?

Heather Absolutely nothing.

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The time table is tight, so the contest may become stressful and you get tired of it.

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7. What has been your favorite part of found a lesser known god that I could really relate to and have had fun with the MMI so far? styling.

Abby

Holly

The Represent Challenge

The Pose off I rocked that.

I love being creative, and the MMI encourages creativity. Coming up with a new look every week to wow the judges was my fav, that and taking the photos.

Herb

Heather

Interacting with other people for challenges

Meeting everyone. The challenge of it.

Aimee

Kitty So far, I am having the most fun with the Gods & Goddesses Challenge. I

Jonelle Making new friends in this competition and helping each other out when needed.

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LeAnn

Whsky

The different and diverse competitions.

I would say the variety of challenges and taking us out of Our comfort zone.

Noreen The partner challenges Sarah Poseoff Sheva I think my favorite Part has been the pose off. It was challenging to find so many different poses and go up against the others like we did. It made it more fun for me and you could see a lot of the creativity put into their outfits and pose choices. Plus, that I won doesn't hurt either.

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Zakros Poseoff

8. Do you feel that this competition was run honestly and ethically? Why or Why not?

Abby Yes Aimee Yes, you get your scores feedback which is all good I have had to ask for them at other places. I don't like doing that.

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Herb Yes, it has. it's great to get the feedback on how we did to help us improve Kitty Yes, I do feel that the contest is run ethically: scores are given; feedback is given; there are contingency plans; and they give the top 5 model names per challenge. If you have a problem with the scoring or the comments, they will sit down with you and go over you card.

They will try to rectify the situation if possible.

number. Ethically.....were such a bunch of completely different people and so far nothing bad about any background whichever.

Sarah Yes, because scores given are explained and can be shared among us contestants.

Sheva

Yes, this competition if very fair and Honest and we are all given the same info and encouragement.

Yes, it was run fairly I really liked the feedback meetings where I could ask why I got a low score or felt something was wrong and they investigated the matters each time and got back to me in a short time and explained to me what they found and what they did.

Even to the point of not using a judge again because they found it wasn't right.

Heather

Whsky

Of course, it's run ethically and honestly. So many judges to impress for each individual challenge. Were my photographs ok? No, and why not? OH! That's why. OK, yeah, I see that. Well ok I must fix that for next time.

I believe it has been run fairly and ethically, judges are consistent and give good feedback and everyone has same chances and if an issue comes up the staff handles it quickly to resolve it.

Holly

Jonelle Yes LeAnn Yes, we were all judged by the same judges on the same challenges.

Noreen Both yes, one of the good things to have it honestly are for me the "hidden" judge and the fact that we do not know which judge got which

Zakros This is done honesty and ethically ok.

I don't know why contestants can go on their elongated performance on the stage. More than average lag is not an excuse, it is a hint to have a better computer. I am very much an introvert (typical for my nation), and sometimes feel frustrated when one blurred photo is given so much attention in a meeting.

9. Do you feel that you were treated fairly and with Kindness? Why or Why not?

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Abby

Sarah

Yes

Yes, everyone that I have spoken with has been nice to me.

Aimee Everyone has been very kind and helpful.

Sheva

Yes, I believe we all were. Many joked Herb about Cy being mean, but it was more like a running joke after a while. He was Yes, everyone was on same terms but if always honest and to the point about you didn't do your homework it showed things. He also was very helpful when when you had to ask questions that asked about anything that was not clear. Ava was always kind but always were previously answered fair and would not sugar coat anything.

Kitty Whsky Yes, I felt that people were treated fairly. If you were faced with an issue Yes, well have no complaints everyone that was out of your control, Ava and has been friendly and helpful.

Cy worked with you to make sure that you could still compete.

Zakros Holly Yes, I have been treated respectfully, and with kindness. Cy and Ava have been great.

Heather

Yes, I have been treated very well, thank you.

10. If have done other competitions, do you feel MMI was done differently and why?

Abby

Very fairly, very kindly. Even when I was late, and Ava shouldn't have been there Plenty of feedback, the good and the still when I showed up, but she was, and bad. An approachable staff. answered me when she was working.

She even answered me when I had not Aimee been able to show up another day.

This is my first, never thought I was Jonelle good enough for a competition Yes

Herb

LeAnn

This was my first competition, but was pleased how it was produced

I have always been treated fairly and with kindness.

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Kitty Yes, I have competed in other competitions. With the other competitions, there is no personal feedback. There might be some general feedback, but you don't know if it applies to you or not. You never receive scores or standings. You have no idea if you are doing well or totally missing the mark.

ever done. Feedback meetings are nice to have as well.

Heather

First competition. First time ever modeling. First time using strut it.

First time using windlights, first time using Lumipro, first time having to be somewhere at a certain time to do a specific tasks I had to do to continue in the competition. IT'S A COMPETITION. We're all here to win it, the new of us, Communication in other competitions and the old super models who've done is sporadic. IMs won't be answered for days and challenger requirements might it all many times before. It is great fun, just awfully long. be handed out 3-4 days before walk.

Some single day competitions might Jonelle give you your comments at the end, but no comments were given on Mr.& Miss International is done very multi-day competitions. differently in many ways. The challenges are more involved with animations more Holly than just posing, having to build sets MMI has been different for me in that its was new for me. Getting feedback, I feel helps a lot to grow and learn as a longer and with way more challenging model. events such as the pose off, that was so much fun, and like nothing I have

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LeAnn MMI is about me, and my interpretation of each challenge, giving me freedom to be creative while projecting who I am and what I'm about.

Noreen 1. The judges tell why they mark this way - a great help.

2. Talking about the show afterwards in the safe room.

Sarah Yes, most competitions don't give feedback to its contestants, where as in MMI, they do.

Sheva Yes, it was done differently just cause of the feedback alone and the ability for us to complain about anything we didn't like. Things did get addressed and because of things we all said at those meetings changed as we went along.

I think there is not a perfect scenario for a pageant really it is a competition and people can become jealous or try and gain some advantage if they can but for the most part it really was a competition about who we are and how we can show our own creativity given the themes and challenges given to us.

Whsky Well being new only done one other competition, but yes, the MMI was quite different, for one MMI is multiple challenges, over several weeks and challenges very unique.

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People & Community

On Oct 15, 2017, ten days after Rose McGowan made her shocking accusation against Harvey Weinstein for sexual harassment, Alyssa Milano revived a movement on Twitter with the hashtag #MeToo. The concept of "me too" was begun ten years ago by activist Tarana Burke. Burke started her movement in 2006, a non-profit organization called Just Be Inc., designed to help victims of sexual harrassment and assault. She coined "me too" as the organization's watchword. She started Just Be Inc. because in 1997, she sat across from a 13 year old girl who had been sexually abused. At that moment, Tarana had not come to terms with her own experiences and found herself completely unable to respond to her or to help.

On Oct 15, when Alyssa Milano put those two words into her hashtag on social media, it went viral. Some have questioned why the longtime efforts of Ms. Burke, which have gone completely

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unsupported and unnoticed by so many people, suddenly became so prominent when Ms. Milano sent out her tweet as part of her accusations against producer Harvey Weinstein. Regardless of how the movement got started, or came to prominence, one thing has come to light from the event, nearly every woman on earth, and a significant amount of men, have been the victim of some kind of sexual harrassment or assault in their lifetimes.

That's great that we now know that, because apparently it wasn't something we already knew, if you could see my face right now you would see me rolling my eyes into the back of my head... what I want to know, is how will this really help? Raising awareness is great, don't get me wrong. But it is completely useless if nothing changes. Andrea Peyeser of the New York Post wrote an op-ed article that has me nodding my head off my shoulders in agreement.

She states, "It's gone far enough. What

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Please don't misunderstand me, I am not trying to suggest that the ass grabbing that has gone on between people of prominence and their subordinates is ok, it's part of the problem to be sure.

But there is a significant difference between that and real, legitimate sexual assault and right now, I feel like the more important issue, is not really being addressed. started as a necessary mass-rejection of sexual harrassment and assault is sliding into absurdity and irrelevance." So many people are now coming forward with accusations against people of prominence, that the original intent, and the change that is needed are being lost amidst the rabble.

It's becoming a forest for the trees situation and it's left me wondering what will really change? Peyeser points out that people like Al Franken and former President George H.W. Bush, who may have acted slightly inappropriately towards women are now being lumped in with the Kevin Spaceys and Harvey Weinsteins of the world and the need for change is getting lost. She states, "The trivial now threatens the legitimate." I could not agree more.

As a parent of a daughter who was sexually assualted, went to trial and lost, I can tell you that some serious change needs to happen in not only the way we look at sexual assault and its victims, but in the laws that govern such cases. According to The Advocates for Human Rights and their Stop Violence Against Women campaign, "National sexual assault laws vary condsiderably based on cultural attitudes toward sexual assault and resulting legislative advances."

We all know that sexual crimes are generally underreported and have low conviction rates. Victims generally do not report them for many reasons; "they are too ashamed to discuss rape with a stranger, they may not want family and friends to find out about

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the assault, they fear they will not be believed; which is enforced by the societal presumption that the victim deserved it or is lying; they fear they will be faced with hostile police officers, prosecutors and judges; they desire to hide something in their past (drug use or promiscuity); or they fear facing their attacker.

President has been reported to have harassed women throughout his career lifetime, the list goes on ad nauseum.

with their attacker and society often thinks "'aquaintance rape' is not real rape and that the victim most likely consented."

been charged with sexual misconduct for supposedly firing someone for "questioning the propriety of asking staffers to play spin the bottle" in her hotel room after a polictial fundraiser.

She has been put on an unpaid voluntary leave of absence and is now facing a legislative investigation regarding other allegations of sexual harassment and groping in a separate incident. Lives are now being destroyed and what started as an attempt to bring awareness to a society in denial, I feel, has been lost in the aftermath.

The situation has become so absurd, that now even Cristina Garcia, the California Assemblywoman who was pictured in the Time magazine article announcing that the "Silence Breakers" who spoke out against The most infrequently reported assaults sexual misconduct were its "Persons are those where the victim knows their of the Year," and has won national attacker because sometimes the victim attention for speaking out against still wishes to maintain a relationship sexual harassment....has now herself

Every situation must have checks and balances, and in the months that have ensued since the Milano tweet went viral, so many people have come out claiming sexual impropriety, that it's become impossible to separate truth from lies. To date, nearly every man in Hollywood it seems, has now been accused of some form of sexual harrassment. Daughter's have accused fathers of sexual abuse, even the

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Jessi Hempel wrote an article for Wired

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an article called Moral Outrage in the Digital Age. In her article, Crockett takes a look at how social media has affected moral outrage and the social consequences of living in a digital age.

Crockett, studies altruism, morality and values-based decision-making in humans and believes that the digital age may be "transforming the way we experience outrage, and limiting how much we can actually change social realities."

Prior to Facebook and other forms that illustrates the point perfectly. In it, of social media, Crockett says that she states that there is a "problem with violations of moral norms were shared #MeToo and viral outrage" and I couldnt with others to help us establish who agree more. On the surface #MeToo we could trust and to help us work seems like "an ernest and effective together to keep them from occurring social movement," because it's causing again. However, social media has people to speak out from all walks of changed all of that because it has life and all genders about harrassment changed our "incentives for sharing." and abuse. Hempel says, "It's causing everyone to weigh in on systemic Crockett says that for starters, they sexism in our culture. In truth, however, "compete for our attention, so their #MeToo is a too-perfect meme. It algorithms are primed to promote the harnesses social media's mechanisms content we are most likely to click to drive users (that's you and me) regardless of whether or not it benefits into escalating states of outrage while us as individuals or a community." She exhausting us to the point where we also says that people are more likely cannot meaningfully act. In other words, to share things that bring about moral #MeToo, despite the best intentions emotions such as outrage. Because of of so many participating, is everything this mass sharing of outrage, as our that's wrong with social media." social media feeds begin to drown in things by which to be outraged, we Hempel says in her article that "outrage become desensitized to tragedies and is central to the design of most social unable to process the emotions they media platforms" because when people bring about at the speed with which are outraged, they want to share their they arise. outrage with others, which then leads people to spend more time on social As Crockett writes, "Just as a habitual media talking about the situation, snacker eats without feeling hungry, a which directly translates into money habitual online shamer might express for the companies. That's great for the outrage without actually feeling companies, but what does that do for outraged." Another issue that can arise the outraged and the victims? from the overfeeding of sensationalism in social media is that "just as venting According to Hempel, Yale assistant anger begets anger," continuously professor Molly Crockett has written expressing outrage can make us feel L’Amour Diversity Magazine | Issue 16, February 2018

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the emotion more deeply and more often. Hempel states that "neither of these changes is good for humans."

these situations has got to be stopped dead in its tracks because the secrecy that goes on keeps people trapped. We have to get involved at a legislative level In this new age of digial sharing, it's to determine how to rewrite the laws "unclear to what ends we share at all." so that real perpetrators are actually Offline, it can be difficult and destructive held accountable and justice actually to confront someone who has violated a gets served. It's an incredibly complex moral norm. However, online, because of issue that has so many factors it can the safety of being behind a computer be overwhelming to even know where monitor that we feel, we tend to be to begin so that we can effect some more vocal in our outrage, but the lasting change. people or organizations we "publicly shame" in social media will likely never At the end of her article, Hempel see it. Generally, the people that will see states that she believes it is possible it are a group of like-minded individuals for #MeToo to become a valid, social full of people who have already "opted movement that may change the culture in to your filter bubble." Crockett of harrassment and abuse that people illustrates the point with the statement: have endured in silence and secrecy for "Shaming a stranger on a deserted so long where "every woman can say street is far riskier than joining a Twitter without fear and with certainty that mob of thousands." she will both be believed and received in good faith -- "metoo." "But for that When we shame people on social media, to happen," Hempel says, "we must our psychological motivation is primarily put down our devices and talk to one to improve our own reputational benefit another." Hear, hear. "so those like-minded people will like us even more." Crockett writes, "While offline punishment signals your virtue only to whoever might be watching, doing so online instantly advertises your character to your entire social network and beyond." So, when people post #MeToo to their social media feeds they are advertising that they agree that harrassment and abuse are disgraceful.

What must happen, in reality, is that our entire outlook on everything from the victims and the role they play or don't play in what happens to them and how to address that when actually seeking justice, to what is considered "acceptable" behavior in social situations like work and church and even in the privacy of our own homes, must drastically change. On top of that, the power play that happens in some of

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Shootings in America I am probably the least political person on the planet. I'm not an "issues" person. I decided a long time ago, that the world is insane and there's nothing I can do to affect the trajectory of the path this world is on, so I will admit, I've sort of stuck my head in the sand and ignored it all. So, most things fly right by me, but the shooting in Florida was one of those things that is being talked about so much, that I did not miss that incident.

I have never been a fan of gun control.

Not because I necessarily believe in the right to bear arms, although, I suppose I always have before the world went insane. But because I don't think gun control works. I have always felt that gun control is a reactionary response to a very convoluted problem which requires a proactive approach. My basis for this theory, is primarily the simple fact that if someone wants to get a gun and go kill people, stop me if I'm wrong here, but I'm pretty sure the thing that's going to stop them isn't going to be the fact that guns are illegal...hello, McFly???

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by Rienna Iron

so is mass murder!!! So, to me, that's just swatting the flies away from a pile of dog shit.

An article in the Washington Post from the day after the Florida shooting discussed gun control and it asks the question, is access to weapons, and particularly hand guns a significant factor. It states that Switzerland has one of the "highest ratios of firearms per person" coming in at 45.7 guns per 100 residents, according to the "Small Arms Survey." Only Yemen, 54.8 guns per 100 people, and America at 88.8 guns per 100 people have higher ratios.

The study also made other correlations that appeared to have big margins of error, but according to the article, "they still point to a legitimate question: Why has there never been a school shooting in Switzerland, despite the Swiss enthusiasm for weapons?" Obviously, Switzerland is a much smaller country than the US, but it has more people than a country with less guns but more shootings, Finland.

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Two major factors are cited as being different in Switzerland: While gun access is prevalent, it is indirectly more regulated and because Switzerland teaches conflict resolution early on in childhood, using guns inappropriately "usually follows strict societal norms."

The second huge difference between the US and Switzerland that the article credits is "extensive, mandatory health insurance, which allows schools to have direct and immediate access to psychologists and intervention teams."

In response to their own issues with shootings, Germany, who has the highest number of shootings in modern

weapons. However, as I theorized, this has not stopped some attackers who have still obtained illegal weapons online, proving that while prevention methods like this help, they aren't 100 percent guaranteed to put an end to the tragic shootings that have occurred.

European history, has increased funding for in-school psychologists exponentially and "Teachers at every school are now being trained to act as "trusted personnel," as a first point of contact either for students who want to seek psychological support themselves or for others who want to raise alarm over the behavior of an individual. Psychologists are then called in to examine each case further."

on the topic even if it's unpopular." So, I started watching her feed over the next few days to see what this "open discussion" would become, because I've always known her to be a pretty levelheaded person, and I knew if she said she was genuinely interested in open discussion, it would probably truly be what she proposed.

I honestly have never cared enough in the past, to put much thought into what the actual solution should be until my interest was piqued by a high school friend of mine who simply said on her Facebook page..."we really need a workable solution to this and I am open to any sort of productive conversation

As the days went on, she began doing research on her own and posting articles Germans under the age of 25 are also to her feed I read and with which I found given psychological tests before they myself agreeing. I'm a psych major. can purchase firearms as part of age I'm pensive. My engine roars whenever restrictions being tightened. Germany topics of causation and theory are has also created a national registry of all discussed. It's tough for anyone to have L’Amour Diversity Magazine | Issue 16, February 2018

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an in-depth conversation with me, about anything related to behavior without me discussing the deeper issues causing those behaviors, much to the eye rolling dismay of my children and maybe a few of my friends.

I then had a conversation with my mother about the topic and what I had read in the articles my friend had posted which led us to one of those behavior related discussions and I really started thinking about the atmosphere in our society today and how I think that is a key factor in the current state of affairs regarding our "gun problem," which I'm realizing is really is more of a "behavior problem." That's when I decided I wanted to write an article for this month's Diversity magazine discussing the issue and what I hope will be just as much of an eye opener to you, the

less known, that are also home to some of the best hunting and fishing lodges and cattle ranches. So, my high school was a melting pot of different types of kids but several of the kids I grew up with lived on those ranches and more than 50% of the local community were hunters.

So, when one of the guys from my school posted on his Facebook feed a statement he saw on someone else's feed that said "40 years ago, every pickup truck on a high school lot had a rifle in the window, & There were no school shootings. What changed?" Now, of course, this is an overstatement of the case, not "every pickup truck" had a rifle in the window. But it does raise an interesting point, in many American communities a large portion of the boys absolutely did have their rifles

reader, as it has been for me.

in the back window of their trucks! I can sit here and think back to my rural I grew up in the land of "America's community of ranchers and hunters and Playground," Summit County, Colorado... think of anywhere from 5-10 pickups in home to some of the best skiing in the my high school lot that had said rifles in country. Nestled within the county are the window! the ski areas of Breckenridge, Keystone, Copper Mountain and A-Basin. But there So, what HAS changed? are some outlying communities that are Have we become more angry and

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violent in the last 40 years? I wanted to believe that we have, but Jet Heer of the New Republic magazine says no. He states in his article, and he's right, that anger and violence is in our country's DNA. He writes, "It shouldn't surprise us that a colonial settler society that wiped out the Native American population, imported slave labor, and relied on vigilante violence to police newly incorporated territories should be prone to political violence." So, what then?

Sean Illing of Vox Media asked 12 experts and while he found that the responses were mixed, he did find one recurring theme: "Extremism happens when moderation fails, when opportunities for meaningful expression disappear. And once violence takes root, it is hard to stop." I think that theme is key. If we look at the history of our country, we have definite peaks and valleys of violent periods. Joanne Freeman, author of Affairs of Honor: National Politics in the New Republic, as cited in Illing's article reminds us that in the 1850s, our country was deeply divided over the issue of slavery and states' rights. So much so, that we had our only Civil War to date.

American society and values," a division that she says is much the same as our current division.

In the same article, Christopher Strain, author of Pure Fire: Self Defense as Activism in the Civil Rights Era, believes that we are more divided politically than we were in the 1960s. Illing cites him as saying in order "to move forward together, we must listen to differing views, cultivate love and compassion for others, work to build community; and we must let go of the politics of contempt that define our current political scene." Freeman and Strain both sum up their portions with the thought that "When people begin to feel voiceless, powerless, and/or disfranchised, the social order begins to break down and deteriorate." and that "one reason for a descent into violence would be the erosion of faith in national institutions and a high degree of political, social, and/or racial polarization."

So, I'm feeling fairly confident when I say that in our current political climate, part of the current issue over violence is not solely the prevalence of guns, but can also be attributed to the fact that while we may not be more angry than we have in the past, we are yet at another impasse where people have The 1960s was another equally stopped listening to each other and are politically charged period in our just feeding on the anger and hatred nation's history as the issue of civil they have for each other's differing rights. In both of those periods, she perspective. Once anger and hatred get points out, America was divided over rooted, they are very difficult to quell, "fundamentally different conceptions of and can turn into aggression.

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Anger is a normal, necessary emotion of the human psyche designed to induce the flight or fight syndrome, which in the past has been a survival instinct and can be a positive motivator for change. Aggression, according to an article on the American Psychological Association's website written by Howard Kassinove, "refers to intentional behavior that aims to harm another person.

Often, it reflects a desire for dominance and control."

Kassinove also states that while anger often only is expressed through "loud verbalizations, it is the cases of aggression that wind up in the criminal justice system. Our research shows that about 90 percent of aggressive incidents are preceded by anger.

However, only 10 percent of anger experiences are followed by aggression.

People often want to act aggressively when angry but, fortunately, most do not actually take aggressive actions.

Also, there is sometimes an impulse to engage in problem solving behaviors when angry."

But we can't really blame it all on video games and loud angry music, after all, one of the most politically charged, "cry for social change" music genres came out of the punk scene of the early 70s and into the 80s. You know, that idyllic time I cited at the beginning of the article when my high school chums were driving around in their Ford pickup trucks with their rifle's in their back windows? So, what is different? Why do we have so many societal issues that are not new to our culture resulting in mass shootings?

One possibility was discussed by Psychologist Laura L. Hayes in her article, "How to Stop Violence: Mentally Ill People Aren't Killers. Angry People Are." She mentions that because of so many mass shootings in America, the mentally ill are a portion of society that is being targeted as the issue facing our nation. An attempt to lay blame on people with mental disorders, that she believes has been used as justification not only for "banning people with a history of mental illness from purchasing weapons but also arming those without such diagnoses so that Kassinove goes on to discuss why some they may protect themselves from the people are more prone to anger than dangerous mentally ill." She says, "this others. He states that there is evidence fundamentally misrepresents where the that suggests that "violent video games danger lies." and, perhaps, listening to angry music with violent lyrics may fuel anger and Hayes goes on to show the point that aggression in some people. In violent violence is not a key component of the videogames, players hear quick-paced, mentally ill, nor is it a behavior pattern excitatory angry music. They learn to of "stable individuals who suddenly be hyper alert, to respond impulsively "break" and commit crimes of passion." and to kill opponents. This leads to She says that "violent crimes are reinforcement in the form of points, committed by violent people, those who acquisition of new weapons, access to do not have the skills to manage their upper levels of the games and accolades anger" and "violence is a product of by others in the gaming environment." compromised anger management skills."

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So, while anger is not new to our national fabric, I believe that compromised anger management skills, may be a large portion of the problem. Hayes discusses a disorder

del Vecchio of the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration as saying, "Violence by those with mental illness is so small that even if you could somehow cure it all,

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found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM V) labeled as Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED). She explains that people with IED are commonly raised in environments in which they have been exposed to similar behavior patterns, often with parents who are unable to properly address their own issues with anger. While the DSM has listed this disorder, she states that it "does not provide a diagnostic category helpful for explaining how someone can, with careful planning, come to enter an elementary school, nursing home, theater, or government facility and indiscriminately begin to kill."

95 percent of violent crime would still exist." Hayes also cites a 2009 study

by Seena Fazel, that showed that a slightly higher rate of violent crime in schizophrenics could almost unilaterally be attributed to drug and alcohol abuse and was not the norm for this disorder.

A study by the MacArthur Violence Risk Assessment also found that sober people with a mental illness were "no more violent than other people in their neighborhoods." Hayes believes that with no clear delineation from the mental health industry and through specific encouragement from the gun lobby, the public has locked onto an inaccurate perception for tragic, violent To further illustrate the difference events. She states, "They focus not on between most of mental illnesses and the IED-diagnosed patients but on those IED, she makes the statement that the with other diagnoses, schizophrenia in violent attacks that are committed particular, ignoring the fact that what by people with major psychological the perpetrators have in common in disorders, while widely pointed out in the every single one of these cases is a loss media, are quite rare. She cites Paolo of control of their anger."

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https://www.pinterest.com/pin/362539838738025730/

Hayes outlines an answer that I really like. She prefaces it with the fact that one of the most recent accusations leveled against the mental health community is that it is not properly addressing violent crime and as a result, our nation is suffering. She states that, "We have failed to provide an appropriate diagnosis for out-of-control anger or a framework to assist people in understanding the senseless violence around them, and worse, we have done nothing to prevent it."

She suggests that simple anger management skills should be taught

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to people beginning in childhood and adolescence, rather than waiting until violent behavior has become "habitual and often, life-threatening."

Balancing the initial fight-or-flight response with reason is simple, but it takes a significant amount of practice that should begin in childhood. I believe in today's world of diminished understanding of consequence, and value of life juxtaposed with an increased sense of self-entitlement and inability to manage rage, people need all the practice they can get.

She recommends one method of

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skills training that is personally close to my heart, Mindfulness and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).

DBT was developed 25 years ago, by psychologist Marsha Linehan to treat her patients with Borderline Personality Disorder. Linehan noticed that while most of her patients were able to handle anger and pain, a select group of them were destroyed by it. She began to study this difference and as a result, she began blending Zen Buddhist ideologies like Mindfulness with Cognitive Behavior Therapy. The core principles of DBT are Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation and Interpersonal Effectiveness; skills EVERYONE can use.

possibly be "falling through the cracks of the class's social life and she's immediately identifying who is being bullied and who is doing the bullying. In her own, quiet way, she is using those statistics to reach out to the lonely, disconnected kids and using it to change their patterns of disconnectedness into connectedness.

While I realize that the issue of gun violence and mass shootings won't simply be solved with one thing, because it is a HUGE convoluted problem with a myriad of causes, I will end this article with one last quote from Laura Hayes that I think sums up at least one large piece of the puzzle.

An article in Reader's Digest by Glennon Hayes states, "Uncontrolled anger has Doyle Melton tells the story of one become our No. 1 mental health issue. teacher who saw what happened in Though we have the understanding and the Columbine shooting and acted the skills to treat the anger epidemic in in her own, simple way. She was his this country, as a culture, we have been son's math teacher and after she unwilling to accept the violence problem helped Melton understand how to help as one that belongs to each one of us. his son with new math, they began We have sought scapegoats in minority talking and through the context of the cultures, racial groups, and now the conversation, she shared something mentally ill. When we are ready to impressive with him. accept that the demon is within us all, we can begin to treat the cycle of anger She told him that every Friday and suffering." afternoon, she has her classroom engage in an exercise of writing down four names of children with whom they would like to sit the following week.

He said she also has them nominate one student who was an "exceptional classroom citizen that week." Then every week, after they privately turn in their votes to her, she looks at them all and looks for patterns. She looks for patterns of loneliness, who doesn't get requested by anyone else, who can't think of anyone to suggest, who doesn't get noticed enough to be nominated, who had a ton of friends the previous week, and none this week. She looks for the children in her class who might L’Amour Diversity Magazine | Issue 16, February 2018

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Dracul - The Story

By Ava Jhamin Sometimes, without even really trying, you meet some interesting people. I went with my boyfriend to his friend's home and there I met Black Baron, the lord of an amazing clan on Second Life.

Now, I must admit, because of early Second Life experiences I find the

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whole vampire thing on SL a little bit frightening and even though you know it is role play, sometmes you just feel what you feel. I found right off that Black Baron was kind and funny, and his laugh could be infectious in a way that would even make you think about diving into the realm of role play.

I sat down with Black Baron and his

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y of One Vampire Family

eclectic family to learn about their amazing Second Life.

How did you get started with the Vampires?

What brought you to Second Life Black Baron?

From the first day I set my race as vampire, and my class as death dealer and I never changed it.

my real-life sis was playing on Community Combat Systems (CCS).

She was the witch of the vamp lord's family on CCS sims.

What kind of role play do you do?

Dark Role Play with CCS, also since the first day.

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How big is your family?

survived, the death squad.

There are less people now because less French people play on CCS sims, but there are still enough people to have fun.

A few months ago, King Pierre came back on Second Life and contacted me. Together we decided to awaken the Vamp Lords with the death squad as base. Now we can say we are the biggest French CCS clan on Second Life.

What role does Black Baron play in the family?

Is it just as fun now for you, as when you first started?

Right now, I am the Comte of Vamp Lords, I started as a guard. I replaced the king of the clan because he doesn't Yes, it is always fun to be with good friends. I just miss the time when we come on Second Life very much. had a lot more people in the game and it was more role play and fights. But it What changes have you seen in your is still very fun for all of us. clan in the last 10 years?

So many, I was born when Verula was the queen, King Pierre gave her the place because he was sim owner and at this time it was 5 sims. After that, the queen disappeared, only the section I created inside the vamp lords who

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Would you ever see yourself as anything other than a vampire on Second Life?

No, I couldn't change. I hardly even change skin and shape. I think in the

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can find one that fits. A lot of people complain as they wait for a role play to fall from the sky, but my advice is you I know you don't take souls, can you tell must create it, and then you must work the readers of diversity how that works at it. for your family?

Is there anything else you would like We have different sections and layers the readers to know about your life on Second Life? to our role play, the fighters, the inquisitions, the life inside the castle etc.

Yes, I don t know a lot about Second Life outside the CCS, but what I see is What is the strangest thing you ever most people forget that Second Life is a faced on Second Life as a vampire? game, to enjoy, have fun, for what it is Probably the weirdest thing to me is the and not have any drama. people that try to role play vampires but Thank you and your amazing family, act like humans instead.

Black Baron, for taking time out to If someone wanted to role play in your sit down and talk to me. Part of being Diversity Magazine is to show the clan how would they do that? diversity here on Second Life, and to Just a little interview, read our rules to have the readers understand that while some people may not like or even see if they agree with them, and then understand role players and their sims, King Pierre or myself would make the others succeed at them and build the final decision. lives they want to have in role play, and through that, fulfill what it is they are Sometimes people look at role play quite negatively; how do you feel about seeking. that?

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for letting myself and the readers of Oh, it's not easy to find good role play Diversity into your life. you are right, but if you really try you last ten years, I've changed my skin or shape three times total!

MMI Valentine’s Special

Valentine's Day, has a history that is uncertain. No one really knows exactly how it got started, or whether the roots are primarily Catholic, Roman tradition, or pagan. It is possibly a mixture of all three and has also been combined with various Roman mythological stories.

Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced valentines in America. Howland, known as the "Mother of the Valentine," made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap."

all valentines.

Most everyone has at least some knowledge of the fact that Valentine's Day is named after a Catholic saint, St. Valentine or Valentinus. Exactly who this mysterious saint was, is unclear, but historians seem to have narrowed it down to two possible people recognized by the Catholic Church. Both were martyred for their acts of compassion and support of romance. One of them was a Roman priest during the third century. During this time, Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage for young men, because he believed that having no romantic or family attachments Since the 19th century, handwritten made them better soldiers. The Roman valentines have given way to masspriest named Valentine did not agree produced greeting cards. In Europe, with Claudius' decree and defied it Saint Valentine's Keys are given to by continuing to secretly perform lovers "as a romantic symbol and an marriages for young lovers. When invitation to unlock the giver's heart", Claudius found out what Valentine was as well as to children, in order to ward doing, he had him imprisoned and later off epilepsy. Today, according to the put to death. The legend says that while Greeting Card Association, an estimated in prison, he restored sight to the blind 1 billion Valentine's Day cards are daughter of his judge and wrote a letter sent each year, making Valentine's to her before he was killed and signed it Day the second most popular day to "from your Valentine" as a farewell. send cards. An estimated 2.6 billion The other possible St. Valentine may cards are sent for Christmas. Women have been martyred for his efforts to purchase approximately 85 percent of

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assist tortured and beaten Christians to escape the persecution of Roman prisons. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and, most importantly, romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France.

Some believe that the Catholic church set the date on the 14th to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial, which probably occurred around A.D. 270.

It also believed that the date of the holiday, February 14th, was set near the ides of February which is the 15th of February, to align it with the pagan celebration of Lupercalia, a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. The Catholic Church has a history of assimilating pagan traditions into their religious holidays to "Christianize" pagans and draw them into conversion, so it is possible they also used Lupercalian traditions in the development of St. Valentine's Day.

imprisoned and ordered Romulus and Remus to be buried alive, exposure or being thrown into the Tiber River.

Believing he had found a loop-hole in the path to divine retribution by having them die at the hands of the elements rather than the sword, he believed he and his city would be spared. He ordered a servant to carry out his orders, but the servant took pity on the twins and spared their lives by putting them into a basket on the Tiber River which carried them to safety. According to Roman mythology, the river god Tibernus calmed the river which made their basket get caught in the roots of a fig tree near the banks of the river at the base of the Palatine Hill in the Velabrum swamp. The twins were then discovered by a she-wolf named Lupa, who suckled them and later they were fed by a woodpecker or picus. Eventually, a shepherd named Faustulus and his wife Acca Larentia found the boys and raised them.

In celebration of Lupa's caring for the twins, during Lupercalia each year at the beginning of the festival, an order of Roman priests called the Luperci, would gather at the sacred cave where the infants were believed to have been cared for by Lupa. The priests In Roman mythology, Romulus and would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, Remus, the children of Rhea Silvia and and a dog, for purification. They would Mars (or possibly Hercules, depending then strip the goat’ s hide into strips, on which variation of the story you dip them into the sacrificial blood and run across.) The myth tells the story take to the streets, gently slapping that Rhea Silva was raped by "an both women and crop fields with the unknown man," according to the author goat hide. Rather than being afraid or Livy, but claimed that she had been repulsed by this occurrence, Roman impregnated through divine conception women welcomed the touch of the when her pregnancy was discovered. hides because it was believed to make After she gave birth to the twin boys, them more fertile in the coming year.

King Amulius, fearing punishment from Later in the day, according to legend, the gods if he had her killed, as was all the young women in the city would the custom for any Vestal Virgin who place their names in a big urn. The city's betrayed her vows of celibacy, had her bachelors would each choose a name L’Amour Diversity Magazine | Issue 16, February 2018

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and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage. It was during this festival that Mark Antony attempted to put a laurel wreath on the head of Julius Caesar three times as he sat on his throne "drunk, naked and anointed."

Caesar's denial of this act is what sealed his fate when, on the ides of March, he was mobbed by the senate and left to die with 23 wounds.

Lupercalia was allowed to continue until the 5th century, when Pope Gelasius declared it un-Christian and outlawed the festival. In its place, he is credited with making February 14 "St. Valentine's Day" however, the day wasn't definitively designated as a

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day of love until much later. During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds' mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February should be a day for romance.

Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written Valentine's didn't begin to appear until after 1400 during the time of Geoffrey Chaucer when the tradition of courtly love began. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of

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Agincourt. The greeting is now part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England. Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.

a time when direct expression of one's feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine's Day greetings.

Valentine's Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began doves, and the figure of Cupid. Cupid is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction to be popularly celebrated around the and affection in classical mythology.

17th century. By the middle of the He is considered to be the son of the 18th, it was common for friends and lovers of all social classes to exchange love goddess Venus and Mars, the god small tokens of affection or handwritten of war. His Greek counterpart is Eros. notes, and by 1900 printed cards Eros started off as a slender, winged began to replace written letters due to youth in Classical Greek art, but during the Hellenistic period, he came to be improvements in printing technology. portrayed as a chubby boy. It was Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in during this period that the bow and

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arrow, which represent his source of power, came to be ascribed to his iconography.

Once shot with an arrow from his bow, a person or deity is filled with uncontrollable desire.

In myths, Cupid is a minor character who serves mostly to set the plot in motion.

and instead of finding beauty, she found deadly slumber.

Cupid found her lifeless on the ground. He gathered the sleep from her body and put it back in the box. Cupid and Venus forgave her and the gods, moved by Psyche's love for Cupid, made her a goddess.

He is a main character only in Although other extended the tale of Cupid and Psyche, stories are not told about him, when wounded by his own his tradition is rich in poetic weapons, he experiences the themes and visual scenarios, ordeal of love. Various iterations such as "Love conquers all" and of the story exist. One story the retaliatory punishment or of Cupid tells of his love for torture of Cupid. the mortal maiden, Psyche.

Venus was jealous of the Again, in early stories and beauty of Psyche and ordered poetry about Cupid, he Cupid to punish Psyche. But was described as a young, instead, Cupid fell deeply in love handsome man with white wings with her. He took her as his and a golden bow. But during wife, but as a mortal she was the 14th to 17th centuries, forbidden to look at him. Psyche painters created many works of was happy until her sisters art that showed Cupid as a baby convinced her to look at Cupid. angel. This same version began Cupid punished her by leaving to appear on Valentine's Day her. Their lovely castle and cards during the late 1800s. gardens vanished with him and Ever since, the image of Cupid Psyche found herself alone in an as a flying infant who inspires open field. love has stuck in peoples' minds. And it's the version of As she wandered to find her Cupid that we are most familiar love, she came upon the temple with to this day. of Venus, wishing to destroy her, the goddess of love gave Psyche a series of tasks, each harder and dangerous than the last. For her last task Psyche was given a little box and told to take it to the underworld and was told to get some of the beauty of Proserpine, the wife of Pluto, and put it in the box.

She was told not to open the box, but temptation overcame her, and Psyche opened the box

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Not every country turns to greeting cards and heartshaped candies to declare love and not everyone celebrates February 14th either! Some exchange wooden spoons and pressed flowers, while others hold a special holiday for the loveless to mourn their single lives over black noodles. Here is a look at how 10 countries celebrate Valentine's Day traditions around the world.

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Denmark Although Valentine's Day is a relatively new holiday in Denmark (celebrated since the early 1990s according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark), the country has embraced February 14th with a Danish twist. Rather than roses, friends and sweethearts exchange pressed white flowers called snowdrops.

Another popular Danish Valentine's Day tradition is the exchange of "lover's cards." While lover's cards were originally transparent cards which showed a picture of the card giver presenting a gift to his sweetheart, the term is now synonymous with any card exchanged on Valentine's Day. On February 14th, men also give women gaekkebrev, a "joking letter" consisting of a funny poem or rhyme written on intricately cut paper and signed only with anonymous dots. If a woman who receives the gaekkebrev can correctly guess the sender, she earns herself an Easter egg later that year.

France With a reputation as one of the most romantic destinations in the world, it's little wonder France has long celebrated Valentine's Day as a day for lovers.

It's been said that the first Valentine's Day card originated in France when Charles, Duke of Orleans, sent love letters to his wife while imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1415. Today, Valentine's Day cards remain a popular tradition in France and around the world.

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Another traditional Valentine's Day event in France was the Loterie d'Amour, or "drawing for love." Men and women would fill houses that faced one another, and then take turns calling out to one another and pairing off. Men who weren't satisfied with their match could simply leave a woman for another match, and the women left unmatched gathered afterward for a bonfire.

During the bonfire, women burned pictures of the men who wronged them and hurled swears and insults at the opposite sex. The event became so uncontrollable that the French government eventually banned the tradition all together.

South Korea Valentine's Day is a popular holiday for young couples in South Korea, and variations of the holiday are celebrated monthly from February through April. The gift-giving starts on February 14th, when it's up to women to woo their men with chocolates, candies and flowers. The tables turn on March 14th, a holiday known as White Day, when men not only shower their sweethearts with chocolates and flowers, but up the ante with a gift.

And for those who don't have much to celebrate on either Valentine's Day or White Day, there is a third holiday: Black Day. On April 14th, it's customary for singles to mourn their solitary status by eating dark bowls of jajangmyeon, or black bean-paste noodles.

Wales You won't find the Welsh celebrating Saint Valentine — instead, people in Wales celebrate Saint Dwynwen, the Welsh patron saint of lovers, on January 25th.

One traditional romantic Welsh gift is a love spoon. As early as the 17th century, Welsh men carved intricate wooden spoons as a token of affection for the women they loved. Patterns and symbols were carved into these love spoons, each signifying a different meaning. A few examples include horseshoes, which stand

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for good luck; wheels, which symbolize support; and keys, which symbolize the keys to a man's heart.

Today, love spoons are also exchanged for celebrations such as weddings, anniversaries and births.

China The equivalent to Valentine's Day in China is Qixi, or the Seventh Night Festival, which falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month each year. According to Chinese lore, Zhinu, a heavenly king's daughter, and Niulang, a poor cowherd, fell in love, married and had twins. When Zhinu's father learned of their marriage, he sent his queen to bring Zhinu back to the stars. Upon hearing the cries of Niulang and the children, the king allowed Zhinu and Niulang to meet once a year on Qixi.

During Qixi, young women prepare offerings of melon and other fruits to Zhinu in hopes of finding a good husband. Couples also head to temples to pray for happiness and prosperity. At night, people look to the heavens to watch as stars Vega and Altair (Zhinu and Niulang, respectively) come close during the starcrossed pair's annual reunion.

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England On the eve of Valentine's Day, women in England used to place five bay leaves on their pillows -- one at each corner and one in the center -- to bring dreams of their future husbands. Alternatively, they would wet bay leaves with rosewater and place them across their pillows.

In Norfolk, Jack Valentine acts as a Santa of sorts for Valentine's Day. Children anxiously wait to hear Jack Valentine knock at their doors, and although they don't catch a glimpse of Old Father Valentine, children enjoy the candies and small gifts left on their porches.

Philippines While Valentine's Day celebrations in the Philippines are similar to celebrations in Western countries, one tradition has swept the country and led to thousands of couples sharing a wedding day on February 14th. Mass wedding ceremonies have gained popularity in the Philippines in recent years, leading hundreds of couples to gather at malls or other public areas around the country to get married or renew their vows en masse.

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Italy Originally, Italians celebrated Valentine's Day as the Spring Festival. The young and amorous gathered outside in gardens and such to enjoy poetry readings and music before taking a stroll with their beloved.

Another Italian Valentine's Day tradition was for young, unmarried girls to wake up before dawn to spot their future husbands. The belief was that the first man a woman saw on Valentine's Day was the man she would marry within a year. Or he'd at least strongly resemble the man she would marry.

Today, Italians celebrate Valentine's Day with gift exchanges between lovers and romantic dinners. One of the most popular Valentine's Day gifts in Italy is Baci Perugina, which are small, chocolate-covered hazelnuts wrapped with a romantic quote printed in four languages.

Brazil With Carnival held sometime in February or March each year, Brazilians skip the February 14th celebration and instead celebrate Dia dos Namorados, or "Lovers' Day," on June 12th. In addition to the usual exchanges of chocolates, flowers and cards, music festivals and performances are held throughout the country. Gift giving isn't limited to couples, either. In Brazil, people celebrate this day of love by exchanging gifts and sharing dinner with friends and relatives, too.

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The following day is Saint Anthony's Day, which honors the patron saint of marriage. On this day, single women perform rituals called simpatias in hopes that St. Anthony will bring them a husband.

South Africa Like many parts of the world, South Africa celebrates Valentine's Day with festivals, flowers and other tokens of love. It's also customary for women in South Africa to wear their hearts on their sleeves on February 14th; women pin the names of their love interest on their shirt sleeves, a throwback to Lupercalia. In some cases, this is how South African men learn of their secret admirers. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/viator/10-valentines-day-traditi_b_9190888.html

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Ava Jhamin - CEO

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The Princess and the Frog This is one of my favorite fairy tales, and one that I always tell my girls.

Ava Once upon a time, a beautiful, independent, self assured princess happened upon a frog in a pond.

The frog said to the princess, "I was once a handsome prince until an evil witch put a spell on me. One kiss from you and I will turn back into a prince and then we can marry, move into the castle with my mom and you can prepare my meals, clean my clothes, bear my children and forever feel happy doing so."

That night, while the princess dined on frog legs, she kept laughing and saying, "I don't think so."

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F A L B A L A

F A I R E Y

I think for me, as an agency owner and a model, I have an ideal of how models should be, Falbala Fairey fits right into that ideal. I never enjoyed working with someone as much as Falbala and have always had her in my head as the ideal for how all models should be.

It doesn't matter that Falbala went to the top and has stood the test of time; her spirit, her way of dealing with people, has always remained the same. She is a model's model and just one of the loveliest individuals, I have had the experience to know on Second Life.

same as with my "Sims," which I had played for a long time and that it would be quite the same, just with real people from all over the world. Sadly, at this time I didn't have any internet, so I had to wait for about two years to create my own avatar and to enter Second Life on my own.

She is humble, and kind and would not ever hurt anyone. She sets the bar as a model and I know even to this day, if I needed Falbala she would be there without hesitation. I truly loved it when Falbala wanted to be her elf self and embraced that instead of snubbing or pooing pooing like most.

I did a show around Falbala to let her be her.

For this issue, I sat down with Falbala which was something I had wanted to do from my first issue. But now we finally have the time. So sit down and get to know truly one of the rarest gems in Second Life.

What brought you to Second Life and how long have you been here Falbala?

Tell me what you did when you first came to Second Life?

First, I want to thank you very much inviting me here for the interview. It's a great honor! My avatar was born on February 19th in 2008, so I just recently had my 10th Rezday! The first time I ever heard about Second Life was, when my RL brother showed me his account back in 2006, two years earlier.

When I entered SL the very first time it took me three days to learn how to TP away from the starter sim and to learn that there were more than just the one I was on. But to rescue myself a bit, in that three days, the first thing I learned was changing my own shape and I had enough time to recreate myself in a way I thought I would look good...ie: pretty. Well, I was a fully white alien with

He told me that I could play in here

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a horrible catsuit on, but I still thought I was the prettiest avatar in SL. Unique, let's say it maybe this way, as I thought I am special because all around me are only human avatars.

How did you get involved in the modeling industry in Second Life?

I had ever worked as a model. There it basically started, as we started to chat, and he showed me the first steps in the fashion world. He brought me to meet Mimmi Boa and Frolic Mills and some other people who were very famous at this time in the high fashion world and so I started to learn step by step to build my own career.

What was the first thing you did as a model in Second Life?

Funny that my first thing I probably ever did in SL Fashion Industry was running a show in Pandora style. As in 2010 the AVATAR movie was so popular. So as a total rookie, just thrown into the business, I created with the first agency I worked with a Pandora based runway. I handled the casting, managed the designer and created a full show with no experience at all. And so far, I remember it was pretty good for that time, even the memories are a bit blurry.

After that I knew that I found my place in SL and I started entering contests, participated in castings and got my first shows and agencies.

When I entered SL, I was like most average people in here I think. I went to parties, I met people, I started being a dancer. Then after trying several jobs like DJ, club manager, role-player, etc. I finally managed to create a fully new RP sim with some close friends, based on the movie AVATAR by James Cameron in January 2010.

Can you tell the readers of Diversity some of your accomplishments as a model in Second Life?

When I started, I was in a cute little contest agency called "Peach Parade" where I also met Ava Jhamin for the very first time. She was the runway trainer and showed us how to manage a runway, how to survive during high On this sim I met a man, dressed like a lag and how to walk a routine. This Na'vi, the blue guys from the movie, for agency was based on styling challenges those who don't know. He asked me if only. So, we created our stylings all L’Amour Diversity Magazine | Issue 16, February 2018

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by ourselves and hoped to win in the weekly challenges. There I won my first tiny titles.

high positions. People who could give an image leading to newcomers which were just wrong. Moralic wrong, to say it this way. And a short time, I was a part of Later, I entered bigger contests as I this group of people and thought that it loved challenges and competing against is this way. other more experienced models. In this way, I learned it the best and fastest But I fast realized that this couldn't be about the do's and don'ts. That helped the right thing and I questioned it a lot. me to accomplish titles like "Miss Also, very open and that brought some Europe" in 2010, "Miss Avatar World" bad enemies to me as this people are in 2011 and being a contestant as only nice to you, as long you play their "Miss Virtual World Germany" in 2012 game. If you try to break out of it, the reaching the top 12, which was for me Fashion Mafia starts to run it's business the absolute best I could achieve. And on you and that was a hard time for me. all who knows the old days of MVW, know that it was tough to reach the top When people in a virtual world try hard 12 or the top five at all. to attack you personally with hypocrisy, lies and passive aggressive harassments.

Through my personal achievements, I But I just couldn't follow people who found out about the charity world of SL acted like the corrupt politics we all so through the Fashion Industry and how hate in the real world. I didn't want to be much you can reach if you are trying a part of this. So, in time and because to raise awareness. Best feeling ever, my RL got so busy as well, I left some to know that you helped people you parts of my modeling career behind me don't even know, and you probably and focused on the smaller things again never meet in your life without the from my starts. expectation of getting something back.

But still being sure that you helped them If you could change anything in the in their need. modeling industry what would it be and why?

Is there anything in the modeling industry that has rubbed you the wrong Tough question, but I think I would try way? to lead the modeling world back to its roots again. Where styling skills worth Sadly, I have to say yes here. The more than egos and self-selling behavior.

Fashion business is a great place. You Today I see way too many ego queens can feel like a celebrity, a star. But that and kings who think because they have is at the same time also the biggest the money and time to kiss all kinds of problem, that way too many from my asses run the fashion world. personal taste think or have the image that if they achieved something in SL, If we watch around closely we don't they achieved it in their RL too and act have that fashion icons anymore then like it. In the bad way I am talking here we had back, then when I started. Today right now. And I sadly met some people, it is a huge mess of everything but which thought they could rule the world nothing specific. Nobody really gives a with their ego and money. And even picture of "this is what you can get if more sad was, that it was people on you work hard". Today it is "look I kiss L’Amour Diversity Magazine | Issue 16, February 2018

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ass everyone's ass I am fabulous!". That Professional Machinimas would be I would love to change back if I could. awesome. Being able to record SL movies and cut them into a pretty I know you have a big family Falbala, video would be amazing for me. As it what is the best part of having a huge is way more nostalgic then just taking family? a picture. I am still trying to buy a 3D mouse one day but for now other things For me is family a huge level of trust. are more important still, so I must wait.

So even I have maybe for some a big family, I don't include just everyone What is the strangest thing that ever so people from outside are impressed. happened to you on Second Life?

If I let someone inside my family, it is someone who earned this place by being I think the strangest thing ever honest, fair and trustworthy. People happened to me was, when I had to I can tell everything and where I am discover the discrimination of my own there for them whenever they need me language. Let me explain that to you. I without running around and let everyone was to that time a contestant of MVW know about it. My family members also as Miss Germany and I was invited for told me already more than ones, that I a Gizza Anniversary Show where I met am such a mommy-type. Which I count a girl with a name who was translated as something good, because what is into German a tiny bit naughty., better than being a loved mother? like...."handling yourself" basically. And I didn't think bad about it, just smiled How did your family come to be in SL? a little as I saw her name and we were there with many models standing Oh, I never searched for one per se. It around, waiting for less lag and made all just happened when I was still young, kind of jokes and I thought to myself, and people know they can trust me and I ok all are happy, let her know what her am an open human being, so others feel name is translated for German people. secure around me. And in time, it grew to the amount I have now.

OMG that girl got angry! I don't even know anymore what she was so angry What other things do you do in Second about. But it raised a huge wave and she Life besides modeling? and her current BF attacked me both separate in IM, what I would thinking to As my RL time rules my schedule a tell her this. I tried to explain it to her, lot now, I barely do other things then that I just went from myself and that I working on my Blog and attending as a would want to know if my name would Judge or guest on contests and fashion be something naughty in their language. shows. I used to be a Role-player, a DJ It was just a translation! Well out of this and Show Host and run shows nearly short line I typed away that girl tried every week, but my time doesn't allow it to badmouth me wherever she went to me right now. I still hope it will come and in one case she had success. To back again a bit when my RL isn't that that time close friends, I thought they busy anymore. were, had an agency and yelled at me that I would be a shame for the German Is there anything in Second Life that you culture telling her this translation of her haven't done but would like to do? name, especially as I would represent my

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country atm in the running MVWs and that they will throw me out of the next show of them. For me that was feeling so discriminating that I was very hurt inside. Around a year later, that agency apologized to me with the words, that they had to react this way, because the BF of that girl was their landlord. AHA! But my trust was away to that time already and I still felt hurt. I also talk again normal to the girl with the name I spoke to but to this moment, that was the weirdest situation I ever had in my whole SL time.

Tell the readers about the elf side of Falbala how it came about and why you love it so much?

Before I went into the fashion world I always was very interested in any possible fantasy creature besides of being an elf. I was a vampire, a demon, a mermaid, a witch, but never an elf, as back in that time around 2008/09 elves had the image of just hugging trees and loving each other. And I was so not into hugging any trees. I wanted to be evil. Like I was in the most roles, when I played on a RP Sim. Like a vampire or an assassin for example. This has a very simple reason out of my RL. I am a very young-looking person with a very high voice and with a very low selfconfidence. So, People mostly acted with me like a little girl or teen and I hated that. Especially when I started to work and close to nobody took me seriously or as a person with authority.

So, for SL I decided no cute avatar for me.

When I started to be in fashion I was human looking as it got told me so.

But already to that time on one of my very first shows I ever saw, there was a model who had tiny elf ears, more like a pixie and I thought to myself, oh yes

awesome, here are fantasy creatures allowed!

What got blown away fast when I started to do some research on this case and that everyone who isn't human would not go anywhere far and it seemed to be true. Also, that model with the ears I saw on that one show vanished short after and since then it bugged me as I thought SL should be more open minded for any costumers on this platform then just the high raised skinny human models. But I didn't feel strong enough for going the patriotic way and starting the fight against racism in SL for other races/creatures then human and kept being below the umbrella of many thoughts, worries and doubts about equality in the fashion world.

At this point I should maybe explain why I call this case "racism" and I am also pretty sure that there will be some disagreeing with me, taking this on kind of the same barrier as the still ongoing racism in RL. And I already apologize if my try of explanation isn't that perfect because of my language barrier.

But for me it's pretty the same behavior, just with different races included, plus the ones we have out there in the RL world already. To discriminate someone because he is a Neko and wears a tail, a vampire because of the teeth and the palish skin, an elf because of the ears or a furry because he looks like an animal with the explanation that it would "DISCTRACT" the designers items who are supposed to be shown, is for me just pure racism and the hypocritical believing of someone who tries to fake a life to himself having something like a "real" career, same as a RL model/ designer/agency owner, what is very

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sad, as it shows how much people lost themselves in here and how many costumers they miss with this believing.

As it is a fact, that still the most citizens of SL are fantasy people.

Would you like to see the modeling industry accept elves for who they are and let them walk the catwalk like anyone else?

Yes, that would be awesome. When I For me discriminating someone because first appeared in my blog pictures with he wears something different on his that huge ears I got IMs from both sides. body then a normal human out of the Some were happy about it, wished me fashion world is for me same as judging good luck and that it will get accepted. someone because he has a different Some told me that I would risk my whole skin color or religion in RL. It will not image and career trying to be an elf distract anything if people are used to as it is not liked to be seen and that I it as something fully normal, to see for would lose a lot of jobs with this. But I example a furry on a runway wearing a made my decision already for me and I formal dress or a vampire in a bikini with don't regret it till today that I made this sunglasses and a surfboard. I am aware decision. Sadly, even now after 4 years of the thoughts of fantasy races in the wearing these ears, I still see and hear heads of people. the worries of agencies and designers asking me if I would be willing to Like if you mention an elf, people "detach" my ears, when it is "needed". immediately think on "Lord of the Rings" elves or if they hear vampire, it brings In the first years I said yes of course, them a picture of Dracula in front of because I hoped that people will get their eyes. But just to have a different used to it, as it was still so new to them. race, doesn't mean it has to suit the But it hurts every time I had to say yes typical stereotype out of Hollywood actually, as I felt close to someone who movies. An elf can be modern looking is for example ebony, to be asked to use and a furry isn't running around 24/7 white makeup to fit in the job. Cutting in baggy pants and raver shirts and my ears, as they are a part of my body screams "Yiffy!" everywhere he goes. is very hard, as I must cut something That are stereotypes who are just from me who is me. Like cutting your wrong. hand off or ripping out your eye. It is different than changing a hair color or Ok, to come back to the question about your eye color as this can be done also me being an elf from the beginning, I in RL without any problems and can get have to admit, that I started wearing back without any consequences. Cutting ears I think it was back in 2012/13 a body part is not like dyeing hair. when I felt strong enough in my career to go out and find the biggest ears I But to mention as well, in this 4 years I could find on the whole grid and risk my got a lot of support also. Like my very career as a model for being an elf model first vendor Ad ever with ears where and opening some doors for following I was allowed from Enzo Champagne, models and also designers to get in time owner and designer of Champagne the chance to enter the high fashion Sparkling, to keep them on and that world. was for me everything in that moment.

When I asked him if I could keep them on and he said "YES!", I was like in

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heaven and nothing was going stop me anymore. And it is every time amazing when I get allowed to keep them on.

Anyways if it's a vendor picture, a magazine or a runway show.

other human model because humans are slow to change what they were used to be for so long and got preached to all the time. Give them the chance also to get used to you and just blow them away with your talent and effort to be a And like I mentioned before already, that good, creative and hard working model seeing people or races in stereotypes is like every other model who starts their something fully human I think. But still career. And I promise I will not give up I mostly get offers now for shows who fighting for all of us opening the doors are already based on being fantasy or of being accepted and respected as who elfish to fit in the stereotype with telling we are and what our passion tells us to me, they think I fit in there perfectly. follow. Being a high fashion model in SL. Well yes, I maybe do, but my goal isn't it to fit in fantasy shows who are meant Thank you Falbala for you honey, I am to have fantasy creatures included honored to finally be able to sit down anyways with the typical medieval with you. I would consider myself and all clothing fallen directly out of the last I am about, as a rebel, and you Falbala Hobbit movie. What doesn't mean are one of the few people for whom my that I don't like fantasy shows. I love respect and love will never waiver. I am fantasy shows, but then the effect I honored to do this story and I just want want to bring to the audience is getting to leave this story with I feel God puts lost. In being a fantasy race in SL, in a angels on earth... thank you Lord for modern high fashion outfit, in a modern sending Falbala Fairey. high fashion world and having the same chances as any other model on the grid.

I think in the last 4 years a lot moved forward. Still not like I wished it to be but it became a lot better. I even see high fashion designers using elf ears on their vendor Ads now or letting an elf on a runway if it's a normal modern show. It became better! But it is still not there, specially also for other races who are out there besides of elves. Time will tell if it will at least here in SL become a world without any discrimination or racism one day. Hope never dies.

Is there anything else you would like the readers to know about your life on Second Life?

I really hope that each one of you out there, who wants to be a high fashion model and being a different race, try it!

Yes, it will still be harder then maybe any

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lamourproductions.org CREATIVE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS GRAPHICS Magazine Layout by Rienna Iron PHOTOGRAPHY Photos by Ava Jhamin (4, 14, 20 - 31, 36 - 39, 44 - 53, 56 - 57, 100 - 109) Photos by Trinity Aironaut (Cover, 64 - 85, 88 - 93, 94 - 99)

OTHER IMAGES https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/jan/30/brave-rose-mcgowans-memoir-details-by-harvey-weinstein https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/higher_education/more-than-a-hashtag-me-too-founder-tarana-burke-speaks/article_d721987c-1598-11e8-8e184f4b348e7093.html https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2017/dec/01/alyssa-milano-mee-too-sexual-harassment-abuse https://www.wired.com/story/the-problem-with-me-too-and-viral-outrage/ https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DMNJYrFWAAAVhwE.jpg #MeToo Source links: https://nypost.com/2017/11/17/metoo-has-lumped-trivial-in-with-legitimate-sexual-assault/ https://www.avclub.com/an-incomplete-depressingly-long-list-of-celebrities-se-1819628519 https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/20/us/me-too-movement-tarana-burke.html http://www.stopvaw.org/date_and_acquaintance_sexual_assault https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/18/california-metoo-allegations-legislator-416916 https://www.wired.com/story/the-problem-with-me-too-and-viral-outrage/ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-017-0213-3 Shootings in America source links: https://newrepublic.com/article/143361/america-always-angry-violent https://www.vox.com/2017/6/15/15803862/las-vegas-stephen-paddock-shooting-america-violence-history http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/recognize-anger.aspx http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2014/04/anger_causes_violence_treat_it_rather_than_mental_illness_to_stop_mass_murder.html https://www.rd.com/advice/parenting/stop-bullying-strategy/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/02/15/europe-had-school-shootings-too-then-they-did-something-about-it/?utm_term=.7eb317688336

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