PRIDE AT HOME

PRIDE AT HOME: XMAS EDITION

PRIDE AT HOME: XMAS EDITION

Winter festivities always drive people out in droves as they try to take in as much holiday spirit as possible during the season. Regardless of what holidays people celebrate or do not celebrate, each of us takes pride or solace in having some kind of tradition we spend with our families; whether biological or chosen.

As joyous as this time of year can be for so many, it also can bring a lot of pain for those not as fortunate. Having a safe place to go during this time of year can be hard for some. I think that is why Tink Hax and Coral Lacey decided to try something new when it comes to this time of year. The Pride at Home sim will be transformed into a Winter Wonderland for the month of December.

For those who may not know the name Tinker Hax, she is a prolific brand representative who has had the pleasure of working for many brands and stores you may patronize in Second Life™. Since creating a Gender Neutral event back in the day, Tink had continuously strived to bring inclusion into the Second Life scene. Behind the scenes, Tink worked and employed all her connections and hard work, she was able to open Anthem with the help of The Men’s Dept owner, Mikel Monk. Through it all, the ebb and flow of ideas and concepts; Tink has never stopped working towards

her goal of inclusion. With the timing of the pandemic that started in 2020, Tink had the brilliant idea to create Pride at Home to still give the LGBTIQA+ community a Pride event for June - while we were all in lockdown all across the world.

With Jack Frost nipping at our noses, Pride at Home is going to reprise for the month of December. Pride At Home Xmas will be a scaled-down version of the Summer event that they implemented the last few years. They have a handful of events planned and an expo area with a wintery splash of different stores with free gifts. Not to mention, they are bringing back the 99L Mainstore Shop & Hop with a Pride-related winter/festive theme to them. This new event is sure to brighten anyone’s days with love and acceptance.

“We just encourage people to come have fun, and embrace it. We had such a positive turn out on the sim and throughout June, that waiting until next June seemed so far away, so it is also a nice break in the middle.” -Tinker Hax

This also gives the people associated with Pride at Home another round of exposure since what they do each and every day is so inspirational. This also gives more chances to expand people’s impressions and ideas of what designers are out there. It seems like each day, another store opens that someone hasn’t had the chance to explore yet. These hop-and-shop events help bring in the holiday cheer while incorporating Pride and what Pride means to us in the LGBTQIA+ community.

Remembering what Pride stands for has changed over the years for so many people. That is a part of what Pride is at its core. Itallows those who may not “fit” into society’s binary viewpoint and give a voice to the voiceless. It gives a safe space for those who may not always feel safe all the time. Pride and in Second Life, Pride at Home, gives those places for people in both the real world and online.

So, come December, if you or someone you know wants to spend minutes, hours, days of