Gay Archipelago

The Gay Archipelago

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The Gay Archipelago is an international region of Second Life consisting of more than 80 sims which share traffic, conduct archipelago-wide events, and welcome LGBT newcomers to Second Life. The Gay Archipelago (GA) includes a variety of content, including business, shopping, entertainment, role playing, and services for the gay Second Life community. Linden Labs recently gave the Gay Archipelago its own region allowing it to expand and remain focused on and for the gay community.

The Gay Archipelago was founded by Fabrice Snook as a place to meet, welcome and help LGBT people as well as to support the talents of its owners, residents and merchants.

Purpose

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The purpose of the Gay Archipelago is to provide a region where like minded individuals can live and shop and find services geared to their lifestyle. It helps owners and residents of sims to promote their businesses and events. It coordinates region-wide activities and events, promoting them to all of SL. It works to provide an orderly expansion of the region. It acts as one of the spokespersons for all gay people in Second Life. It provides a center for information not only for the Gay Archipelago itself but for all of gay SL. It aspires to be the first stop for gay people entering Second Life – a place of welcome, orientation and help.

What the Gay Archipelago is not

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The Gay Archipelago

  • is not intended to be the exclusive place for gay-oriented sims and activities.
  • recognizes the advantage of, indeed the necessity for gay people to live in and move through all of Second Life. 
  • does not hold itself to be the exclusive representative of LGBT people in SL. 
  • is not profit driven. The Gay Archipelago committee is voluntary and there are no fees required from anyone living and working within the Gay Archipelago.

History

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Fabrice Snook launched Pandore, the first sim in the Gay Archipelago, in May, 2007, as a friendly gay village (today it is a shopping sim). Fabrice then opened Gay France and Oboulaba, a babylonian themed sim. Oboulaba is now called Chilipepper with shopping, residences and clubs.

In 2008, Sasha Laval, owner of Gay Zones, and Fabrice decided to connect their 7 estates in a new area on the SL grid. Later that year, CiteGAY and Badpuppy, two sims linked to a well-known gay Internet portal, joined them.

The continent continued to grow with Gay Europe, Gay Japan, Toozepolis and other new sims. These were launched by Sascha Laval whose holdings eventually included Gay Zone Atlantis, Gay Zone Neptunia, DJ World and Aqua Lounge.

As the archipelago grew, the emphasis was on cooperation, coordination and unity beginning with Gay France and a sim for all of gay Europe. Today, Second Life Gay Cooperative is a non-open group that manages the new Gay Europe sim, an openspace that coordinates the German and French regions.

Also in 2008, IGBC Gay Rehoboth, Jameson Architects, Ferik Island, and Flag Factory opened in the Archipelago. That year, the Gay Archipelago was the first sponsor of the Second Pride Festival in June.

At the beginning of 2009 and after the Lindens’ decision to increase the fees by 66%, many homesteads were closed. At this time, the virtual worlds did not appear so attractive to many professionals and CiteGAY closed its sim as well. Fabrice left SL for several months because of Real Life (RL) commitments. Upon his return, he found that the cluster had decreased to just 7 sims. But with the continued effort of Fabrice and others, Gay Europe was revived and IGBC extended its domain with new sims connected to Pandore. Oiswiss Decuir, owner of Gay Fun World, joined what was now called the Gay Archipelago. Later in 2009, Dom Bamatter, owner of Pure Indulgence, joined the group and Arnel Cloche’s Crazy Garden was opened.

In autumn of 2009, discussions began with the new Board of Second Pride to define common goals.

By the end of 2009, the Gay Archipelago had 34 sims. Its first winter Festival, The Gay Archipelago Days was held from December 12th thru 19th with many events and attractions on each sim. The festival ended with a contest for the first Mister Gay 2010. Ardaric Larsson was the winner and all celebrated with a grand party.

At the beginning of 2010, Marcus Steeplechase and Philip Eubanks, owners of Warehouse Plaza and a group of 5 sims, joined the Gay Archipelago. They dedicated one of their sims, Pride, for the site of the proposed Gateway and Welcome Center for LGBT people entering Second Life. The sim is located in the middle of the Archipelago and completion of the gateway and a GA and Second Pride Committee administrative builing is scheduled for mid 2010.

In January of 2010, Linden Lab offered to move all sims in the Gay Archipelago to a new, empty area of the grid, favorable for expansion and unencumbered by neighboring sims with no connection to the GA. Linden Lab also facilitated the moving of sims to join Gay Archipelago: Pillars of Hercules, Vulcania, Lothlorian, Gay Italia and Romanum. The move took place on January 12, 2010.

With the expansion planned in the next months, the Gay Archipelago will include approximately 100 LGBT sims. The Gay Archipelago encourages diversity of location of gay sims throughout SL and has never desired to be the only location for LGBT sims. It exists only to enhance the Gay Archipelago Way of Life: opportunities to meet, to share, to learn, to support talent, to have fun, relax, and build a great continent with many links to all of SL and to Real Life as well.

In the first quarter of 2010, the Gay Archipelago is launching its first Council organization. This first Council will be chaired by Fabrice Snook who will be Chairman for a temporary period (until June, 2010). The immediate tasks of the Council will be to provide liaison between Linden Labs and the Gay Archipelago, to work with the Second Pride Committee, and to be useful and efficient for the owners, residents, merchants and visitors to the Gay Archipelago.

Council of the Gay Archipelago

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Chairman............................Fabrice Snook

Co-Chair............................Sascha Laval

Vice-Chair..........................Marcus Steeplechase

General Secretary...................Thormec Micheline

Committee Chairmen

Marketing...........................Caleb Bruun

Events..............................Oiswiss Decuir

Events Co-Chair.....................Philip Eubanks

Grid................................Omatthias Vidor

Technological Issues................Apocalypse Carlucci

Purpose of the Council:

• Assist and support sim owners, as requested
• Promote the Gay Archipelago
• Manage the grid
• Manage and promote GA-wide events
• Establish and maintain communication protocols
• Work with the Second Pride Committee
• Co-manage the LGBT Gateway (Welcoming & Orientation) with the Second Pride Committee
• Liaison with Linden Labs on GA-wide issues
• Speak for Linden Labs for the GA community

Monthly Fees to Linden Labs Generated by the Gay Archipelago

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49 Full Sims x $295 US = $14,455 US

30 Homestead Sims x $125 US = $3,759 US

7 Open Space Sims x $75 US = $525 US

Total = $18,730 US per month

Total Land Value = $62,000 US

Sims by Owner's First Name

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(FP) Full Prim (HS) Homestead (OS) Openspace

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Achille Putzo

   Gay Italy Friends (FP)

Adare Breil

   Rainbow Isle (FP)

Benoit Lednev

   Gay France (FP)
   Pirate Coves (HS)

Chance Rasmuson

   Selene (FP)

Claude Zepp

   Gay Island Beach (HS)
   Gay Island Lagoon (HS)
   Gay Island Resort (FP)
 

Dom Bamatter

   Alcatraz (FP)
   Bay 1 (HS)
   Bay 2 (HS)
   Belvedere (FP)
   Castro (FP)
   Castro Street (FP)
   Domination (HS)
   Faulkenau Bay (OS)
   Fisherman Warf (FP)
   Fisherman Wharf (FP)
   Golden Gate (FP)
   Golden Gate 2 (OS)
   Pure Domination (FP)
   Pure Heaven (HS)
   Pure Indulgence Estate (FP)
   Pure Indulgence Island (FP)
   Pure Isle (FP)
   Pure Gay Australia (FP)
   Pure Luxury (FP)
   Pure Sin (FP)
   Pure Romance (FP)
   Pure Temptation (FP)
   Rendezvous (FP)
   San Francisco Island ((FP)
   San Francisco Bay (OS)
   Sausalito (FP)
   Straight of Falkenau (OS)
   Tiburon (FP)

Emperor Galtier

   Romanum (FP)

Evan Rutledge

   Pallas (HS)
   Spice Island (FP)

Fabrice Snook

   Gay Archipelago (OS)
   Pandore (FP)
   Sandbox Archipelago (HS)

Ion Michalski

   Abderos (HS)
   Hylas (FP)

Jaij Jameson

   Jameson Architects (FP)

JeanLuc Guyot

   IGBC Heliopolis (HS) - managed by Liamone Troglodite
   IGBC Gay Rehoboth (FP)
   IGBC Rehoboth Bay (HS)
   IGBC Rehoboth Shores (HS)
   IGBC Rehoboth Landing (HS)

Keokipele Ansar

   Anahola Beach (HS)
   Kahiki (HS)
   Kanaloa Marketplace (FP)
   Vulcania Fine Art (HS)

Marcus Steeplechase

   Caerus (FP)
   Eloi (HS)
   Pride (FP)
   Warehouse Plaza (FP)

Rik Masala

   Ferik Island (HS)

Maxel Cortes -> Didier Spitteler

   Gay Japan (FP) -> Gay Friendly (FP)
  

Maxim Ansar

   Chilipepper (FP)

Oiswiss Decuir

   Gay Fun Beach (HS)
   Gay Fun World (FP)

Sascha Laval

   Crazy Garden (HS) 
   Berlin Dance Arena (FP)
   Flag Factory (HS)
   Gay Europe (OS)
   Gay Germany (HS)
   Gallywood (FP) -> managed by IxsyX Piranha
   Gay Zone Beach (FP)
   Gay Zone Germany (FP)

Scottie Menges

   Islands of Hercules (HS)
   Sea of Hercules (HS)
   Pillars of Hercules (FP)
   Spires of Hercules (HS)
   Summit of Hercules (FP)
  

Telur Lane/Minoa Palen

   Gay Tropicana (FP)

Tom06 Castro

   TBONE Island (FP)

Tymus Tenk

   Calas Galadhon (FP)
   Dimrill Dale (FP)
   Glandium (HS)
   Grey Havens (OS)
   Mirromere (HS)
   South Farthing (HS)

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Sims Alphabetically

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Abderos (FP) - Ion Michalski
Alcatraz (FP) - Dom Bamatter
Anahola Beach (HS) - Keokipele Ansar
Bay 1 (HS) - Dom Bamatter
Bay 2 (HS) - Dom Bamatter
Belvedere (FP) Dom Bamatter
Berlin Dance Arena (FP) - Sascha Laval
Caerus (FP) - Marcus Steeplechase
Calas Galadhon (FP)- Tymus Tenk
Castro (FP)- Dom Bamatter
Castro Street (FP) - Dom Bamatter
Chilipepper (FP) - Maxim Ansar
Crazy Garden (HS) - Sascha Laval
Dimrill Dale (FP) - Tymus Tenk
Domination (HS) - Dom Bamatter
Eloi (HS) - Marcus Steeplechase
Falkenau Bay (OS) - Dom Bamatter
Ferik Island (HS) - Rik Masala
Fisherman Wharf (FP) - Dom Bamatter
Flag Factory (HS) - Sascha Laval
Folsom Street (FP) - Dom Bamatter
Gallywood (FP) - Sascha Laval
Gay Archipelago (OS) - Fabrice Snook
Gay Europe (OS) - Sascha Laval
Gay France (FP) - Benoit Lednev
Gay Fun Beach (HS) - Oiswiss Decuir
Gay Fun World (FP) - Oiswiss Decuir
Gay Germany (HS) - Sascha Laval
Gay Island Beach (HS) - Claude Zepp
Gay Island Lagoon (HS) - Claude Zepp
Gay Island Resort (FP) - Claude Zepp
Gay Italy Friends (FP) - Achille Putzo
Gay Japan (FP) - Maxel Cortes - Didier Spitteler
Gay Tropicana (FP) - Telur Lane - Minoa Palen
Gay Zone Beach (FP) - Sascha Laval
Gay Zone Germany (FP) - Sascha Laval
Glandium (HS) - Tymus Tenk
Golden Gate (FP) - Dom Bamatter
Golden Gate 2 (OS) - Dom Bamatter
Grey Havens (OS) - Tymus Tenk
Hylas (FP) - Ion Michalski 
IGBC Gay Rehoboth (FP) - JeanLuc Guyot
IGBC Heliopolis (HS) - JeanLuc Guyot - managed by Liamone Troglodite
IGBC Rehoboth Bay (HS) - JeanLuc Guyot
IGBC Rehoboth Landing (HS) - JeanLuc Guyot
IGBC Rehoboth Shores (HS) - JeanLuc Guyot
Islands of Hercules (HS) - Scottie Menges
Jamison Architects (FP) - Jaij Jameson
Kahiki (HS) - Keokipele Ansar
Kanaloa Marketplace (FP) - Keokipele Ansar
Magic Folsom (HS) - Dom Bamatter
Mirromere (HS) - Tymus Tenk
Orpheum (FP) - Philip Eubanks
Pallas (HS) - Even Rutledge
Pandore (FP) - Fabrice Snook
Pillars of Hercules (FP) - Scottie Menges
Pirate Coves (HS) - Benoit Lednev
Pride (FP) - Marcus Steeplechase
Pure Domination (FP) - Dom Bamatter
Pure Heaven (HS) - Dom Bamatter
Pure Indulgence Estate (FP) - Dom Bamatter
Pure Indulgence Island (FP) - Dom Bamatter
Pure Isle (FP) - Dom Bamatter
Pure Gay Australia (FP) - Dom Bamatter
Pure Luxury (FP) - Dom Bamatter
Pure Romance (FP) - Dom Bamatter
Pure Sin (FP) - Dom Bamatter
Pure Temptation (FP) - Dom Bamatter
Rainbow Isle (FP) - Adare Breil
Rendezvous (FP) - Dom Bamatter
Romanum (FP) - Emperor Galtier
San Francisco Bay (OS) - Dom Bamatter
San Francisco Island (FP) - Dom Bamatter
Sandbox Archipelago (HS) - Fabrice Snook
Sausalito (FP) - Dom Bamatter
Sea of Hercules (HS) - Scottie Menges
Selene (FP) - Chance Rasmusen
South Farthing (HS) - Tymus Tenk
Spice Island (FP) - Evan Rutledge
Spires of Hercules (HS) - Scottie Menges
Straight of Falkenau (OS) - Dom Bamatter
Summits of Hercules (FP) - Scottie Menges
TBONE Island (FP) - Tom06 Castro
Tiburon (FP) - Dom Bamatter
Vulcania Fine Art (HS) - Keokipele Ansar
Wharehouse Plaza (FP) - Marcus Steeplechase