Gay Archipelago
The Gay Archipelago
The Gay Archipelago is an international region of Second Life consisting of 86 sims today 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
The purpose of the Gay Archipelago is to provide a wide region managed by its Estate owners 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
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
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 Zone Estate, and Fabrice decided to connect their 7 sims in a new area on the SL grid. Later that year, Badpuppy and Citegay, two sims linked to well-known gay Internet portals in USA and France, joined them.
The continent continued to grow with Gay Europe, Gay Japan, Toozepolis and other new sims. Sascha Laval launched 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 later with Gay Europe. Today, "SL Gay Cooperation" is today a non-open group that manages the new Gay Europe sim, an openspace that connects 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 not more only focused on european range, and GA has choosen to be 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 8 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 Estate, joined the group, and Arnel Choche’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
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:
The managers of Gay Archipelago are GA EStates owners (see below). The GA Council is here to :
- 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
- make 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 Estates
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
In all :
Total = $18,730 US per month
Total Land Value = $62,000 US
Sims by Owner's First Name
(FP) Full Prim
(HS) Homestead
(OS) Openspace
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)
Didier Spitteler
Gay Friendly (FP)
Maxim Ansar
Chilipepper (FP)
Oiswiss Decuir
Gay Fun Beach (HS) Gay Fun World (FP)
Sascha Laval
Crazy Garden (HS) - managed by Arnel Choche Berlin Dance Arena (FP) Flag Factory (HS) - managed by Frenchy Kazan 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)
Non profit Sims dedicated to GA
- Gay Archipelago (OS)
- Gay Europe (OS)
- Pride (FP)
- Sandbox Archipelago (HS)
Shopping Sims (PG rate)
- Crazy Garden (HS) : Flowers, plants, trees
- Flag Factory (HS) : Flags, banners
- Jameson Architects (FP) : Prefab residences and condominiums
- Pandore (FP) : multi-mainstores sim (Fashion accessories, Prefab homes, Textures full perm, boats/barges)
Sims Alphabetically
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 Warehouse Plaza (FP) - Marcus Steeplechase