Virtual Venice

My RL summer travel plans include a trip to Venice, so I thought I'd check out its SL counterpart in preparation for the real thing. 

The tiled roofs and golden colouring of the buildings is quite faithful to the original, and it was a pleasure to stroll around the narrow streets, peeking into shops and admiring the hidden plazas. I felt pretty shabby in my jeans and running shoes, so I ducked into a corner of shop to change. It felt more glamorous, more James Bond-ish, to be strolling the Venetian streets in a handsome suit.

The famous Rialto Bridge dominates the main open area, spanning the Grand Canal and connecting the districts of San Palo and San Marco. On one side of it, a row of gondolas lie in wait for visitors' use. While I was there, a French-speaking family arrived to take a trip in one.

I expected that a member of the party would have to row the craft but then noticed a board near where they were docked that allowed travellers to summon a staff member to serve as a gondolier. In RL, the profession of gondolier is strictly regulated and requires broad knowledge of Venetian history and landmarks, in addition to the skill required to the handle the vessel. I'm not sure if there's a uniform requirement, but if there is, SL Venice seems not to have adopted it.

 I spent some time lingering by the docks, watching the visitors come and go. The French family, rowed by their diminutive gondolier, toured the city and returned to the starting point. A self-proclaimed "SL & RL" master, clad in black leather from head to toe, passed through, as did a lady in an evening gown, who dashed about with her long skirts swirling, looking every bit like Cinderella racing to get home before her coach turned back into a pumpkin. I had a bit of a laugh as I looked forward to my RL trip, imagining myself strolling along the canal people-watching in the same way but without the ability to right-click and view a helpful profile.

Even if you don't have plans to visit the original, stop by Venice in SL. Wear a suit. Take your sweetheart. If you're adventurous, summon a gondolier - just don't expect him to be wearing a striped shirt. Or to be a him.


Find Venice in SL. 

A Small Step in the Right Direction

I love this photo of me with Case because it shows our rings together. Although we haven't had a marriage ceremony yet, we are strongly committed to each other. According to Linden Labs, we are as partnered as we can get. My name is in his partner box and his name is in mine. While Second Life doesn't offer many special benefits, we know that our partnership is equal to that of any other couple in SL in the eyes of the Labs.

Today, the United States has taken a small step in the right direction when it comes to creating the same marriage equality we've known for ages in Second Life. A federal appeals court ruled California's Proposition 8 (Prop 8), an amendment to the state constitution that eliminated the right of same-sex couples to marry, unconstitutional. This ruling upheld District Court Judge Vaughn Walker's August 4, 2010 decision that Proposition 8 was a violation of the Constitution's Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the 14th Amendment (http://www.prop8trialtracker.com/). As the court stated in their ruling, released today, Proposition 8 serves only to discriminate against gays and lesbians by denying them "state legitimitization and societal recognition of their committed relationships."

The court's decision does not mean that Great Grandpa Bill and Great Grandpa Frank can finally walk down the aisle to legalize their 40 year commitment to each other, however. A stay preventing marriages in anticipation of an appeal is in place. Proposition 8 proponents have already expressed their desire to appeal the ruling, keeping committed gay couples in limbo.

History isn't made overnight, however. We are moving forward in our quest for equality with each battle won. This decision is certainly worth celebrating as we prepare to continue our fight for basic human rights so our real life partnerships will be granted the same beautiful equality we've been blessed with in Second Life.

For further reading, please check out the following blog, which does a beautiful job of analyzing the court's decision: http://www.towleroad.com/2012/02/9thanalysis.html