Never apologize for who you love

I just wanted to say Happy Pride Month to all you amazing people here on HP!! And that the world is a wonderful place with you all in it and that you are all LOVED!! ♥

-bump-

🏳️‍🌈 ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 • 💜💙💚💛🧡❤️

Thank you!

love is love!

🏳️‍🌈🌈 much love to my alphabet mafia friends 😜💕 

what sat said, but I like to say to my rainbox folks xo :D spread love, not hate xo

*cackles at "rainbox"*

Let me preface this by stating how I love every person I ever encounter on here and in real life. It's my second greatest commandment to live by and revolve my life around: love thy neighbor. I don't care who you are or what you do, I see every person as an image bearer of the creator of the universe and as worthy, loved, cherished, and valued. However that does not mean I need to agree with them.

Now onto why I'm here. Is this thread simply for those who agree with this post? Or am I as free as anyone else to voice my disagreement?  Because not everyone on here agrees with the lifestyle, and that should not be unequivocally assumed that it's underpinned by hate. I do feel that, by the many name changes and forum posts, there's an assumption being made on this game as much as it is in culture: anyone who disagrees with pride month or the LGBTQ lifestyle perpeuates hatred. But thing is... disagreement, or variance of opinion, does not automatically equate hate. 

Personally, I don't point fingers before first pointing fingers at myself. I do not judge or condemn -- that's far from my job to do so -- but that doesn't mean I have to agree with A) another persons lifestyle choices (no matter what they are!) and B) a horse sim game being politicized and rampant with polarizing cultural topics. 

If this freedom is allowed on here, then I must ask: I am pro life... had I been playing this game when Roe v Wade was overturned and I littered my name with celebrations, because I believed it to be a win for the unborn, in the way you believe pride month is a win for the LGBTQ community....would I have been met with the same level of acceptance? If I made sure to show all my political cards, and someone disagrees, can I deem them hateful as well? These are questions to consider if you're going to lead the political charge on a game where everyone may not share your same lens.

Also, "love is love" is a subjective statement, and not an objective and absolute truth. Because someone with malintentions could coin the exact same phrase when they commit atrociticious crimes. They can say they did it because love is love. There are many stronger arguments for Pride month aside from that slippery slope mantra based on experience, not on fact.

So why am I meeting this with resistance?  I do not agree that based on their sexual orientation, some people deserve 30 days of honor, recognition, and celebrations, where I need to be reminded on every platform I'm on (including a horse sim game?) that I need to respect the demand of validation and tribute. Not when my grandfather who served in the Vietnam War, earned the Purple Heart for saving 3 of his men, endured 60 years of PTSD and night terrors, and never walked the same again gets only TWO DAYS -- Memorial Day and Veterans Day -- of national honor, recognition, and celebration.

And why am I saying anything at all? Because frankly, I'm disappointed. I thought we could all escape from the world on here and just be training sims and building community safe from political divides. I am saddened, and I truly hope there is just as much inclusion for those of us on here who do not share your political leanings. 

I am just saying this as not an argument or anything but some of us can't be who we are irl. We can't run around and show the world who we are and who we love, because some places in the world aren't evolved yet. So to be able to come on here for one month and throw some rainbows up, is that really a problem? To be able to talk to people who struggle and maybe help them out and give them a safe place to be who they are and to have someone to talk to, is that a problem? I believe everyone is equal and free to love who they love. U are free to believe whatever you want, just as I do. I am not a church person, but I am not over here throwing my disagreement around. More power to you my friend. All love ❤️ 

I didn't post this to create an argument or any disagreements for that matter.

I just wanted to create this post because I wanted to show my fellow HPer's some love and support! What is so wrong about that? And as for the rainbows and hearts in peoples names I don't see anything wrong with that either. 

@Lost: There's too much in that whole thing you wrote for me to even have the energy to respond to other than:

1. Unlike religion, being LGBTQ is NOT a lifestyle, any more than being straight is. 

2. Learn the history of Pride and educate yourself as to why Pride Month even exists.

3. The military gets 36 days throughout the year, and 4 months. Which, if you were really that bothered, you would have known.
Source: https://www.militaryfood.org/military-holidays-and-observances

That's all I'm going to say on the matter (for now) because as many know, Admin especially, if I don't control myself now, I'm going to fucking explode.

Cheers!

This is about being respectfull to EVERYONE no matter age, gender, color, weight, believes or whatever else! 

I want to be very clear this is me posting as a player and not a mod or official staff member.

There are MANY other month long celebrations/observances, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_month-long_observances   If you would like to see them as there are far too many to type out. Pride Month, as well as many of the other month long observances, are now observed because of the level of hatred, violence, and the many years that the community or people have been being discriminated against.

To your statements of ;

1) There's an assumption being made on this game as much as it is in culture: anyone who disagrees with pride month or the LGBTQ lifestyle perpeuates hatred. 

2) Because frankly, I'm disappointed. I thought we could all escape from the world on here and just be training sims and building community safe from political divides.

1) I see no assumptions of the sort being made. The people on here that are celebrating Pride Month and have a rainbow or colored hearts in their names, are those that deal with the hatred every single day in real life. And yes, this "horse sim game" is much more of a family and strong community and it is not just a bunch of strangers that never interact with eachother. Many of us have known eachother for YEARS and we love and stand behind our friends. This is a SAFE community for anyone and everyone to voice their opinion, as long as it is not spewing hatred at others. "Roe v Wade", yes you could have put something in your name, or made a forum post about it, as long as it was not targeted and hateful. Johnny v Amber, players had respectful discussions regarding this controversy. 

2) None of the players who are trying to celebrate Pride Month on here are trying to create political divides, this is an escape for these players as they know they are accepted here, where in real life, again, they are not. They cannot control if people disagree and will be offended. It is a choice to be offended by something in my mind, so simple as hearts and rainbows.

I am not a member of the LBGTQ community, but I stand very strongly with them, as no one should experience the level of hate and disrespect that they deal with every single day, just for who they are. 

I myself am not a member of the LBGTQ community, however I do stand very strongly with them! Nobody should have to experience the hate and disrespect they deal with everyday single day.

HOWEVER, I will not stand for any hate towards anybody that cannot defend themselves. This is supposed to be a SAFE space for everyone and I certainly didn't create this forum post for people to hate upon LGBTQ. 

If I have to, I will get admin involved! 

Thank you Moorf, well said 🩵❤️

I respect everyone's opinions and views, and if you know me IRL or have interacted with me on here, you know that I live my life and gameplay led by love, compassion, and respect for the individual no matter who they are. I just wanted to clarify if people who may disagree and hold differing views/values will have the same freedoms to express themselves. In addition, I stated and explained why exactly I don't agree, and voiced my opinions of this being so prevalent on this game. I'm all for this being a safe space... it sure was for me when my dad passed away! I just wasnt aware that topics of sexual orientation and politics / societal issues had such a presence here.
Again Oak, I'm not hating anyone? You're making my point. I don't have hate just because I disagree with this topic being emphasized so heavily on a horse sim game. That is not me being filled with hatred but having an opinion, just as yourself. 

I'll end it there, but please rest assured that I, in no way, say anything out of anger or malice, or condemnation or judgement. 

(Please note that I am typing out this reply as I read the replies after my last one on this thread, so that may explain the order in which I address points.)

Lost Woods...

- I politely disagree with your claim that you don't care who people are or what they do, because in the next sentence you then declare that you don't agree with "them", in this case meaning those who identify as 2SLGBTQIA . To me, those two statements cancel each other out. It would be like me saying "I don't care if Taylor Swift chooses to date one guy for the rest of her life, or dates a new guy every month. However I think she's a tramp." Clearly I do care enough to state my opinion, which in your case is what you did as well.

- Like anyone on this site, you too are free to express your opinions, providing it's not something that's widely known to be illegal in most countries (eg. if you were to make a post going on singing the praises of animal abuse), or doesn't violate our site rules in any way. Obviously it should go without saying however, that just because one is allowed to express their opinions, even if it's "allowed", that it would be in their best interests (eg. purposely posting your opinion on something knowing it'll blow things up on the game...general statement! Not trying to say either way that that's what you did in this case, just to be clear). Common sense should be considered. But overall yes, you are free to express your opinions.

- Being 2SLGBTQIA is not a "lifestyle", it's who we are, much like you being a straight heterosexual woman (I'm assuming) is who you are. That's not your "lifestyle", correct? It's who you are, how you feel, how you exist in this world. Even though I myself am very much not religious, I did grow up attending church, so I feel comfortable stating this, seeing as God was once someone I had in my life: Just like you will claim that God made you to be who you are because God has a plan, it's the same for those of us who are 2SLGBTQIA .

- Not everyone who disagrees with Pride Month is perpetuating hatred, however how they make it known that they don't agree can and does often perpetuate hatred, and is seen as hatred. Especially if there is a context behind what is stated in that disagreement, like citing something used frequently by hate groups.

- Pride and being 2SLGBTQIA does not have to be politicized. If that's how you interpreted my initial news post wishing other 2SLGBTQIA on the site a happy Pride Month, that's not the intention of the post. I see it the same as wishing someone of Irish heritage a happy St. Patrick's Day or Happy Irish Heritage Month (which is celebrated in March btw!). Not political at all...it's a month to celebrate who you are. Or, if I were to wish everyone a Happy Independence Day. I'm not American, but I still wish those who are a happy holiday. To me it's the same thing. Others may disagree, however that's my view of it. Not political at all.

- Comparing Pride Month and 2SLGBTQIA posts and names to Roe v Wade being overturned is like comparing a turnip to a banana. Not the same thing AT ALL. No it wouldn't be allowed to have something in your name celebrating it. Why? Let me tell you a (short) story. Back when George Floyd was murdered, I put #BlackLivesMatter in my name. Another staff member complained to Sam about it, as they did not think I should be allowed to post something so polarizing and political of an issue on HP. It was a political issue she strongly identified with. I was asked to remove it, due to its political nature, out of respect for other players, and because this is meant to be an escape from the real world for many. How is any of the pride month stuff different from that? See what I said in the previous point about Pride Month = celebrating identity. You supporting the overturning of Roe v Wade is not your identity any more than me supporting Black Lives Matter is. Also falls under the toe-ing the line rule should you choose to test that.

- I'm confused as to why you say you're meeting resistance when, as far as I know this is the first time you've publicly said anything about this topic, with your first reply? 

- I'm not an American politician, therefore I have no say in Memorial Day or Veterans Day....I feel like that's an RL rant and point to make, not one on "a horse sim game" (as you put it), especially considering this game has members from different countries, not just the US? Plus I just Googled it and they do kinda have a month in the US...it's May. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Military_Appreciation_Month

- Here's a thought...if you don't like it, ignore it? That's what I did with Kuwait's name about horse racing last month. What I do when I see a religous passage in a name outside of this month when they took on a life of their own and I had to keep looking them up to make sure they were appropriate. What I did when another player created a forum post for praying and religion awhile ago. Don't agree, not my thing, just don't bother to engage. Just go about your business.

Now to other things said...

- Insom is right. Not all of us are open with who we are in the offline world, either because we don't want to be, don't feel comfortable, or wouldn't be safe to do so, or don't believe anyone in our offline world is worthy of knowing that about us. Whatever the reason.

- Oak, nothing wrong with that!

- Kuwait is right...read up about why Pride Month exsits. Stonewall. I personally recommend Rob Sanders' book "Stonewall: A Building. An Uprising. A Revolution". It's a non-fiction picture book told from the perspective of the building and what it saw.  "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." - George Santayana

- Well said, Moorf!

Double posting...

Seeing as I have 2 parties to go to this afternoon, I can't sit here and keep an eye on this thread to ensure it doesn't explode, nor can I sit in a corner at my friend's wedding party refreshing it on my phone.

SO.

I am going to TEMPORARILY close this thread until I get home tonight, to prevent any sort of explosion. HP is a Safe Space and I want to make sure it stays as such. 

I recognize that this means I'm essentally getting the final say for now, but I hope you all understand.

This should reopen at some point after 7pm game time tonight.

Please also note that choosing to continue this discussion about Pride Month elsewhere, or creating a new forum post to continue the discussion, will result in action taken against you. 

Be patient, write your reply if you have one, and wait until it's reopened to post it. 

Thanks!

OK. I'm home from my whirlwind of parties, and thus this thread is now re-opened.

Edit to add this because I couldn't NOT because I think it's hilarious AND a sign...

My laptop, when on the login screen, shows me a different random photo off the internet every day, always something nature-related. Today when I went to log in to deal with this thread, this was the random image the computer gave me:

All I could think was...IT'S A SIGN OMG.

I definitely think that rainbow was a sign too!