Pride is a special time of year and means something different for everyone. For some people, it’s one of the first times they got to express an important part of who they are. For some, it’s an opportunity to create a community with those who share similar experiences and identities. For others, it’s a time to meet people with different experiences and learn from them, allowing the tapestry of different ways people interact with the world to inform and enrich our lives. Some people just enjoy a good party, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
This year, we’re bringing together the South Pacific and Europeia to celebrate SeasPride. Bringing together two regions with some of NationStates’ oldest, most established, and most diverse LGBTQ+ communities for this year’s Pride Month is a genuine treat and delight. Since the first TSPride and EuroPride, much has changed, both in our online universe and outside of it. As Tsunamy pointed out at the 2021 TSPride, when the Coalition of the South Pacific was founded, “sodomy” was illegal in the United States. Certainly, things have changed (and for many, improved) since then. Despite what progress has been made, for many being openly LGBTQ+ offline remains unsafe, and online spaces remain a refuge of queer exploration, community, and social life. Moreover, the importance of online spaces remains central.
In that spirit, we’re proud to present SeasPride: eight days of history, learning, organizing, movies, games, and joy. We’ll have four movie nights, with films featuring LGBTQ+ stories, each coupled with game nights so the party never stops. We’ll also be leaving open a platform for members of our community to share what Pride, and Pride on NationStates, means to them, in addition to running a series of other events. It is our hope that we’ve created a platform for celebration, for resistance, for resilience, and truly for whatever our communities desire from this month.
In celebration, solidarity, and resistance,
HumanSanity
Minister of Regional Affairs of the Coalition of the South Pacific
Spagtop: Tokyo Drift
Minister of Culture of the Republic of Europeia