15 thoughts on “Dee Sparta (Deirdre Sparta – 2018 – Archived – WITHDREW)”

1. One issue that was brought up at the last Pride event meeting was a desire to increase the involvement of more organizations within the SL community. This is my passion as well.

   What are your plans for outreach?

2. Hi, I’m new to many of you but not to Second Life nor to reaching out to other communities/organizations here in SL. I have worked with other fundraisers in second life and with Linden Labs. So some of my plans are to make other communities/organizations more aware of Second Pride and getting to know the leaders and members of LGBTQ Organizations and communities.

   That means I plan on being involved by visiting events and sims of the other communities/ organizations and I would be representing Second Pride. I also will reach out and be available to community/organization leaders and getting to know each of them.

   I won’t wait around waiting for people to find me or Second Pride. I want to bring it to them and let them know what we have to offer and of the huge celebration we are hosting for all of them. It’s about making sure there is awareness and inclusiveness. I can use Facebook also to reach others and discord.

   I would like to hold gatherings with community leaders or just ask them one on one about what they like about Second Pride and what they would like to see. Also to ask what would help bring them to be more involved.

   I think sometimes taking more interest in others attracts them to be interested in you and the same goes with how to bring other organizations to be more interested in being involved. I also want to learn what has been done in the past and learn from there.

   Plus I do have a lot of fun contacts in SL and they could be useful. I’m already very active and good with outreach. I’m also open to learning more. I plan on doing lots of research and keeping up with the old and new organizations as part of my responsibilities. I know that more ideas will form and this is just the gist. I’m excited and eager. I also am taking this seriously and want Second Pride to continue to succeed. Queer people of all kinds need more and more connections and community to feel safe to be free to be themselves! Second Pride can bring us all together in a spectacular way year after year after year!

3. A response from another candidate inspired me to ask this of the other candidates. Would you be open to expanding the use of the sim in order to serve/inspire more participation in the LGBT community? I think that opening opportunities up to people gives them a feeling of community and might also get them more excited about Second Pride as a whole. I think it’s possible for the Pride sim to host other events as well. This might give increased voice to those in the community. Wouldn’t it be great if many in the community could feel a sense of purpose and excitement about the Second Pride organization as a whole?

   1. I was wandering around the Second Pride Sim and wondering why wasn’t it being used. Yes, there should be more activities through out the year perhaps even leading up to Second Pride to build up momentum. I would like to see it not so empty and barren through out the year so that it can be used more often and become a place for the LGBT Community to come and participate.

      1. Wonderful response. I would love to work with you on that.

4. Second Life, being a miniature of the so-called Real Life, isn’t without its share of drama. In fact, there have been issues in the past of people who managed to make more enemies than friends, because they tried to use their position for personal and not community gain. As a result, there are still people who shy away from Second Pride as an institution due to such unfortunate circumstances, however well they were dealt with. What would you say to such a person, who is —say— asked to participate in an event or host an event in their sim o rbring their shop as a sponsor etc?

5. Unfortunately, there is no way we can avoid selfish people who turn others away. It is good that it has been dealt with and handled but as you say some struggle to see past the bad to see the good that is happening.

   Actions are going to speak louder than words. I think the first thing I would do is just listen to them and let them get whatever they need to say said. Listen without arguing, just listen and acknowledge that they have concerns that are very very real to them. Once I understand their concern it will be easier to communicate with them about the possiblity of going forward with Second Pride.

   I would encrouage people to look beyond the mistakes others have made and remind them that we all are not infalliable and in light of what may or may not have happened that the core of what Second Pride represents is what we need to focus. COMMUNITY, LOVE, FREEDOM to BE US, We can’t let jealousy and unforgiveness divide and and tear each other down. We get enough of that from the Alt Right.

   As a leader I personally believe, we should be servants and not be putting ourselves first. If so and so from such and such offended me, I should not let it keep me from doing good and participating with the many others who are there for the right reasons. No one is perfect and holding on to grudges and hate and unforgiveness isn’t going to fix any problems percieved or real. I would hope that those who participate in Second Pride have hearts full of forgiveness and love.

   1. That is a very good answer, thank you.

6. Hi Dee,

   I was just wondering if you have plans to run community out-reach events on other LGBT+ sims / venues and perhaps at mainstream clubs too? There seems to be a great opportunity there to have pride-promo nights that could act as both outreach events, raise awareness and perhaps even generate donations to SP.

   Are you thinking about doing anything like this?

   1. Yes I would love to encourage and participate in doing this

7. Hi Dee,

   Also a question on non-SL social media usage.
   Do you have any plans for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or other platforms?

   Exo

   1. I want Dee to go ahead and answer that, but I’m going to add a bit of other info. Second Pride does have social accounts on many of those platforms, but we currently do not know what the passwords are. We are looking into how to regain control of them or we may have to create new ones. Just a side note.

      Lee McKay
      IT Director

   2. but of course!!!!! That is definitely ways to reach out

8. First, Thank you for your interest and candidacy.

   Second, Over the last year, the current board has done much in the way of repairing the perceptions of Second Pride as an organization. Many sideline discussions with affected and effected parties have gone on.

   My question to you as a candidate and potential new Board member is how will you personally continue this trend?

   1. By being open to listening and being a positive example. I tried to cover this in a very similar question up above. If there is a need for more discussions then yes I would want to have them continued. My concern is to make sure that we can move forward and be the best we can be.

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