The real world can still be a unwelcoming place for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people. So perhaps it is not surprising that LGBTQ people are attracted to social VR and virtual worlds, as a way to connect with other queer people and create queer spaces. (Please note that, as a proud and out-of-the-closet gay man, I am reclaiming the formerly pejorative term queer in referring to LGBTQ people.)
Second Life
Second Life is home to dozens of LGBTQ-friendly places, including the popular Lesbian Teahouse and the five-sim Boystown Gay Community. Every year there’s a massive virtual Pride festival. There’s even a sprawling, ten-sim ancient Roman roleplay community Romanum for gay and bisexual men! You can also pay a visit the Transgender Resource Center and the Transgender Hate Crime and Suicide Memorial.
Linden Lab maintains a listing of LGBT friendly places in SL, and even a special LGBTQ landing page for visitors:
AltspaceVR (PLEASE NOTE: Altspace is now permanently closed as of March 10th, 2023)
There are two regular weekly LGBTQ+ and Friends meetups which take place in AltspaceVR:
Come join our global LGBTQ weekly meetup that offers support, encouragement, and love from all corners of the world. Join our North American meetup at: (6:00 p.m. Pacific). If you are sending your love abroad, join us at our earlier time (1:00 p.m. Pacific). We have created this safe haven where you can express yourself in a welcoming environment. We have created this space for those who have difficulty sharing their thoughts and experiences. Feel bold enough to share your stories and we will do our part to give you the encouragement you need to live the life you have always dreamed.
Here’s a link to the current events calendar in AltspaceVR, so you can find out when the next meetup is taking place.
VRChat
VRChat has an active LGBTQ community that runs its own Discord server, where you can find out about happenings and events in-world.
Have you heard of other LGBTQ-friendly spaces and events happening in other social VR platforms and virtual worlds? If you do, then please leave a comment below telling us where and what it is, thank you!
