Second Annual Pride Weekend
Stonewall Fleet
Presents
The Second Annual Pride Weekend
Saturday, July 9th, 2011 - Sunday, July 10th, 2011
Stonewall Fleet is proud to host the Second Annual Pride Weekend for the Star Trek Online community. This time of year is a time of great celebration for the GLBT community. Millions worldwide celebrate during this time of year in remembrance of the Stonewall Riots. The Stonewall Riots were a major changing point in the Gay & Lesbian Rights Movement that not only affected the GLBT community, but the entire world.
This year is especially important as it is the Thirtieth Anniversary of the first cases of AIDS. In June of 1981, five Los Angeles gay men were reported to the Center of Disease Control for contracting a rare form of pneumonia. They would later be diagnosed with AIDS. Since then, AIDS has spread to every gamut of society and every corner of the globe. It is important for us to remember those who have passed and also celebrate the advances that allow those with HIV to live normal and happy lives.
For this occasion, Stonewall Fleet will be hosting events throughout the second weekend of July. The events will be open to the entire Star Trek Online community and we hope that you and your fleet will come join in. For those wanting to participate, please join the Pride2011 channel*. We will use this channel for all communications during the festivities. Please check back to this page for more information as it becomes available.
*This includes Stonewall Fleet members
| Pride Weekend Schedule* | ||
| Time (EST) | Saturday, July 9th | Sunday, July 10th |
| 3:00 PM | Opening Ceremonies |
Ground PvP |
| 4:00 PM | Fleet Actions |
|
| 5:00 PM | Foundry Missions |
|
| 6:00 PM | Pageant |
Pride Prom with Auction |
| 7:00 PM | ||
| 8:00 PM | Pride Parade | Klingon Rampage |
| 9:00 PM | Space PvP | |
| 10:00 PM | Closing Ceremonies |
|
*Tentative
Come to a Meet & Greet at the Sol Station in orbit around Earth. We'll be hanging out in the Sol Station Bar and Lounge, chatting in the Pride2011 channel. Get to know your fellow Pride participants and make some new friends. Stonewall Fleet's Fleet Admiral will give his opening remarks at the Sol Station Hall and commence the weekend. Be sure show up earlier and grab a seat in the front!
Opening Speech by Fleet Admiral NicholasJohn16
Thirty years ago, five men died of a rare form of pneumonia in Los Angeles. Their deaths are now considered to the beginning of the AIDS Crisis. As time went on, those five deaths, turned into hundreds, and this into thousands as what was first considered to be a medical anomaly turned into a pandemic. Many of you I’m sure have heard the story of how “gay cancer” became GRIDS which is now AIDS. What many people don’t talk about is the affect that it had on our community.
As the disease swept across the world, making its presence known, the governments sworn to protect us turned a blind eye to our plight and ignored the suffering of a less than desirable minority. In the first year of the disease, the United States allocated a meager $250,000 to AIDS research; while the affluent of our community donated millions to help those with the disease. The out pouring of financial support from our community was not matched by government aid for almost five years.
In 1984, the first drug to combat the disease was found. The glbt community heavily lobbied for the drug to be released quickly and was successful. The early release of the drug helped save thousands of lives. Since then the glbt community has put constant pressure on medical researchers to make advances in combating the disease. Now, those infected live normal and healthy lives. Many of the drugs that have been developed to fight HIV are now being used to fight other, more deadly, retroviruses. The antivirals that were created to fight HIV were used to stave off the Swine Flu outbreak, helping to prevent a pandemic.*
The impact of the diseases on lesbians was much less severe than gay men, but they couldn’t stand by and just watch. As hospitals and clinics began turning away AIDS patients, lesbians responded. While gay men where sick and dying, lesbians came from countries to set up clinics, finical support centers and hospices to provide the assistance the men so desperately needed. They didn’t have to come, to volunteer, to expose themselves to the grief, but they did to support their own kind.
When things were bad, we pulled together. Those not affected by the disease gave their everything in support. The true power of AIDS was not its high rate of mutation, but that it brought us together to fight back. Together, we are far more powerful than the sum of our parts. If it wasn’t for the lesbians, the bisexuals, the transgenders, the gays and everyone else that makes up our community, we would not be where we are today. This is a lesson that we cannot forget. We cannot allow it to slip away from our minds or out of our culture. We must remember how we have fought for each other in the past and know we will be there for each other again in the future.
Thank you.
*Ommitted from first publication.
After the Opening Ceremonies, join us in some Fleet Actions as we use the new Fleet Action Queue! We'll kill some Gorn or destroy a Crystaline Entity or two. Together, we'll unite as one large community and fight together, side by side! Meet on the surface of Risa to join in on the fun.
Use the vast collection of costume options to dress your Captain up! Make a fabulous uniform and come on down to Drozana Station and enter into the contest and, possibly, win. Contestants will take a walk down the runway in front of the judges and have their scores announced to the all attending. Prizes will included 1,000,000 Million Energry Credits for First Place, 500,000 Energy Credits for Second Place, and 250,000 Energy Credits for Third Place.
March with us across the Alpha Quadrant and show your GLBT Spirit! Meeting at Sol Station, we will travel through Sector Space, to Risa, down to the surface for a brief respite and then to DS9 for some Blood Wine and Appletinis at Quarks! As we travel, be sure to show off your pride by using as many of your ships abilities as you can.
After the Parade, practice your fighting skills with us as we organize PvP matches on Space maps. Bring your best cruiser, escort, science vessel and show us what you're made of. Klinks and Feds are welcome alike.
Try out the new Ground Combat 2.0 in some aggressive PvP! Charge your rifles and get ready to aim with your new reticle. We'll be setting up PvP matches on ground maps and fighting till the last man's standing!
Take a little time and try out some Foundry Missions created by Stonewall Fleet members like The Wounded Wolf by @Akrilon, Dead in Space by @eurrsk, Burning Bridges by @Sturnack or The Spirits of Ramok Nor by @alimac30! They're great missions and integrate the gay themes we love into the Star Trek that we love!
Do you have your eyes on a particular someone? Well, ask them out and bring them to the Pride Prom! (All kinds of couples are welcome and feel free to come stag.) Have you and your date head on down to The Cave on Risa for an elegant evening under some bioluminescence. Make sure to outfit your captain in the latest of Off-Duty fashion. Tune into Stonewall Family Radio to listen in to our own mix.
While partying with us at the Prom, pull out your wallet and get ready to bid on a special services or dates! A two-hour date with each of the Admirals of Stonewall Fleet will be auctioned off to do with as you like, from helping you power level a new alt to a walk across the beaches of Risa! Also, we'll be auctioning off services like crafting or story writing from the general membership. All proceeds will go to the fleet and help us raise Energy Credits for our future starbase!
The aliens in the KDF territories have gotten out of control. Some are even out right rebeling against the Klingon Empire. They need to be put down and taught a lesson. Join our Squad and put these aliens in there place. We'll meet up in Qo'noS System Space, divide into teams and explore till our Klingon heart's content.
Meet up at Sol Station to hear the closing remarks of the 2011 Pride Weekend.
Closing Speech by Admiral Bfelczer
Hello fleet! It was an honor and a pleasure to have spent this weekend with you!
STO Pride is very near and dear to my heart and I would like to thank Nick, and the rest of the Admiralty, for making this weekend possible. Also, thank you to each and every one of you for coming out to celebrate -- it was a very special time for our community.
For those of you that do not know me, (we had a few people join the fleet even since prom!) my name is Brandon and I am Stonewall's Admiral of Intelligence. Ever since I joined the fleet during the early stages of Closed Beta, I have considered Stonewall a second home, and sometimes a first with the amount of time we spend here.
Isn't it amazing to think that Stonewall Fleet is approaching its third birthday this month? Time has really flown by. And, we really have come so far in that time! While we all play a game together, we all want to create an experience that trancends just playing a MMO.
We have an amazing website that allows us to connect with eachother (thanks, Nick, for all of your countless DAYS working on it and always improving it) We have amazing subgroups within the fleet, too, inclduing the ones I am apart of: The Crafting Corp and The Stonwall Times.
Some fleetmembers are even heading to Vegas next month to hang out and go to the Trek Convention!! As you can see, Stonewall is not just a fleet in-game, it is a full-fledged community out-of-game. No matter what you are interested IRL, you can find something to show off your hobbies or talents in the fleet! If you have not had the time to check out some of the other aspects of it, I encourage you to do so; you won't regret it. And, you never know... you might even land an IRL job because of your expeience with it and the skills you learn from it. I did and it is a dream come true.
Also, one last thing! Please check out this link. I would love to help get you answers to your questions :D It's part of my role as the Intel Admiral!
With that said, Happy STO Pride everyone! Thanks for coming out!! It was the best weekend ever!!!
