I know I’ll be flamed for this as I know some of your thoughts. That being said I’ve always tried to respect all of your beliefs.

Pride to me I’d now my life’s work. Police needed a task force to deal with lgbtq, diversity, and sensitivity training for officers who were bearing the hell out of people. I was hired to help take the stress off the responding officers and as a sergeant stop abuses be it from gay to black to white and anywhere in the middle. We deal with speciality care of sexual assaults, whereas most police don’t understand make in male or female in female sexual battery. Hate crimes has risen almost 500% in 3 years an FBI study concluded.

My own life. My step dad beat the hell outta me to make me a man. I was an athlete in soccer and played D1 soccer. Volleyball and when no kicker was able I kicked for out football team.

That being said, I’m not shoving this in your face, it’s 1 thread. I’ve met no less than 10 players who refuse to speak out ingame. But being gay is 1% of who I am. I work on cars, we bought a house, and still play sports. And I’m proud that I’m an openly gay sergeant who can stop abuses by bad apples. People don’t call 911 on their best days or to wish us merry Christmas, they call on their worse days of their lives.

So troll if you must. But Pride is not just got me. It’s for a lot of people now too afraid given the political atmosphere. It’s actually June 28. But festivals stary this weekend and what sucks? We block roads off with dump trucks of sand and tons of police to stop some nut case from ramming the festival or shooting people. And I’ll be wearing this: https://images.app.goo.gl/UQKHjZmEFrovYY6Q7

Stock photo

I make no apologies for what I am. And if once a year a post like this bothers some, I apologize. It’s not my intent to make anyone uncomfortable. People died for me to be able to wear that proudly and to serve my community openly. I won’t let their deaths be in vain nor will I live in fear. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

Crushing it brother; proud of you!

I came here to play a game. Don't give a fuxk what folks do in real life.
You always have those folks who feel the need to "look at me" "look at me".

Get you sh*t together and and get back to the game.

Doug - you're a good human.

Be proud homie. If anyone gives you fluff about who you are, I'll harass them on these forums for eternity. I love writing long posts, and I'll post a story in response to everyone of their comments if I have to. Maybe I'll make it a super gay story just to piss them off!

Funny thing is I KNOW you’ll do it without using AI. lol

As QZ and I just spoke about various topics he too agreed that having an inclusive and diverse player base is a good thing. Go yell at him. And bring me your famous ribs. Please?

[quote poster=Doug; 51909; 1013890]

Funny thing is I KNOW you’ll do it without using AI. lol [/quote

We could start with a lesson of Stonewall in NYC 1969 and the purpose and roots of pride if we must BH. (Gives BH ammo) LOL interesting history there.

Happy sexual orientation month as I see it. Be proud of whatever you want to do or be as long as it's legal.

Happy Pride all! Great post, Doug, and thanks for all of your hard work in trying to make things a little better in the ways you can in real life (and on these forums).

[quote poster=ツ; 51909; 1013896]Happy sexual orientation month as I see it. Be proud of whatever you want to do or be as long as it's legal. [/quote]

Thanks mister!

You’re amazingly kind. You’ve been a great ally in the game and personally my friend. Thank you for being an ally!

How come “chatgpt” non-alliance threads gets moved to alliance forum even though it has nothing to do with alliance? But a post made by a prominent alliance leader to his alliance peers can’t stay in alliance forum?

How come a post about “seeds” can be in an alliance forum… but a thread made by an alliance leader to alliance members gets moved here?

Just asking for a friend and as a patron of the game.

I moved it.

I did it because if people were going to get stupid I’d rather it be in general talk then on alliance where people who might find the game would first see it.

Seems QZ and you disagree

I mean I disagree with people all the time won’t be the first time that has happened. About what idk 🤷🏻

Oh idc what people do.

Let me rephrase things.

I was afraid that someone would have trolled Doug. And on the off chance someone found the game that would or could have been one of the first things they saw.


Ffs.

If someone found this game I hope the first thing they find is Doug tbh

Lmfao

Lol.

I just ain’t want them to see people trolling a post like this. 🤷🏻

I was just trying to prevent that. But I mean you did bring up a good point we could move everything to get that is not game specific.

😘

You all happy? Lol

Oh my god I’m so dead dude rofl

I am going to move non game posts just an fyi. If you all look for something and it’s not here check GT.

We love and respect Ref for Viking out to talk with us when many mods would never do. Proud to Rec for standing up and saying “yeah it was me” - he was protecting me but coalie made it clear. So don’t razz on Red. Most mods don’t say a word.

I give redx a lot of credit for being transparent and defending his rationale for his decisions.

Can’t say the same for that one other guy though

Good job redx.

I knew I loved you for a reason.

I do agree. Red and I also spoke privately. So yes, if nothing else he’s transparent and honest and willing to talk. Unlike many others.

Can we not move posts to general talk and mostly just trust the OP's choice? General talk is a bit of a cesspool (or sports focused) and many of us don't go there regularly. It's not like these forums are so busy that we need to keep the first page clean, and half the time the mods are also on non-server chat (which is completely fine, but just to show that it's sort of become a precedent these days to keep things where they started - though I completely understand your rationale here).

Also, if it weren't for the sweet flag in the title, I'd probably miss this as a sticky too - but that's just because they're almost always years old so I skip right past them by habit.

My seeds are only stupid because you have no clue how to grow peppers. Way below your level. I would expect from that a guy who wears woman's loafers.

I have a garden bed full of jalapeños tyvm

then the seeds were stupid to you

You’re not wrong I’m trash at the garden bed

My post was the 1st reply, got deleted, all i said is "When is straight day......oh wait......there isn't one.

I don't care to know what you do in your bedroom, I don't care you like same sex, don't shove it down my throat, i don't give a fluff, i don't need people jumping in my face telling me I'm insensitive for not caring, again, not my business what you do with your feewings.

Jalapeño plants, too soon to have jalapeños peppers unless you started them really early and live close to Mexican border....

Koh I’ve always respected you. And always will. Straight day is everyday lol but yes you have a point. But marginalized groups have a day too. But I will always respect you as well! Don’t worry, I won’t try hugging you lol

I respect you too, i don't like how the movement went from please accept us (the majority of us did and do) to "If you don't bend over backwards for us you're a bigot and racist.", that's where the whole movement lost me as a supporter.

I think it's a sign of great intelligence not to hold a movement's most extremes against the middle. Not all conservatives are fascist, not all liberals are socialist, not all monkeys like bananas, etc. In fact, the vast majority of western cultures are, in my experience, fairly moderate in thinking.

I look at someone expressing pride in the way they feel much like a fella expressing love for his wife. If one of us dudes came on here and expressed how much we like women, or even anecdotes of random ladies at the bar, I think it would never elicit such responses such as it being "shoved in your face." It's just a person who has a difference from you expressing in a similar way, and we should be delighted to hear stories regardless of the bedfellows orientation.

More than anything else, I think the vast majority of people simply desire inclusivity and to tell their story in its truest way...like how you really feel. There's extremes on one side saying all gays are immoral and should burn in hell. But that doesn't represent all or even most of anyone's opinions. And sure, there's probably multiple examples of people reacting wildly different than they would hearing a the exact same stories involving straight people, but I don't think it should be indicative of the fact that you care either. And as you've pointed out, there's extremes the other way as well.

I'm glad to live in a world where inclusivity can gain traction over time and we can work together and have the same types of conversations with all people of all shapes and sizes and colors, regardless of their preferences or race. People should be able to express themselves to their fullest potential without getting harmed, ridiculed or shamed.

In short, I'm proud of Doug for sharing his story. Happy Pride!

Should we not have an autism awareness day?

Should we not have black history month?

Should we not have indigenous people's day?

Should we not have cancer awareness month?

Should we not have no shave november?

Should we not have mothers day? Fathers day? St Patricks day? Lent? Easter? Cinco de Mayo? International Left Handers day? Women's equality day? Patriot Day? Juneteenth? Yom Kippur? Domestic Violence awareness month? Down syndrome awareness month? Mental Health Day? Star Wars day? Halloween? Thanksgiving? World kindness day? Universal human rights month? Irish Heritage day?


I could go on and on.


I kind of suspect, Ko, you wouldn't have problems with most of those days. Most of those people, celebrating, and being proud of, something specific related to them.

So why then, is it 'shoving it down your throat' when the lgbt community has their celebration, but not any of these others?

Think about the word pride. It exists as an antithesis to the word shame. Because for decades, the LGBT community was shamed into SILENCE. Shamed into hiding who they truly were. Shamed into denying their own identity. That's awful, and I would hope you would agree.


So to encourage people to accept themselves, to be PROUD of who they are, Pride day was created. (Doug, feel free to correct my understanding of the history here).

I think that's fluffing amazing and beautiful. People need to be proud of who they are. Why is it a problem for people to celebrate who they are, ESPECIALLY when they've been shamed for who they are for so long. This day encourages millions of people to accept themselves, and be unafraid to show the world. That is absolutely amazing and crucial.

Oh and I should add... I have no idea what you're talking about with the 'bend over backwards for us' comments.

Are there some wild demands that the LGBT community is making of the world right now, that I'm unaware of?

I mean, unless you think them being allowed to use a public bathroom is 'bend over backwards for us', then I don't know what the hell you're talking about.

KoH:
I think the other context to keep in mind is that, in a number of places around the world, both political and social demagogues are promoting outright hostility towards LGBTQ+ and so especially for people who are of the "live and let live" mindset, this is a great time for you to once a year remind those around you that: it ain't no thang; you don't need the details (no pictures of loafers!!) but want people to be happy who they are; and (optionally) that if anyone gives them fluff, they'll get an earful from you on how much of a fluff they're being.
<no paragraph spacing because that's just one long incredibly unbroken sentence>

Wholeheartedly disingenuous arguments, like every other progressive and politically, financially beneficial grift. Social restructuring, propaganda saturated, astroturfing, "forced down your throat", "bend over backwards", and so forth.
Major corporations bend over backwards to attract profit, investment, and access to broader markets, bonuses for government deregulation and oversight. Non profit executives (the ones getting most of the $) and their dark money investors need tax free money, signatures, banners and votes to get a return on said investment.
Blacks and females are the #1 consumers($). Look at the videos, photos of every major protest, news interview, social media, standing on corners screaming at passing cars. Notice a pattern? There were more white women at BLM protests than blacks. Women marching "immigrants welcome" banners, carrying signs and scolding. Crying brown babies at the border, on tv, in news stories of "Asylums". Shipping people from countries you invaded and bombed to fluff less than a decade ago, those same people pleged eternal revenge and call you Satan. You blew up their women and children and now you pay to bring them to YOUR homeland, expecting free $ is going to forgive you destroyed THEIR homeland? Thats some advanced placement calculus.
The point of which is; abusing black causes and harnessing female sympathy to struggle for "justice". Theres is a cause/effect mirrored by investment/profit. How much $ is donated to the thousands of grifting groups who claims their battles for racial,gender,immigrant, whatevers popular cause du jour? $$Billions$$. Did you get a cut of that for being gay this month?

Douglas, I have always enjoyed your input and positive attitude, especially when posting on the forums. Heres the "however"...
When you first arrived, you gave a pleasant hello, and welcome home. Nobody had anything cruel or threatening to say when you announced your homosexuality and how you at times struggled with your professional life in the early stages. Then upon seeing our welcoming and tolerance felt comfortable and safe.
From there you began posting, constant, graphic and sexual, clearly inappropriate comments, details nobody in any social setting would deem acceptable and consider you the "in your face" person. Which is why, after some chatroom convos, you decided to scale back to speaking in a normal less obscene style.
Are you noticing how this reference to you and your forum decorum mirrors the "Pride" title given to an activist/political/profitable agenda based on something "in the privacy of our bedroom"? Feeling shame is a clear sign of a weak person. Ive been called all sorts of things based on religion, social views, personal fashion, music, and on it goes. Do I overcome this shaming by throwing a Qur'an in your face? Do I put posters and flags of my favorite musicians in every school, office, federal building and city street? Can I cancel you for not wearing a Scissorfight pin on your name tag? No. I ignore detractors and live my life as I want, with pride. Affirmation can be given not forced. That is tyranny.



Drag Queen Storytime, rainbow painted crosswalks,state flags replaced, government covering buildings and workers with stickers, decorative ornaments, mandatory inclusivity training,pride marches in every city,tuck friendly swimsuits for children, "pride month" shopping displays in stores equal to major holidays (except black history month), ass kissing for donations, "parental rights", massive social shaming campaigns against any conservative who says "its a bit much", for an entire month , and buildup starts in May..... Not much I guess. Great point.

This right here is what I was trying to avoid. Lol

No no, DevilsReject made some points I should give pause to. He politely said what he felt, he didn’t disrespect me. As to drag queen story time I agree with him, until a child is old enough no. What I would like to point out is that the number of children that are molested or raped by drag queens is about zero compared to clergy the Boy Scouts and politicians that’s a fact.. rainbow painted sidewalks are also a no go with me as I feel is that too much that address too much attention, and makes most people roll their eyes and say oh here we go it’s not necessary. I agree with that as well.. however, I would say that in context, and properly done pride in itself, can be celebrated on a day or a weekend, attended by folks of the community to celebrate who they are what they have 54 in the rice they have tanned children should be accompanied by a parent parent should parent their children not the state. I also have other views that are not included in this conversation, but I do thank you for respectfully bringing these items up to me, and I guess I give pause to my own comments as I’ve tried to be respectful and dignified and a decent person on these forms I hope I didn’t ruin that by being who I am and feeling the need to Xpress, my pride and pride months or pride day that was never my intent so no, don’t attack him for his beliefs because they’re valid and he has a right to say that and he put them in old fashion that were dignified and respectful towards me . However, I do feel that I still need to disagree that it’s OK to have pride in who you are and enjoy summer festivals, but I also think that no I’m not shoving it down anybody’s throat that we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day or Cinco de Mayo when we may not be of that culture that we adopted, so again to the allies thank you and to those who respectfully disagree thank you as well, because I am not here to argue or fight with you. An open exchange of ideas or debate can be healthy as long as we keep it civil that’s far we’ve been able to do so , I hope we continue to have an open mind in an open discussion because again as QZ said when I talk to him about this he was happy to see the inclusivity and diversity that I have found in a high position and a higher ranking position in this alliance I respect all of you I like all of you, even though I may not like your politics, but that’s OK. It’s OK to disagree but we can disagree without being disagreeable. That’s, what devilsreject did. Thank you for being respectful and I actually do agree with you on several of your last points. Many of your last points I do in fact agree with.

And for the record, any obscene or off-color joke, has usually been directed at me, and I’ve joked back to be just one of the guys Coalie, for example, has many gay friends and served in the military, and he makes jokes that I understand because their jokes that he’s made with his friends and he’s made them here on the boards and I’ve responded to them, but as far as intentionally being obscene, offensive or Sexually explicit I don’t believe that’s completely accurate if that is true and that has happened I certainly apologize but I would ask what is what was the context what was the context that I used it? It was a referring her joking back towards someone who had made a jab at me . He makes jokes towards me all the time as does Orkin as the weather people, and you’ve got to play playback that’s the way it is you sit back and do nothing and you get eaten alive here. But again, if you felt offended or if it went too far, it certainly was not my intention and I do apologize for that. I don’t go out of my way to hurt anybody or to harm or to offend anybody that’s not who I am and asking anybody that knows me you’ll know that that to be true But again I respect what he is said, and it has given me pause and a little bit of thought and that’s OK

James St James whose glamour includes a badge and gun(minus the manlet ginger part). Youre my disco Dougster. Happy pride month

lol I’ll make sure I put abba on Spotify lol (which I’ve never heard their songs lol but thanks)

Then shut the fluff up and do that you fluffing idiot. "I just want to play the game except when I click on a Pride message board topic and write up my stupid ass opinion" eat fluff

Oh!

Too much to reply to and some people already covered my stance (DevilsReject) and when it comes to holidays, well let's see.... Memorial Day, Independence Day for obvious reasons and the other ones are xmass and new years because in those two i get to spend time with family i don't see often, the rest of "holidays" imo are window dressing, every day is mother's day, every day is father's day, every day is pride day because you're expressing your love every day.

I'm not a hateful person, if anything I'm that "get off my lawn" guy, let me live my life my way, i won't bother you if you don't bother me, i have friends from all walks of life, i know for a fact I'm not a bigot or i wouldn't have them as friends.

You know what though at least they were polite and picked a month that didn't have much else going on 🤣 It's not like Pride is near any of the major holidays much less the religious ones.