MetaPride Land Brings Pride to the Metaverse

MetaPride Land is a significant achievement, as there are still 68 countries in the world where it is illegal to be gay, with strict antigay policies. Even in the USA, there are currently over 200 bills trying to strip the LGBTQ+ community of its rights and protections.

This is particularly relevant to queer people who live in rural areas with potentially nonexistent LGBTQ+ communities. "We don't just want the option of online spaces to connect with one another," says producer Jake Resnicow. "In many cases, it's all we have." His thoughtful and theatrical Pride Festivals in New York, Miami, Las Vegas and Los Angeles have made Resnicow the country's leading gay event producer. He was recently recognized by Out Magazine as one of their OUT100 Most Influential LGBTQ+ People of the Year.

"By celebrating Pride in the metaverse, discrimination becomes disempowered," he continues. "MetaPride Land will be a safe and anonymous place for people to find community and belonging, to celebrate Pride from the safety of their homes, and choose their level of immersion through sociable experiences."

MetaPride Land was born out of the inequities that are plaguing the much-hyped and over-promised potential future of web3. Matt Stevenson, founder of MetaPride Land, witnessed these inequities firsthand through his work with TIME, where he helped conceptualize TIME's web3 platform TIMEPieces.

"Web3 prides itself on creating a more inclusive and equitable future but in reality, there are not enough queer, bipoc and gender non- conforming individuals engaged in the space for that to be a reality. Even though many of the leading digital NFT artists and creators identify within these communities, they are often being leveraged for the gain of others and the impact potential is still small.

Partnering with Jake Resnicow and Matt Stevenson is Jasmine Viana. Jasmine is the founder of Javi collective, a hybrid branding agency that creates immersive brand experiences and innovative art installations. "There will be no borders or restrictions in MetaPride Land," Viana says. "LGBTQ+ individuals and allies in the farthest reaches of the planet will be able to celebrate their queer and gender non-conforming identities at our digital festival."

In addition to ticket sales, MetaPride Land will raise funds for LGBTQ+ charities through the launch of a global NFT collection. Foodmasku, a leading queer artist whose work has been featured in The New York Times, will curate the first MetaPride Land NFT collection; a repertoire that celebrates queer identity with original works from today's leading queer and bipoc NFT artists and allies including Hackatao and Julie Pacino.

The NFT collection will be promoted and featured on OpenSea, the world's largest NFT marketplace. In celebration of MetaPride Land's mission, OpenSea has agreed to waive all primary and secondary fees. Unstoppable Domains, the #1 provider of NFT domains on the blockchain, is donating domains for anyone who attends the physical or digital events with MetaPride Land.

"We're so excited to present MetaPride Land, the first truly hybrid Pride Festival," Matt Stevenson concludes. "By taking place in real life and in the metaverse, people from all over the world will finally be able to come together to live out loud, celebrate our unique differences and lift up our love as one powerful community."

MetaPride Land will launch June 24-25 in New York City. Tickets are available at MetaPride Land website. Follow on Instagram @metaprideland.