Our Pride celebration in Minecraft is in full swing! We kicked off with a community build challenge – have you started on your submission yet? I know I have. I might actually be turning into a rainbow sheep, that’s how committed I am! Community build challenges are one of my favorite things around here because I love seeing all the creative, fun, weird things everyone comes up with. And don’t get me started on all the incredible things the community is posting all across social media… Inspiration is everywhere you look.
When you want to mine, craft, and create together, there are several options at your disposal. There are so many shared servers out there, and many of them even have specific themes! Over the years, we’ve been lucky enough to discover several servers that are perfect for Pride parties. Kate Gray, one of our wonderful writers, shared her experience about connecting with new friends on a shared server. They built a village for each other, complete with a floating aquarium filled with fish in Pride colors. In their safe space, everyone was free to get to know each other, and also themselves. Sometimes it’s easier to explore your own identity through an online avatar that you craft yourself.
We’ve also reported on Queercraft, a server that’s been around since 2012! With tens of thousands of community members, it’s evolved into a nonprofit support network! Volunteers keep this huge project going, greeting new members with personal tours to make sure that everyone feels welcome, seen, and safe. The founder, Beau Herbert, is still an active member and even hosts four-hour floor-filling radio shows! Queercraft provides support, connection, and a rocking good time. That sure sounds like a Pride celebration to me.
Shared servers aren’t the only way to hang out with your friends. Sometimes it’s easier to tackle tricky topics while you’re doing something else at the same time, like hacking through an ore vein. I, personally, prefer staring into a frog’s eyes while I bare my soul. You can meet up on Realms or sit next to each other to mine and craft together. Maybe you’re going through some changes, or want to get something off your chest. You could just be thinking about a cheese sandwich and people need to know! Or maybe you just want some company as you quietly terraform an entire biome. All of it is fine. All of it is valid. Just remember to be respectful, both to others but especially to yourself.
No matter which path you take, I’m proud of you. Leaning on your friends and community is what we’re here for. None of us have all the answers, and everybody makes mistakes. That’s OK! We’re going to dig straight down and we’re going to say the wrong thing from time to time. But learn from your mistakes. Listen to others tell their stories. It is possible for us to break through all the noise and find a place of understanding. Together we’ve made Minecraft a space to play how you want, build what you want, and be who you are. Let’s try to do the same thing in the real world too.
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