‘Meta’ Wants to Change How We Envision LGBTQ Safe Spaces With Virtual Reality

To celebrate Pride, the tech company Meta opened the doors to the “Dream House” within the company’s Metaverse, their extensive online world built to establish virtual connections and community. The “Dream House” is a virtual space designed by LGBTQ creators and inspired by the ballroom community.

As part of their Metaverse Culture Series, the tech company hosted “Pride Unbound”, a conversation between various LGBTQ movers and shakers to discuss how intersectional LGBTQ+ leaders can envision a safe space within the metaverse. The roundtable included Legendary judges stylist Law Roach and ballroom icon Leiomy Maldonado, along with model Tess Holiday, Civil Rights activist Dr. David Jones, and co-owner and VP of the Atlanta Dream Renee Montgomery.

“I feel like this would be a nice space for people to actually get to know people outside of just a physical form”, Maldonado said for Meta. 

In a world where queer and trans folks still struggling to exist within society, finding a sense of community becomes incredibly invaluable. The five panelists discussed how the “Dream House” fostered a sense of vulnerability, safety, and community in an innovative way.

“I feel immensely grateful and hopeful for a new future that I feel safe inviting my friends and family and loved ones into”, Holiday said for Meta. 

And while the Metaverse is still under development, the roundtable served as a envisioning session on how virtual spaces can bolster connection and construct a safe haven for queer and trans folks. 

“There’s something powerful that’s being created here. We are on the cusp of something that could really change the world”, Roach said for Meta. 

You can check out the full conversation below.