Google offers VR solution for those who are barred from marching in gay pride parades

The magic of technology has made it possible for us to not only be in two (or more) places at once, but to do so from the comfort of our homes. And now, that magic is being applied to gay pride parades around the world. Meet #Prideforeveryone, a montage of pride parades encompassing the LGBT community in 25 countries across the world that you can access on YouTube 360 and Google Cardboard by way of your smartphone. From Belgium to Brazil, Sao Paolo to Sydney, you can be a part of these proud celebrations of diversity no matter where you are.

Meant as a way for those living under oppressive regimes to still express their support for the LGBT community, #Prideforeveryone seeks to “bring Pride to those who cannot march.” In a blog post detailing the initiative, Google wrote, “This summer, we’re documenting global Pride parades using 360-degree cameras. We’re working with LGBTQ communities to invite those who cannot march in person to celebrate Pride in a new way — using virtual reality and Google Cardboard.”

Noting that it remains illegal to be gay in over 70 countries across the world, Google’s VR approach allows for access and solidarity at an unprecedented scale for the LGBT community. “This year we gave it a lot of thought how we bring Pride to people who can’t physically not attend or are not really that comfortable in attending Pride,” said Arjan Dijk, Google’s vice president of growth marketing. “We are bringing Pride to millions of people who can march in a virtual way and be part of it all.”

The brain child of a Google employee, #Prideforeveryone will focus on gay employees of the tech giant around the world.

“We march together. For equality. For the right to love whomever you choose. For loving families of all kinds. For the right to use the bathroom that matches your gender identity. Because pride should know no boundaries,” Google concluded. “We believe in #prideforeveryone.”

from Planet GS via John Jason Fallows on Inoreader http://ift.tt/28TcMtZ
Lulu Chang