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Since this subculture section is going to include the content from another site I used to run, I thought you might want to read the mission statement we had for HAVEN. I think it will give you a good idea why we started that site, and why we have decided to integrate it here.

What is HAVEN/Why was HAVEN created?

HAVEN (Haven Alliance: Virtual Enlightenment Network) was created because I have seen too much hate and discrimination in my short time on this earth. People are ridiculed, belittled, and made to feel useless and “dirty”, because they do not follow a “majority” way of thinking. Being one of the “minority” myself, I decided to start this site, and try to make at least some small difference in this world. Even if all this site and its board succeed in doing is giving a few people of “alternate” faiths and orientations a place to come and hang out and feel safe, then I’ve accomplished something. I may not be able to change the world, but if enough people join and make their voices heard, WE can change the world, one piece at a time.

HAVEN is a site/board system created to allow people of varying faiths, races, sexual and gender orientations to come together, learn from one another, and find support. I hope that this will enable people to learn, find acceptance and understanding, and find our common bonds. People today separate themselves under so many labels, “Pagan”, “gay”, “black”, “sanguinarian”… We are breaking ourselves into ever-smaller groups, and making it that much easier for the right-wing majority to cut us down. I want to gather people from all walks of life together, and hopefully help people realize that the only way we are ever going to get anything changed, is if we all stand together, as one united force against the opposition. Small groups are easy to target and destroy, but if we all stand together, we form a wall that’s a hell of a lot harder to knock down.

We may all be different, but we all face a lot of the same issues. Hate, prejudice, violence… They don’t care what you look like or what you do in your bedroom. They will find you. It’s universal. Every one of us who does not follow the cookie-cutter mentality of the majority is a target. We are all walking targets for hate crimes, prejudice, lost jobs, lost friends, suffering and poverty. We all get sick, we all bleed, we all die. I for one will not just lay down and wait for the axe to fall. I’m well aware of the fact that making this site, posting on the boards, and speaking my mind is going to make me a prime target. I know that one day I may well die for what I believe is right. But to me, it’s better to die trying than to just sit back in my safe little corner and let it happen. The internet can provide anonymity for those who want it, so people who come here will not need to fear. If you have the guts to post your real name, feel free. If you’d rather not, that’s fine too. But I hope that you will at least speak up, even if it is without a name, and show others that they are not alone. Tell of your experiences, voice your feelings on various issues, and provide support for those that need it. Do not let the world come crashing down around your ears without a fight.

Tags: change world, die, faiths, hate, haven, learn find, majority, mission statement, orientations, people, prejudice, site, site board, stand together, target