We Celebrate Diversity

Pride Pool

Here at Cardano Army, we talk about diversity a lot, because its important. Some of you, in response to that statement, are immediately thinking that the blockchain is 100% neutral and does not care if you are black, white, straight, gay or something in between. That is not incorrect, of course. However, Cardano is more than just technology. It strives to be, in fact promotes itself as, a global ecosystem. It is simply impossible to create an equitable global ecosystem without input from diverse voices. This isn’t about promoting one group above another. Rather it is simply a methodology of welcoming every single person who is invested in the future of Cardano and acknowledging their presence. It is necessary to do so because some groups feel as though in the past they have never even been allowed in the room, much less had a seat at the table. It is our belief that extending a hand makes us stronger both individually and as a team.

This aligns with Pride pool’s mission of being both an advocate for LGTBQIA+ issues and a stake pool operator. Sammy’s perspective might have something to do with his upbringing. He spent his early childhood in the Democratic Republic of Congo. With grandparents from both Africa and India he was impacted by a diverse mixture of cultures and viewpoints. In middle school his parents sent him to boarding school in Québec Canada where he learned that being gay was not something you had to hide. Gradually, through friends and support groups, he came to understand that the best thing he could do was just be himself and not hide from his feelings. Eventually, as he reached adulthood, Sammy evolved from support group participant to activist mentally, and Canada to San Francisco Bay Area physically.

A trailblazer in every regard, Sammy also has a unique, but not unheard of, view of SPOs as well. He believes that there is a valuable place for part time SPOs in the Cardano ecosystem, as long as they are operated securely and professionally. He feels that it is perfectly reasonable for a small pool to sustain itself with a small group of personal friends as delegators and avoid the stress of becoming a fulltime marketing agency, assuming that the resulting revenue meets the operator’s needs. Sammy feels that the ecosystem should welcome both part and full time SPOs because both support decentralization and enhance network security

While Sammy’s intent is to remain a part time stake pool operator he remains a full-time evangelist for both Cardano and LGBTQIA+ causes. He has created some fabulous resources for the Cardano Community such as the video promoting SPOs:

Or this wonderful compilation he made when smart contracts went live:

Sammy is also continually focused on creating an inclusive environment in the Cardano community. His efforts in creating a welcoming community have been noticed as you can see here in this clip from Around the Blockchain about last year’s efforts:

To that end, he wants to promote a Pride Celebration in the Cardano community in the month of June, when it is traditionally celebrated. His welcomes anyone who wants to become involved in any capacity — large or small. He has created some great gifs that are available for the community to use:

If there is an overriding message here, from Sammy and from Cardano Army, it is that everyone is not only welcome, but is needed to build a truly global Cardano community. We want to hear your voice! If you would like to help celebrate Cardano Pride month, please DM Sammy at Pride Pool to find out how you can help!