LGBT rights in Natopia

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights have been an important component of Natopian politics, legal codes, and social norms for generations. Many of Natopia's heads of state have been members of the LGBT community including such prominent Natopians as Nathan Waffel-Paine who married William of Cerulea in what may have been Micras' first, or at least most public, same-sex marriage including a head of state. The current emperor, Nathan II was married to Shirerithian kaiser Ayreon IV in a high-profile marriage that sparked controversy in the Imperial Republic. Natopian culture's acceptance of LGBT people may also stem from the positive treatment of same-sex activities in the state's religion, Bovinism.

History of Natopia's LGBT Rights

When discussing LGBT rights in Natopia it is important to maintain the distinction between Natopia's LGBT community, an estimated 5-10% of the population, and the entire population of Natopia. Various Natoskeptics have conflated Natopia as a whole with its LGBT community based solely on Natopian culture's acceptance and celebration of LGBT people. Any reference to Natopia as "a gay nation" categorically incorrect.

LGBT rights have been important in Natopia since 1530, the year that Nathan Waffel-Paine came out towards the end of his first term as Natopian emperor and later married William of Cerulea in 1548.

LGBT Rights in Codified Laws

The Caprine Code originally did not specify any special rights or protections guaranteed specifically to LGBT individuals. Instead, the Caprine Code is equally applied to all people without consideration of sex or gender. The prominence of LGBT individuals in public office has created a culture of acceptance towards all LGBT people and the necessity to legislate specific LGBT protection laws has never been seriously considered in Natopia. Therefore, LGBT rights are largely protected by custom, and enforced by social and moral standards.

Natopia has an extensive anti-discrimination law in the Caprine Code. "No person, nor persons, organization, government, group, or other legal entity, may cause harm to another within the Empire, whether to a Citizen or a foreigner, by means of the following: 8. Discriminating against another based on sex, race, age, gender identity, religion, [sexual] orientation, or residency status within the Empire."

Until the addition of Chapter XV to the Caprine Code, Natopia did not have national marriage laws. The only marriage requirements mentioned in Imperial law was that a reigning Emperor/Empress must be married in a Dozan Bovic ceremony performed by a Dozan Bovic officiant. Bovinism is famously supportive of the LGBT community and no Bovic officiant will refuse to participate in the marriage of the Emperor or Empress to their same-sex intended spouse. The spouse(s) of an Emperor/Empress is free to choose Emperor-Consort, Empress-Consort, or Imperial Consort as their title.

Among the general population marriages are generally conducted as personal contracts between consenting adults. Some Demesnes may have their own marriage laws that do not contradict imperial law.

Natopian inheritance laws and some demesne law, especially laws in Flaventia, are explicitly written in such a way as to make no legal distinction between biological and adoptive children, largely due in part to the prevalence of adoption or offspring being biologically related to only one partner. A notable, and perhaps ironic exception, is the family contract of the House of Waffel-Paine which makes a distinction between the biological and adoptive offspring when defining the terms of eligibility for family titles.

In 1676, Chapter XV was added to the Caprine Code, which codified centuries of Natopian tradition by creating one of Micras' most comprehensive, clear, and expansive suite of protections for LGBT+ people living in Natopia. Some opponents of the laws claimed they were unnecessary, although proponents pointed to the Uppheaval and how relying on demesnes to moderate themselves for good behavior sometimes backfires.

Coincidentally, Chapter XV also permits plural marriages. "Where [marriage is] allowed for in Imperial and demesne law, [marriage] shall be open to same-sex, mixed-sex, and opposite-sex couples, triads, and quads." This would allow a reigning Emperor/Empress to have up to 3 consorts, of equal prestige, legality, and stature.

Advocacy

Until recently, advocacy for LGBT rights on Micras was considered unnecessary or low-priority considering the generally positive, or ambivalent, attitudes towards LGBT people among most of the civilized nations. Natopia's close relationship with Shireroth, which had relegated same-sex marriage to the position of being a barely tolerated eccentricity amongst the nobility, tarnished Natopia's authority to advocate for LGBT rights. The collapse of Shireroth and recent public revelations of LGBT rights in Krasnocoria have prompted many in Natopia to call for the Bovic Empire and the emperor himself to advocate for LGBT rights across all of Micras.

In reaction to this new stridency the Natopian Breeders' League was established in 1676 to advocate for the role played by heterosexual family life in securing and maintaining the Human Supremacy over Micras.

Summary table

Same-sex sexual activity legal	The Imperial government, nor any demesne government, shall not make any law to make any sexual activity between consenting adults illegal.
Gender expression	No laws shall be made to prevent a person from dressing or presenting as another gender.
Age of consent	18, The age of consent for sexual activity and marriage shall be set at 18 years
Anti-discrimination laws in employment	No business, private or public, or government agency, or the military, may terminate an individual's employment solely based on that person's sexual orientation, gender-identity, or gender-expression.
Anti-discrimination laws in the provision of goods and services	All persons shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodation, as defined in this section, without discrimination or segregation on the ground of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.
Anti-discrimination laws in all other areas	All persons shall be entitled to be free, at any establishment or place, from discrimination or segregation of any kind on the ground of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, if such discrimination or segregation is or purports to be required by any law, statute, ordinance, regulation, rule, or order of a Demesne or Demesnial union or any agency or political subdivision thereof.
Ban on Conversion Therapy	The practice of "sexual orientation or gender expression conversion therapy" is prohibited.
Same-sex marriage	The practice of marriage, where allowed for in Imperial and demesne law, shall be open to same-sex, mixed-sex, and opposite-sex couples, triads, and quads.
Adoption	Any person, regardless of marriage-status, sexual orientation, or gender identity, may legally adopt a child; pending background checks and approval from the adoption agency and the demesne of the child's residence. Marriage status, sexual orientation, and gender identity may not be used to deny an application for adoption.
Military service	The Natopian Defense Force, and all demesne defense forces, shall not prevent the enlistment, commissioning, or promotion, of any person or officer based solely on marriage status, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Right to change legal gender	A person shall not be prevented from changing their legal name and/or gender on their identification and legal documents.
Access to IVF	The processes of in vitro fertilization and the Hergon-Zygoat cloning method, shall be available to anyone regardless of marriage-status, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
MSMs allowed to donate blood	No one shall be prevented from donating their own blood to organizations or hospitals. All donated blood must be subjected to bloodborne illness screening.
Pride activities	Permitted and listed as a national holiday. "Friedeber 7 - Green, Blue and Purple Day; Natopia's gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender Pride day. Imperial offices will remain open for this day."
Third gender	The government shall not infringe on a person's right to identify as a third or fourth gender other than man or woman. Individuals identifying as non-binary, genderfluid, genderqueer, or other gender identities, shall be given all due legal consideration and all reasonable accommodations shall be granted to them.
Access to PrEP	Medications that prevent the spread of blood and sexually transmitted and incurable infections, such as HIV, shall have their patents bought out by the Imperial government and freely distributed to people who request it and maintain a trimonthly STD and HIV testing schedule.