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 does not specify any special rights or protections guaranteed 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."

Natopia does not have marriage laws at the national level except that a reigning Emperor or Empress must be married in a Bovic ceremony to their intended spouse. Bovinism is famously supportive of the LGBT community and no Bovic officiant is likely to ever refuse to participate in the marriage of the Emperor or Empress to their same-sex intended spouse. The spouse of a Emperor is free to choose a masculine, feminine, or neutral consort title.

Among the general population marriages are generally conducted as personal contracts between consenting adults. 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.

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	Yes
Equal age of consent	18 and older
Anti-discrimination laws in employment	Yes
Anti-discrimination laws in all other areas	Yes
Hate crimes laws covering both sexual orientation and gender identity	N/A
Recognition of same-sex couples	Yes
Same-sex marriage	Yes
Adoption by same-sex couples	Yes
LGBT allowed to serve in the military	Yes
Right to change legal gender	Yes
Access to IVF for lesbians	Yes
MSMs allowed to donate blood	Yes