Our children are our future...

There are a few individuals that I know, like a few friends and even my husband, that do not agree with the idea of the LGBT community having its own country. They have expressed that for the LGBT community to have a country of its own would be "extreme" and unnecessary. I found it a bit confusing and hypocritical since one of them is Israeli.

Another person near and dear to me also surprised me by stating that in a country such as the Queer State (QS), in which individuals would obtain children one way or another, would have children that would then be straight and that the QS would cease to exist. To some extent yes, but to another extent no.

I hope to take on these topics this post. I know that this is not an academic blog, but I hope I'm sticking to the facts as I have read them or experienced them. I write an academic paper with proper sourcing and uninterrupted arguments when I have the time and resources to do so.

Ok, let's get started by addressing the issue about a sustainable future for the QS due to straight children. I feel as though I've written lightly on the topic by stating in previous blog entries that the purpose of the QS is NOT to create a country or nation in which ONLY the LGBT community can reside, BUT a community that is created with the intention to PROTECT the LGBT community. It would be welcoming to others, but would prioritize granting of citizenship and residency permits to those of the LGBT community. The country would be a place where ANYONE would be welcome, but with the goal of focusing all resources and efforts into promoting a land where all walks of LGBT life would be able to live an open, transparent and safe life.

One does not need to look to the possible straight children to wonder if the QS would simply become "overgrown" with heterosexuals and then become the same as any other nation, country or state. One needs only look at the bisexual segment of the LGBT population. They would be able to have a partner of the opposite sex without being ostracized. I've written before that the bisexual community or individuals that once identified themselves as homosexual that later change their identity to that of bisexuality suffer discrimination form others in the LGBT community--especially those of the LG segement. This would be something that would need to be worked on and would need to be discussed later.

Back to the children. I feel as though the children would be able to choose whether or not they would like to grow up in a country that is so vastly different to that of other heterosexuals. If the individual felt it was not correct, morally or otherwise, to have such a lifestyle or if said individual felt as though they simply wanted to live a different lifestyle due to the very nature of the QS being located in underwater biospheres (UwB) or platforms (Pf), then they would be offered the opportunity to travel back to their parent's country of origin or to a country with which the QS would have signed treaties. These children would otherwise be integrated into the society--a society in which individuals are hopefully seen as simply people, regardless of their sexual orientation or any other number of self-identifiers. 

I hope that if the QS is successful in its goal of full integration and societal harmony between LGBT and non-LGBT members, that it would serve as a model of how other countries could successfully integrate the different segments of their society and that if the rest of the world learned to integrate their LGBT communities into society, that there would be no more need, per se, for the QS. The QS would then need to reassess its long term goals and find other issues to address. It would continue to be an LGBT country, in the sense that it would still be able to serve as a safe haven for LGBT individuals from around the world if history were to repeat itself and persecution of the LGBT community were to commence once again, but it would not need to be a nation focused so much on the LGBT community and on promulgation of LGBT issues and rights. It would, in essence, become a nation/country/state similar to any other with an amalgam of different sexual preferences, etc, but with the exception of having stated in its constitution that members of the LGBT community would always be able to escape persecution by living there. I know there are implications to that statement like national defense, and those will be addressed later. I will address other foreign policies including immigration.

As for the second point, I'll have to get to it tomorrow...

Back from my personal exodus.

I was beginning to wonder whether the world was changing for the better and that proposing the creation of a QS (Queer State) would be completely ludicrous and a cause for even more strife and segmentation within the LGBT community, but...

I have, unfortunately, gotten a wake-up call. I have recently realized that with all the good that goes on in the world and with all the advances in equality, that there are still forces that seem to resurrect from Hell to fight against us. I feel/fear that the worlds period of development may be coming to a relative close. With fundamental groups and their corresponding pools of conservative cash starting to flex their muscles again, we may be in for one big and ugly fight. Societies in many "forward" thinking nations are becoming more polarized and I fear that the more passive, pacifist left in these nations may just lose the war because of it's very nature. I seriously hope not.

There ARE precedents for such cycles and one needs not look further than our own national histories (in many western and eastern nations/societies) to see that there are, in fact, many cycles of open mentalities and then the sudden closing of the same. This is why I deeply feel that there should be a geographic and sovereign territory set apart for the LGBT community.

We, the LGBT community, have our very own culture and sub-cultures, dialects and arguably our own race. The only difference between us and the heterosexual community is that instead of receiving our nationality or race by virtue of being born to parents in a certain community, we receive them genetically and in a relatively uniform ratio around the world regardless of color, "race" or nationality. In other words, we don't need to procreate with other members of the LGBT community to secure offspring. Our genes are like certian cuckoo birds in that they lay their "eggs" in heterosexuals' nest and are thus raised by these adoptive parents. But unlike cuckoo birds, the LGBT children do NOT push the heterosexual children out of the "nest". It is normally the LGBT child that, if discovered, gets pushed out of the nest.

Things are changing, but that is not to say that they can not revert to the way they once were. It just takes the mixture of any given social climates and there we are again on the chopping board. So why not secure our community as much as possible by creating a nation that would serve as a safe haven able to secure its own way future--as much as possible?

As I have stated before, I do not think that all individuals of the LGBT community should decide to stay indefinitely in a QS. Instead, I feel as though it should serve as a sort of home and refuge--a place where one may go to escape severe persecution, but also an example of how such a community could function and succeed. I would hope that it would help to dissipate long-held biased views of the LGBT community by the educated and only hope it strikes some sort of logical cord among the others that may not be too indoctrinated to see that the LGBT community is no different than theirs and that they deserve to be treated like any other member of society in ANY society.

Possibilities for a QS

View Queer State in a larger map

The map above is a plausible map of what a Queer State (QS) may look like. I know that there are terrible wars and conflicts fought over territory, historical boundaries, etc. so I propose that we create our own "land"--an aquatic land.

It is possible for a community in a geographical society in international waters to become a state of its own. It needs to meet certain requirements, but why couldn't the LGBT society be able to do so? We could have floating/underwater biospheres or platforms that could connect together to expand and be anchored to the seabed to be considered territory that can be claimed.

We could expand our territory by connecting more platforms or underwater biospheres together or by anchoring them relatively close to each other as to create an artificial archipelago. The form of government will be discussed later and the platforms/underwater biospheres as well, but for now. I'd like to expound on why I chose the region I did and the sea I did.

The Arafura Sea is a relatively shallow sea in a tropical region of the planet. It is located in international waters  and would allow for easier anchoring and territory expansion. It is also located between two large nations--Australia and Indonesia as well East Temor and Papua New Guinea. There would be chances for economic development with these neighboring countries.

There are large potential conflicts that could arise because of potential oil fields that would be taken away from such countries and conservative/religious views by the neighboring nations. I feel it would be a large obstacle, but surmountable.

The yellow boarder is a possible first territorial boundary and the yellow pins are smaller, single Underwater Biospheres (UwB)/Platforms (Pf). The yellow pins with the black dot in the center would be a cluster of UwBs/Pfs. They would be considered "city states" and the single UwBs/Pfs would be "territories".

The red-ish colored pins are future territorial expansion UwBs/Pfs and the red-ish boarder would be a possible expanded territorial boarder.

This style of life would be markedly different from that which we have now and would take an effort to get used to, but it is possible. It would also be an opportunity for us to live in entirely green and sustainable ways. It would be a way for us as a people to not only be an example for the people in our community in other lands, but also for the other communities that share those lands. It could be a green, sustainable template for future communities.

In the next few days, I'll be talking a little more about the political systems, the economical models and biospheres themselves and how they may be able to function in our new QS.

Picking up where I left off yesterday

I've been thinking a lot about the topic of Queer Nationalism (QN)--for the past few years to be exact--and I truly feel as though having a sanctuary where LGBT(Q) individuals could live free from persecution and on equal par with those around them, if not with the rest of the world at first, that we would be able to focus on other divisions and prejudices that exist within our own community. The same could be said about external forces fusing our goals and futures together, but even that luxury isn't allowed others in this world.

There are many people that feel as though having a queer state (QS) or a gay homeland would be living under a separate-but-equal code. But I feel as though that is not the case. I, myself, grew up in an extremely homophobic environment and it took me traveling half way around the globe on several occasions to finally realize that I was not going to become straight and, above all, that I was gay and should embrace who I am. It was a valuable lesson and I would NOT have learned it had I not see how gay individuals could live in other places and that it was not just a single place that could provide that. It was an awakening and I wanted to help LGBT people around the world and especially in my community to see that potential. That we could live a life that was "normal"--I'll right more about "normal" later.

I came to Denmark in 2005 and realized that LGBT individuals could truly live a more inclusive role in society and that they had a place in this world. But even here in Denmark are things different than they may seem on the surface. There are large hate groups here as well and even though individuals may want to be open, they fail at many levels. That doesn't mean that it's because they aren't trying--but because they have preconceptions that make blur their view of the LGBT community. I was surprised to see how poignant they could be, too. 

Anyways, The point I'm trying to make is that if there was a place LGBT individuals could make a pilgrimage  to, live, work or love and by the way they saw fit with no worries about being punished, that those same individuals would then be able to return to their homelands or influence others still there to work for the better. To see how life could be where ever they saw fit to live. It could be a beacon of hope for someone lost in despair.

But that's not to say that there wouldn't be conflicts in "paradise". There are still many bigots and judgmental individuals in the LGBT community itself. There are those that feel as though they are better than others because of their level of femininity or masculinity. There is HUGE discrimination in the gay community against Bisexual individuals or those that decide they may not have truly been gay in the first place. This comes from fear within the community from insecure individuals that are afraid that it somehow makes them less "homosexual" or that in some way the straight people have "won" someone over and that they may be next. They may also think that they themselves may find themselves attracted to someone of the opposite sex and are terrified that their whole life would have been a lie or a waste or for naught. How sad, I say.

We would need to overcome these very fears within our own community because whether straights or gays like it, they're the same fears shared by us all at some level and are the root of much bigotry. I feel as though we would be able to address those fears and concerns better and accelerate our own development if we were given a place to call our own.

This place doesn't have to belong to any other state or nation, although living on terra firma would be easier. No, I propose that with the technology of our day, that we should build our own country from scratch. Yes, scratch. And I'll propose a bit more on how to do that tomorrow.

Queer State vs. Local Queer Activism

When it comes to it. I don't think it's a question of Queer State vs. Queer Activism. Why does it have to be one or the other?

I see that there are places, especially in Europe, where homo-/bisexuality/transsexualism is looked upon more favorably than in other places. But on the other hand, there are also places that are getting progressively worse. The places such as Spain that already have "equal" status for it's queer citizens may have won over support from the youth and the more liberally minded segments of the community, but still have large swaths of the population that not only think queer individuals are to be regarded as second class citizens, but should be eradicated.

We have to look at the cause for this hatred. Is it because of ignorance, scapegoat-ism or because of socio-cultural or religious influences? It definitely isn't because they're right. Man, I wish I could remember more from my sociology/inter-cultural communications classes. I know the concepts, but have a hard time remembering the terminology. But that's besides the point. If there are socio-cultural forces acting upon members of a society to act or think a certain way, then they can and will be overcome with time. There is no question about it. We see that happening all the time in wester and eastern countries alike. Ignorance and thus fear have a big impact on one's outlook on things. We all suffer from this, but it can be overcome. 

Scapegoat-ism is hard to overcome up until a certain threshold or critical mass. That can be seen to certain extent with minorities in Europe and North America. It would just take time to eventually reach a more inclusive society. But this is not to say that there would not be any setbacks. We see that all the time when crises occur and politicians need someone blame and more importantly, someone do draw attention AWAY from themselves.

Religion, though, is another question. And it always seems to flair up in economic times because hopeless people need some supernatural power to rekindle the lost hope. Then enter manipulative, "religous" power mongers that feed off of the hopeless and destitute. This target group is always some minority or unconquerable majority. They demonize this group and are horrified if what they have contrived about the target group "actually" turns out to be false. Then the truly scary sides of these power mongers come out. They will do anything to keep their power, to propagate the notion that their in-group is better than any other in-group. This, unfortunately, may take more than just a couple generations. These groups can cling on for dear life and mutate and embed themselves into new religions until the cycle begins again. All the while zealots are out "fighting" for their "God" that calls for "desperate" means in "desperate" times. THIS is what we should truly be afraid of. How does one try to help someone see how destructive their beliefs and subsequent actions are when their "God" is always "right" and works in "mysterious" ways?! It's like saying: "Believe me no matter what because I know best and you may not understand because it makes no sense in human logic, but I'll always be right. Just do what I say." It's impossible to confront that notion because they will always find an excuse. The worst part of it is that it is usually these two faced individuals with double standards that are willing to stop at nothing to get what they want and thus, be in control.

Now don't get me wrong. I know there are people that are religious that are good hearted, that understand some universal principles about love and inclusion and that do not do this kind of thing. I'm not saying I don't believe in a God. But what I am saying is that there are some out there that abuse it.

So we come back to fear--fear caused by ignorance and fear caused by a threat, which I feel stems back to ignorance--not an ignorance of knowledge per se, but of potential or foresight.

I feel as though ignorance of knowledge can be overcome locally over a short to mid-term time frame where as the latter (ignorance of potential) is a long-term goal that can not be overcome in a one, two, three up to five generations. Therefore, for the sake of those living in societies trapped in the latter, there must be a place for them to go. A place where they can live equal to those around them. A place where hope is still alive. A place where dreams can come true and where they can share these dreams with others. A place that could stand as a beacon of a coming future.

Why

I've always been a Queer Nationalist. I know that the LGBT community has been gaining recognition around the world and that equality movements have been gaining steam, but there have also been set backs.

I feel as though there is still a LONG way to go and even though I don't think that a Queer State would be a long-term fix, that it would alleviate many short-/mid-term problems faced by countless around the world. I'm not saying that people should give up fighting bigotry and discrimination all around the world, but I feel as though there should definitely be a safe-haven for those in nations that don't even have the right to live and love.

It could serve as a model/experiment that the world could watch. It could serve as a window into an LGBT world and how "God" would treat us. On the contrary, I feel as though "God" would bless a nation that was inclusive and raised the bar on openness and inclusiveness. If "God" is love, God would love our love towards our fellow wo-/man. It could be a base for spreading the true message of "love" that could be exported to nations around the world by their own people. It could be the template other communities, not only LBGT ones, could use to foster a new level of integration. 

Therefore, I've started a blog. Why not, right? Please visit and contribute to my thoughts.