United Jacaria Celebrating Pride Month
As the world of the Democratic Nations creeps its way into June, United Jacaria’s LGBTQ+ community has been gearing up for its annual Pride Month celebrations. Now, with the attack on Oslo and the ongoing reclamation of B&O Industries, the nation’s mood is one of depression and sorrow. This hasn’t stopped the community from going all out, and in fact, experts say that this year’s celebration may be the largest in history and will provide a much-needed boost to national patriotism. In light of this, we at the Sentinel have taken this amazing opportunity to reflect on the history of the Pride movement in the Jacarian Realm over the years.
Recognition
In 1946, the National Catalogue of Illness and Disorder published a study conducted by the Stockholm Institute of Health confirming the preexisting idea that gender nonconformation (now known as gender dysphoria) was based on preexisting medical conditions rather than previously accepted reasons such as satanic intervention, choice, or spite. This allowed for the first subsidization of hormone supplements by the Universal Healthcare Act, albeit with a medical professional’s approval, marking the first major step to the recognition of the LGBTQ+ community not as something sinful, but rather something completely natural.
Future studies conducted by both public and private clinics showed lowered depression rates amongst transitioned individuals with an extremely low regret rate. The success of these pharmaceuticals and the growing number of people who identified with a different gender than that assigned at birth led to the complete subsidization of hormone supplements, this time without a professional’s approval.
A separate study conducted by the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Psychology interviewed homosexual individuals across the nation, uncovering that many discovered their interest only after the idea that homosexuality existed was introduced to them. Many elaborated on that idea and stated that, had they grown up only learning about heterosexual relationships, they most likely wouldn’t have explored their attraction. When this was brought to the attention of the late Lord High Butterfield II, he deemed it “completely unacceptable” that such knowledge was being intentionally withheld from the populace. An act of Parliament made sexuality a mandatory topic in the school system’s sex education program, and additionally, the Federal Court deemed it illegal to discriminate against individuals based on sexuality or identity.
In 2001, under the Wizhard administration, United Jacaria passed the Equality Under Law Act. This act was characterized by the following points, pioneering both national and worldwide civil rights:
- Recognizing trans people on official documents and allowing them to compete in sports teams of their chosen gender, given they undergo hormone therapy for a given amount of time;
- Fully recognizing all marriages as equal, regardless of things such as gender or the number of individuals involved;
- Allowing individuals to express non-binary genders on official documents;
- etc.
Various other laws have been passed since the Equality Under Law Act that have expanded these rights, as well as those for straight individuals, beyond what any other nation in the world has historically.
Pride Month in Copenhagen
The shining capital of the Jacarian Realm is home to the largest Pride celebration in the world, and it’s no mystery why. With the invention of the vat incubator, any two or more people, regardless of gender, can have an offspring that is a full mixture of all involved genetic information. What does this mean? Well, for instance, three men can have a healthy child that is genetically related to all three of them. This works regardless of the number of individuals or the genders of the individuals involved, and has helped to expand both the LGBTQ+ and Jacarian populations beyond what was previously thought possible.
Copenhagen, being the most populous city in the world, has among the largest populations of LGBTQ+ individuals. Its yearly parade is far from the only Pride celebration in Jacaria, although it is certainly the most attended, with many even traveling from out of the country to visit. The celebration dates back to the early days of the Pride movement, with experts often placing the year of the first parade around 1950.
It is customary for the Progress Pride flag to be flown next to the Jacarian flag outside all public buildings for the duration of Pride Month. Lord High Williamsburg has defied this trend, instead raising the flag on the 31st of May as a token of gratitude towards the LGBTQ+ soldiers who have died thus far in the reclamation of B&O Industries.
Our Thoughts on Pride
Given that we took the time to write a full article on the history of Pride Month, one could guess our views. We at the Sentinel are extremely supportive of the community and of Pride Month itself. We love to see people come together and find solidarity in each other in hard times, and it is heart-warming to watch the nation unite for at least a while to celebrate such a wonderful and diverse community.
To emphasize United Jacaria’s devotion to its LGBTQ+ community, we were given the honor of interviewing Lord High Williamsburg on his sexuality. Below is a transcript.
Q: Good morning, Marton. We’re glad to have you here today. I trust the trip was smooth?
A: Quite. You know how those maglevs are, always doing a phenomenal job.
Q: Yes, they certainly are. So, I suppose we should begin with the most important question: what do you identify as?
A: Well, those who have read my memoir know that my identity has shifted dramatically over the years. As a child, I struggled a bit with who I was, and even debated myself on whether I was male or not.
Q: That sounds difficult. How did you decide?
A: I asked myself, “Marton, who do you want to be? What do you want the world to see you as?” It was really grounding for my younger self. That’s when I started to explore my sexuality more, trying to find a definition that fit me.
Q: Did you ever find one?
A: I did, in a way. I noticed that I didn’t find many people attractive, and the few I did were entirely my close friends. There weren’t any other similarities, really, other than that. So I stopped trying to use those dating apps, and instead opted for growing closer to my now-wife, Sophia.
Q: That’s quite interesting. You encountered someone during your disappearance who became significant to your life, yes? Did you ever grow feelings for them?
A: Yes, you’re right, I met a man named Robert Brown during my time with the SCP Foundation. I worked with him closely, and we both helped each other through traumatic experiences. I had been transported through time and space, beyond everything I knew, and I didn’t know if I could return. He had fought for the Allies during the Second World War and had PTSD from seeing the horrible experiments the Nazis and Japanese conducted on their captives. I believe that’s why he worked for the Ethics Committee, actually, to prevent stuff like that from happening again. And yes, we did grow feelings for each other. I was whisked away before it turned into anything, but I think about it often.
Q: What does Sophia think about your relationship with Brown?
A: She’s surprisingly fine with it. I half expected her to freak out when I told her, but she just pulled me into a hug and asked if I was alright after being so suddenly separated from him. I appreciate her for that more than I could express with words.
Q: Do you plan on attending the Copenhagen Pride Celebration?
A: Of course! I plan on taking my whole family to explore the streets, talk with some of the patrons, and partake in the various regional cuisines that are gathering around the area.
Q: Now, I remember you saying you had a Council meeting soon. I imagine you have to leave?
A: Yes, we’re to discuss some policy, and -1 wanted me to introduce them to my family afterwards.
Q: Well, thank you for your time. I hope you’ll be back soon!
A: No, thank you! I always make time for interviews like these. It gives me a chance to talk heart-to-heart with the people without the need for politics. And I hope to be back as well!
