Lecture: LGBTQ+ Experiences and Communities on NationStates

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Lecture: LGBTQ+ Experiences and Communities on NationStates
Topic Started: Thu Dec 21, 2017 4:48 pm (113 Views)
Ever-wandering souls	Thu Dec 21, 2017 4:48 pm Post #1
Posts: 1 Group: Committee Member #8 Joined: Dec 6, 2017	Hey folks! Souls here. I’ve been somewhat of an accessory to this group lecture, though my involvement ends about here. For this slot, Leo created a survey sent out to players, which I have organized into a “scrapbook” which can be viewed right here! Additionally, Paris has written a short piece which can be found just below. Paris, Jay, and Gren will be available during the lecture timeslot for open Q&A. Thank you for your interest in this topic! By: Paris The lgbt+ community on nationstates is something special in many ways. For some, their orientation hasn’t impacted them in any way, but for others nation states has Impacted them in more ways than one can count. NS and the people on it have helped a great number of people find a community that not only accepted them, but helped them accept themselves. For this talk, we asked people of the lgbt+ community to tell us about their experiences on NS, and if their orientation had affected it, or if their time had affected their understanding of their orientation. And the response we got was staggering. We found that many people had found for the first time a place where they could be accepted. Stories poured in about how in real life they felt scared, or unsure, or just plain didn’t understand how they felt. But when they came to NS they found for the first time a community that not only accepted them, but encouraged them to be themselves. Stories about how NS was so welcoming and an accepting place that it made it harder to live their normal life. Or how NS became a haven and an escape, letting them learn about who they were and the community. My name is Paris. Someone else probably posted this or is giving the talk, but I wrote it. And I’m… Not sure what I am. I’m queer, but as for gender, well, I have no clue how to deal with that question yet. But NS has impacted the way I view myself and my sexuality more ways than I can count, and my story mirrors what we found in our responses almost exactly. I grew up in a home where gay wasn’t really an accepted thing. Trans less so. I joined NS a couple years ago, my friend and I used to play a little, and I felt interested in actually getting involved with the community this time. After bouncing around a couple different communities, I found a place that basically told me. “Hey, you’re gay, and that's a great thing.” I found a place that had people fight for me for once. I found a place that when I had a problem, when I wanted to just give everything up and accept my life for the way it was, convinced me to keep working. I found a place that made me happy to be me. And what's even better, is my story is the exact same as so many others. I’m a cadet going into the Air Force now. Which if you’ve payed attention to the news lately should let you know how that kinda is right now. It’s 100%, without a doubt, terrifying. It’s quite an experience when the people around me that are meant to be my family, my closest friend and people I depend on, make me scared when I’m around them. Because if they knew who I was, who I am behind a facade, my life and future would literally disappear before the week was over. And the only reason it would take a week is because the military loves paper work and being slow. This is sadly another story that we saw a lot. What I’m going through, isn’t something unique. NS is different though. It’s so special to be able to go here and say that I have a problem. To say that I have no clue what gender I am. To say that I’m queer. And have people help me try to figure things out. It’s so special that we have a place where these talks can happen, and these communities exist. Sure, there are places like tumblr or special gay servers or communities or whatever. And while those places are great, they’re missing something that NS has. That’s not the whole point of NS. The point of NS is to politic around, or raid, or rp, or whatever you enjoy. The point is that there is a point, there’s something you can do. It means that you can tell someone you’re gay, or your trans, or you’re ace or whatever, and it means nothing. The fact that you’re gay impacts your worth in no way. What matters is if you’re raiding tonight, or what the bill you just wrote does, or the most recent rp thing you did. You’re not a gay person on NS. You’re not trans or ace or fluid or anything. You’re a raider. Or a diplomat. Or a wizard running a nation of people that eat lightbulbs. You’re not a whatever person. You’re just a person. At the end of the day, NS is what you make it. If it's a integral part of your life, or your sexuality hasn't even come up, it's all up to the player. This place is special, and I can't wait to see what it can do next.
Posts: 1 Group: Committee Member #8 Joined: Dec 6, 2017


Volaworand	Fri Dec 22, 2017 12:30 am Post #2
TSP SPIT dealer Posts: 239 Group: Members Member #61 Joined: Dec 14, 2017	I play my nation as having a traditionally polysexual society, so I role play sexual minority issues pretty liberally. No one I've interacted with in NationStates has ever batted an eye, which I take as a good thing. Our newest dispatch, "Volaworand Fact Sheet on Monosexual Minority (SGLB) Communities" covers all those burning questions like: Is being monosexual normal? What is monophobia? What is polysexism? How many straight, gay, lesbian, and bi people are there? How does a monosexual person know they are attracted to just one person before having a traditional polysexual experience? Where do straight, gay, lesbian, and bi people belong in the workplace? What causes monosexuality? Aren't mono rights laws an attempt to get special privileges? Won't mono parents make their kids mono?

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