[DEFEATED] Commend BearNation

[Mallorea and Riva]

The Security Council,

Applauding BearNation's 11+ years of devoted service to educating and building the communities of Nationstates,

Celebrating the numerous literary contributions BearNation has made, authoring dozens of articles for prominent newspaper organizations including The Rejected Times, Hell's Bells, and their blog; Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Philosophy,

Valuing BearNation's desire to spread knowledge through their educational writings that offer helpful advice on daily issues and national strategies,

Admiring BearNation's promotion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) equal rights throughout Nationstates,

Recognizing BearNation is serving their sixth year as the elected WA delegate and founder of Gay,

Further Applauding BearNation's contributions to the community of Gay including:
• Striving to make it a safe haven and growing the region's population to a record high,
• Authoring Gay's 2nd & 3rd Constitution and documenting the region's history,
• Teaching people about safer sex by authoring educational articles on the subject,

Observing BearNation also controls Dr George and has been the founder of Philosophy 115 since 2005,

Appreciating the unique culture developed within Philosophy 115, the atmosphere of a college classroom where they actively promote the study of philosophy and class is always in session,

Impressed by the extensive ambassadorial network run by BearNation through both the regions of Gay and Philosophy 115 spanning several dozen prominent communities which they actively engage with,

Believing BearNation has made a positive impact on the communities of Nationstates and is a nation we can all learn from,

Hereby Commends BearNation.

The Security Council,

Applauding BearNation's 11+ years of devoted service to educating and building the communities of Nationstates,

Celebrating the numerous literary contributions BearNation has made, authoring dozens of articles for prominent newspaper organizations including The Rejected Times, Hell's Bells, and his blog; Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Philosophy,

Valuing BearNation's desire to spread knowledge through his educational writings that offer helpful advice on daily issues and national strategies,

Admiring BearNation's promotion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) equal rights throughout Nationstates,

Recognizing BearNation is serving his fifth year as the elected WA delegate and founder of Gay,

Further Applauding BearNation's contributions to the community of Gay including:
• Making it a safe haven for all and growing the region's population to a record high,
• Authoring Gay's 2nd & 3rd Constitution and documenting the region's history,
• As a consistent advocate for safer sex has authored educational articles on the subject,

Observing BearNation also controls Dr George and has been the founder of Philosophy 115 since 2005,

Appreciating the unique culture developed within Philosophy 115, the atmosphere of a college classroom where they actively promote the study of philosophy and class is always in session,

Impressed by the extensive ambassadorial network run by BearNation through both the regions of Gay and Philosophy 115 spanning several dozen prominent communities which he actively engages with,

Believing BearNation has made a positive impact on the communities of Nationstates and is someone we can all learn from,

Hereby Commends BearNation.

Co-authored by Jakker City

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Feedback is most welcome.

[The Silver Sentinel]

Support

[Wrapper]

Quite a few R4(b) violations there (his, someone). You must refer to BearNation as a nation, not a person.

[The Stalker]

Quite a few R4(b) violations there (his, someone). You must refer to BearNation as a nation, not a person.

Ah thanks for pointing that out, I will fix that shortly.

Support

Thanks for your support.

[Wordy]

I am unsure of the use of "we" in this line

Believing BearNation has made a positive impact on the communities of Nationstates and is someone we can all learn from

both from legal standpoint and just does not seem to fit. "our nations" might be a better substitute?


It looks good and I would support. Certainly a worthy candidate.

[Kalix]

Definitely support!

[Little Neutrino]

Support!

[Otis-T]

Supported.

[Syrian Paris]

Strongly opposed. I will campaign against this if you submit it.

[We Are Not the NSA]

Support. Is "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Philosophy" an onsite blog?

[Thermodolia]

Support!

[Cormac Stark]

Further Applauding BearNation's contributions to the community of Gay including:
• Making it a safe haven for all and growing the region's population to a record high,
• Authoring Gay's 2nd & 3rd Constitution and documenting the region's history,

This part is extremely problematic, and is why I would not vote in favor of commending BearNation, particularly for anything related to the administration of Gay.

Because BearNation and others in Gay have decided that the region's status as a defender region and membership in the Founderless Regions Alliance (FRA) are more important than being welcoming to all LGBT NationStates players, the Constitution of Gay contains clauses like this one in which raiders are lumped in with homophobes, fascists, and Nazis:

C. Generally, it is in the best interest of Gay to seek allies of other LGBTQ regions and friends in straight regions.

D. Incompatible regions include:
(1) tyrannies;
(2) homophobes;
(3) raiders;
(4) the inane:
(5) fascists and Nazis; and
(6) other regions whose friendship would reflect badly on the Region of Gay.

Or this one, in which it is made clear that raiders may only exist in Gay as second class citizens subject to regional apartheid:

A. The Founder/WAD must not ever have been a raider, or be a person with hostile intent towards the Region of Gay. The RS shall check IP addresses with Defender organization(s) that all candidates for Founder/WAD and persons being nominated for RS are not known raiders.

B. An active raider (a player who has participated in a raid with any of their nations in the previous calendar year) may not serve in any major elected or appointed office, but may serve as the Regional Cartographer (RCar) or other minor posts.

C. (1) An inactive raider (a former raider who has not participated in raiding with any of their nations for at least a year) may not hold the offices of Founder/WAD or Justice of the Supreme Court (SC).
(2) As Port Blood/Blood Wine has only raided once in the past year, in a sandbox region, and has proven himself a friend of Gay, he shall be grandfathered in as an "inactive raider" and is entitled to all of the rights and responsibilities such classification entails unless he raids again, at which point he will be considered an "active raider," just like anyone else who does so.

I am a gay NationStates player and because of this attitude toward raiders, I have never, in my nearly four years of playing, felt welcome in Gay. This unwelcoming attitude toward LGBT raiders has been brought to Gay's attention on numerous occasions and substantive change to make the region more welcoming to all LGBT NationStates players has been rejected every time. The most substantive change ever made was the individual exception provided for Port Blood, which made clear that if he resumed active raiding he would return to second class status.

When Lazarus, The Rejected Realms, Spiritus, etc. -- explicitly defender, gameplay regions -- have no prohibition against raiders serving in government, but the region Gay won't let gay (and lesbian and bisexual and transgender) raiders serve in government, there is a bit of a problem. This is extreme even among modern defenders; it's a throwback to the old days in which the ADN dehumanized and demonized raiders and tried to isolate them from the rest of the NationStates community.

So, definitely a nay vote from me, and I'll be counter-campaigning if this is submitted. Dividing the LGBT community into defenders and raiders and treating some LGBT people like second class citizens based on their gameplay activity isn't commendable behavior.

[Ever-Wandering Souls]

I can confirm that Port lost a lot of honest sleep over that shit. There were many tense times and much stress when he was around as that was being written. It's also worth noting, on the side, that we make a point not to hurt our own (i.e., blacklisting regions our members call home), which port did at the time, so there was no threat even. Besides, if someone is known to be a raider and is legally elected anyways, obviously the people trust them enough to overlook that. Discriminating against all raiders on the same level of those who are clinically insane, discriminate against the regions' members, and so forth, for an entirely non-discriminatory in game method of play having no relation, at all, to anyone's sexual preference, isn;t exactly what I'd call " Making it a safe haven for all."

[The Silver Sentinel]

When Lazarus, The Rejected Realms, Spiritus, etc. -- explicitly defender, gameplay regions -- have no prohibition against raiders serving in government, but the region Gay won't let gay (and lesbian and bisexual and transgender) raiders serve in government, there is a bit of a problem. This is extreme even among modern defenders; it's a throwback to the old days in which the ADN dehumanized and demonized raiders and tried to isolate them from the rest of the NationStates community.

Neither does 10K Islands and they were commended. And what does being gay have to do with anything? I am pretty sure we have established within the NS community as a whole, that it really doesn't matter if you are white, black, orange, purple, gay, straight, or have relations with rhino's everybody is pretty much equal. The only discrimination that occurs in NS is gameplay related. Nazi's discriminate against lefties and vice versa, whilst moralistic defenders discriminate against raiders. That's it Cormac. That is the extent to discrimination. You are a raider, therefore you are not welcome in Gay. End of story.

You really need to remember NS=/= Real Life. we have no way of telling if the person on the other side of screen is man, woman, insect, straight or gay. It is you actions in-game that you are judged on.

[Cormac Stark]

Neither does 10K Islands and they were commended.

XKI is a defender, gameplay region, not a region that is supposed to be welcoming and supportive of all LGBT people as its purpose of existence. XKI's commendation also didn't seek to commend XKI for being a safe space for all people, as this proposal is attempting.

And what does being gay have to do with anything?

In a region called Gay, with an explicit purpose of being welcoming and supportive of gay people? You can't be serious.

I am pretty sure we have established within the NS community as a whole, that it really doesn't matter if you are white, black, orange, purple, gay, straight, or have relations with rhino's everybody is pretty much equal. The only discrimination that occurs in NS is gameplay related. Nazi's discriminate against lefties and vice versa, whilst moralistic defenders discriminate against raiders. That's it Cormac. That is the extent to discrimination. You are a raider, therefore you are not welcome in Gay. End of story.

Which would be fine if the region were called Defender, but it's called Gay. Its main purpose isn't to be a defender region. Read its constitution; that doesn't even show up among the main purposes of the region. And yet the defender alignment of the region overrides its actual, stated purpose. What a shame.

You really need to remember NS=/= Real Life. we have no way of telling if the person on the other side of screen is man, woman, insect, straight or gay. It is you actions in-game that you are judged on.

And again, that isn't what Gay is supposed to be about according to its own stated purpose, nor is it consistent with what this proposal is claiming about BearNation.

[Ever-Wandering Souls]

It's very relevant, when you're commending someone for running a region glorified for being welcoming to all players, including it's namesake, while it's constitution (also mentioned in the commendation) specifically denies welcome not just to those that it's reasonably justified in denying (i.e. those highly likely to commit hate speech or otherwise make players, as people, feel uncomfortable), but to those who play the game a specific way. Cormac is saying he is a case as such - a player who fits the very name of the region and wishes it no harm, but is being actively discriminated against due to his hobby. As you said -

You really need to remember NS=/= Real Life. we have no way of telling if the person on the other side of screen is man, woman, insect, straight or gay.

You have no way of telling who that raider is in real life, so why shut them all out just based on play style? You're welcoming people for a real life thing (unless your NS nation is homosexual....not sure how that'd work. A merger between two nations with peninsulas?), while turning away folks for a collection of real life things....and one NS occupation. The only raiders interested are those who'd like to be there as people, and have made it clear as such - Port obviously enough that, after years of conflict, he earned himself a personal line in the constitution. Others, like Cormac? not as lucky. To deny people who'd like to talk to others who share a real-life trait (and, depending on how welcoming your surroundings are, a struggle) on the basis of an NS action is NOT separating RL and NS, and again, is not providing a "safe haven for all."

[The Silver Sentinel]

And what does being gay have to do with anything?

In a region called Gay, with an explicit purpose of being welcoming and supportive of gay people? You can't be serious.

As I said Cormac, in-game actions are judged.

[Cormac Stark]

In a region called Gay, with an explicit purpose of being welcoming and supportive of gay people? You can't be serious.

As I said Cormac, in-game actions are judged.

And as I said, that isn't what Gay is supposed to be about and it contradicts what this proposal is aiming to commend BearNation for doing.

[Ever-Wandering Souls]

As I said Cormac, in-game actions are judged.

Ah, good, so then let's not judge "homophobes; the inane; fascists and Nazis;" since those exist outside the game, and make up for it by judging raiders! Yay!

/sarchasm, watch out for it.

If we're only judging in-game actions, then why is there an issue allowing real life gay players who've done nothing against Gay ever full citizenship?

[The Silver Sentinel]

If we're only judging in-game actions, then why is there an issue allowing real life gay players who've done nothing against Gay ever full citizenship?

I suppose if I was BearNation, I could answer that question. Since I am not however I really don't have an answer for it. But seeing as how The Stalker and myself are allies, I still fully intend to support his effort.

[Cormac Stark]

Just in case anyone was thinking lumping raiders in with fascists and Nazis is a fluke, this is from Philosophy 115's WFE: "We do not make embassies with regions containing fewer than 10 distinct nations, younger than 1 month, Nazis/Fascists/Raiders or their friends, or embassy-collecting regions."

Philosophy 115 isn't even a defender region and has the Independent tag. But I guess with BearNation as Founder, raiders can't be philosophers either.

[Ever-Wandering Souls]

If we're only judging in-game actions, then why is there an issue allowing real life gay players who've done nothing against Gay ever full citizenship?

I suppose if I was BearNation, I could answer that question. Since I am not however I really don't have an answer for it. But seeing as how The Stalker and myself are allies, I still fully intend to support his effort.

Ah, so blind support beats out even considering reasonable and factually backed criticism. Good to know.

Just in case anyone was thinking lumping raiders in with fascists and Nazis is a fluke, this is from Philosophy 115's WFE: "We do not make embassies with regions containing fewer than 10 distinct nations, younger than 1 month, Nazis/Fascists/Raiders or their friends, or embassy-collecting regions."

Philosophy 115 isn't even a defender region and has the Independent tag. But I guess with BearNation as Founder, raiders can't be philosophers either.

Obviously raider's can't be people, Cormac. We can only be defined by our in game actions, regardless of real life. Chester seems to think those should be separated as well

---

Tl;Dr - I'm concerned with an effort to commend a nation creating and supporting such blind discrimination, with all due respect to the authors.

[The Stalker]

I can understand where your concern comes from Cormac, but if you look at the Constitution pieces you quoted, it only says they can't be the WA Delegate, Founder, or any major positions, but that they can still hold minor offices.

So I don't really see it as some witch hunt, it's not like you get booted for being a raider, just means they won't allow you to have admin level powers that a raider could abuse. Really considering they elect their founder, such a protocol seems necessary to me. I don't allow people with raider backgrounds to hold high ranking positions in my regions either.

That being said, I do think that section of the resolution does need to be reworded and phrased in a way people can better get behind.

Edit: Also if I made a list of regions I wouldn't make embassies with it look pretty similar. In fact I imagine many regions kinda list out like that who they will or won't make an embassy with.

[Cormac Stark]

I can understand where your concern comes from Cormac, but if you look at the Constitution pieces you quoted, it only says they can't be the WA Delegate, Founder, or any major positions, but that they can still hold minor offices.

So I don't really see it as some witch hunt, it's not like you get booted for being a raider, just means they won't allow you to have admin level powers that a raider could abuse. Really considering they elect their founder, such a protocol seems necessary to me.

The prohibition extends to any elected position, not just those with access to their Founder nation. Were it only the offices with access to their Founder nation it would be a bit more understandable, though I question the wisdom of ever handing off and sharing a Founder nation in such a way anyway. When Founder nations are stolen, it's usually not by raiders but by disgruntled or opportunistic natives of that region. Raiders generally don't deal in trying to take over Founder nations.

I reject the notion that Gay doesn't discriminate against raiders because raiders can still be citizens and just can't run for elected office. That is still discrimination, and it is needless discrimination for any office that doesn't involve access to the Founder nation.

This is not even to mention that their constitution lumps raiders -- including LGBT raiders, like myself -- in with homophobes, fascists, and Nazis. BearNation repeats this on the WFE of Philosophy 115, which isn't even a defender region, not that a defender region would be more justified than any other in lumping raiders in with real life, out-of-character bigots.

I don't allow people with raider backgrounds to hold high ranking positions in my regions either.

Your regions are gameplay regions, this is a region that claims it's providing a safe and supportive space for LGBT people and straight allies. Its purpose is out-of-character and non-gameplay, and its gameplay discrimination is undermining its non-gameplay purpose. The latter is the reason BearNation is being commended. If you were commending BearNation for Gay being a defender region, this wouldn't be an issue, but you're commending him for giving lip service to creating a safe and welcoming space for LGBT NationStates players when that doesn't match the reality.

That being said, I do think that section of the resolution does need to be reworded and phrased in a way people can better get behind.

There is no way to phrase it that I could support, because I fundamentally object to commending someone who hates other players so much that he lumps them in with real life bigots. Just no.

[The Stalker]

That being said, I do think that section of the resolution does need to be reworded and phrased in a way people can better get behind.

There is no way to phrase it that I could support, because I fundamentally object to commending someone who hates other players so much that he lumps them in with real life bigots. Just no.

That seems a real stretch there.

First if I made a list of regions I don't make embassies with it would include Nazis, raiders, and other trouble makers. One thing on a list of things doesn't imbue it's properties onto everything else in the list, that's silly.

Further the constitution allows raiders to hold minor offices and be citizens, and I don't expect bigots or openly nazi players could, and I expect nations with a swastika / nazi theme would get ejected unlike raiders, so that seems to be a strong separation to this lumping you see.

And I do think this could be reworded better in a way even you could support, maybe that means rephrasing it for being a Gay Defender region as you suggest.