NationStates

'LGBTQ' cannot be addressed as a block group in Ephyra due to the fundamental disconnect and contradiction between its various components and the different weight and viewpoint held by the Ephyral citizenry on both the mental state and physical actions associated with any one component part.

Ephyral attitudes towards sexuality, informed by a civic-focused culture of masculine martial dominance and feminine domestic docility, is highly accommodating of bisexual attitudes. For men to seek the sexual company of both women and men is not remarked upon as unusual, though a man must ensure he takes the active role in any relationship to retain his masculinity, and show moderation in the frequency of his sexual activities to demonstrate self-control and by extension of his power over his partner, the ability to govern others. In summary, a man in Ephyra faces no stigma for engaging in sex with another man, but he cannot be penetrated and retain social respect. The correct way for a masculine male to seek sexual gratification is to be the penetrating partner; his partner's sex is immaterial. Because of the threat to a citizen's masculinity, males of inferior status and younger age are selected to be the submissive sex partners of these enfranchised, self-controlled males. These lesser partners are seen as feminised, and little more than a source of their superior's pleasure.

Therefore one can see that the nature of male-male homosexuality is not straightforward, as the morality is dictated entirely by what physical and social position the individual finds himself in.

A similar but vaguer construct exists for women. This is a matter of greater social ambiguity because female-female sex is deemed 'unreal' as a consequence of the fact neither is a penetrative sexual partner. Greater skepticism does exist about whether females do truly desire other females sexually, with some leaning to acceptance and others to dismissal of the idea. However, assuming a woman's actions do not threaten her reputation of modesty and chastity, and accounting for the understanding that a female partner cannot get her pregnant and threaten the paternity of her husband over their children; for a woman to take a lover of the same sex from virtually any social class is not unheard of as a concept, but certainly is not the type of conversation the woman herself would partake in.

These homosexual expressions of sex and potential affection are not reflected institutionally, and because of the nature of marriage as a union of intent subject to recognition by one's peers, it's not practically possible for two males or two females to marry. A fundamental quality of a marriage is the approval of the familial fathers of the prospective groom and bride, who may either arrange the marriage or simply grant permission to a match selected by their children or grandchildren. A man can only marry a woman, and vice versa. To marry is also expected, and thus men who possess only an attraction towards men are still under a social and familial obligation to settle down and marry a young woman, consummate the marriage, and reproduce with her. Likewise, a young woman of lesbian persuasion must still marry a man and bear his children. Whilst Ephyral marriage can and does incentivise a close, intimate relationship between spouses to cement and solidify the marriage as an alliance and create a new formidable household in turn, no sexual intimacy is required beyond what is needed for child bearing.

It remains feasible therefore that a man may maintain a male sex partner if he so desires whilst married, although it is expected of citizen men that they'll set aside their female and male lovers both once married to focus on their new household - though this is not uniformly followed even by heterosexual men. Likewise, a lesbian woman might do her duty to her husband, and then in return for ignoring his selection of female lovers, be essentially free to discretely pursue a sexual relationship with a woman. The sole imbalance here however is that whilst the husband of a lesbian wife can with social approval seek to penetrate other partners extra-maritally with no fear of adultery unless his selected partner is an impermissible object of affection, such as another citizen's wife or daughter, a heterosexual wife to a homosexual husband would have no such outlet. A married woman being penetrated by a strange male commits adultery in all cases except for rape.

It should be noted that Common Selian, the language spoken most by citizens of Ephyra, do not have clear translations for the concept of homosexual and heterosexual, and thus there is no terminology with Ephyral nuance to be applied in discourse surrounding the topic that is even capable of highlighting the nature of LGBT. The man who seeks to penetrate is not distinguished by whether his preferred partner is a male or female, but instead the man who desires to be penetrated is identified by a pejorative slur indicating his effeminacy and degeneracy for desiring to be used as a woman. Likewise, words exist for women who take part in female-female activities but this refers solely to the participant of an action, and whilst it can be applied to the mentality as a whole, no proper translation of 'lesbian' truly exists. Therefore, it is not even practical for the concept of LGBT rights or identity to be furthered in Ephyra as the concept is completely beyond the scope of the language.

In short for LGB; there is situational social permissiveness on bisexual and homosexual activities, but no institutional capacity for marriage, and no linguistic identification of hetero and homosexual.

On the nature of T, no. There is no capacity in Ephyral consciousness for transgenderism. Even actions that feminise a man do not make him a woman in nature, only by role, and this is insufficient. To label oneself or 'identify' as the sex you are not is treated as a mental illness in either a sympathetic or a hostile light by citizens. Ephyral law does not recognise sex changes, and foreign transgender individuals will not be recognised as anything other than their biological sex.

The Ephyral have no active perception on the nature of 'Q' because no one understands what it is and how it differs from anything else previously mentioned. Though the capacity for LGBT discourse in Ephyra is linguistically limited, the social understanding maintained by citizens through observance in its contemporaries is one of disdain, and criticism of what appears to be a trend of narcissistic and hedonistic self-indulgence and a demand for attention by rebelling against perceived sexual norms, and agitating for rights they don't deserve in defiance of oppression they don't face.

The fact that Ephyral language does not possess words directly translated to homosexual and heterosexual does not eliminate the concept from their minds, nor prevent the citizenry from understanding trends abroad. Sexual dynamics are simply more nuanced to role and action rather than a mere desire, and the Ephyral remain perfectly capable of interpreting and making judgement upon the more radical elements of the LGBTQ+ idea, judgements which are overwhelmingly negative and critical.