LGBT rights in Cartadania

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) rights in Cartadania have been among some of the most advanced in the world. Although same-sex sexual activity was a that often resulted in the  during the Imperial era, all  laws were repealed in 1710 following the Lusos Rebellion.

Cartadania has frequently been named one of the most culturally liberal and gay-friendly countries in the world. Recent polls have indicated that a majority of the Cartadanian public support same-sex marriage and in 2015, another poll indicated that 87% of the Cartadanian population believed homosexuality should be accepted by society, the highest of the countries polled. Alahuela has been named by many publications as one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world, with Le Irisée, Bairro A Baunilha and Aibonito being said to have a thriving LGBT community and nightlife. Many of Cartadania's territories also serve as well-known tourist destinations for many members of the community.

History
The history of the LGBT community's rights within Cartadania has been unique amongst much of the developed world. For a nation with a largely religious past, it was receptive of the community very early in history, but it was not always this way.

Beginning as a collection of regions of western Caphiria, Cartadania's ideals aligned mostly with that of the rest of the country. The Catholic Church played a large part in the laws of the nation and, as a result, early Cartadania as well. Among the ethnic groups living on the Odridian peninsula, the Cartic people were often the most easygoing and receptive to various individual characteristics. In fact, among the Cartic people, bisexuality seems to have been perceived as the ideal even when Caphiria controlled the entire peninsula.

The autonomy of the Lusia Banlieuregio saw the permissive marriage of same-sex couples as early as the Pontificate, despite being illegal on a national level. This was further expanded following the Great Schism but efforts to bring this to a nationwide acceptance resulted in a backtrend and invalidation of the marriages and unions permitted by Lusia's government. Nonetheless, when Cartadania became a sovereign country in 1680, the Luson states began revalidating the previously documented marriages. In fact, using their record systems, the governments of Alexandria and Verona went so far as to retroactively validate those marriages, to an extent at which some new marriages were prohibited, regardless of who was involved if a previous marriage (whether same-sex or opposite-sex) had not been anulled.

In West Urlazio, especially the Sancti Andres, the views were polar. This region had much stronger ties to the church than other regions and typically had a more rigid approach to interpersonal relations. Nonetheless, in comparison to the world over, the government was still more on the "discretely tolerant" side of acceptance.

Post-unification
When the provinces of La Charente, Lusia, Meridia, Roma, Viridis united to become the Cartic Federation after the Magna Discordia, a large selling point for many people to relocate to the Lusia region was its tolerance and this is one of the biggest reasons why the area is so heavily populated today. Even outside of the LGBT community, the states of the area have been some of the most open to different walks of life, from poor, to rich, to disabled and so on. It has been noted that southern Alexandria and Santiago as a whole were especially accepting. Leading up to the Lusos Rebellion, the country did at a few points set aside its view points to minority communities and focus efforts on trying to become more stable, which inevitably failed and saw the country slip into disarray, and the period of years between 1693 and 1701 were some of the most volatile for the LGBT Community in Cartadania.

Ano Vermelho
The Luson Rebellion kicked off in 1698 and marked a major paradigm shift in Cartadania as an aggressive transfer of power was underway. But even leading up this moment, the rights of the community were challenged.

In 1693, the first nullification of rights came into play in the São Andreas State Legislature. São Andreas, at the time, was controlled by a conservative protestant minority who saw the way of Christianity as the only true way, a sentiment that saw it aligned more in context to Levantia. Thus, it criminalized homosexual acts of any kind and decreed death for sodomy and was punished by civil authorities. It fell under the jurisdiction of the State Militia, which only served to cause more harm than anything.

Among the western states, Deseret (today, Lipora), Guanilu, and Loumara followed a similar decision as São Andreas. The lack of a true, strong central government also prevented uniformity within the states. This was a turning point in population as well, as many fled religious persecution to more tolerant states, again contributing to the upheaval in population.

Among the unique states is São Ricardo. Unlike the others, São Ricardo was never a truly integrated province. Known as the Fortuna Isles for a large part of its recorded history, its native inhabitants, descendants of the Adonerii, were very tolerant and had a way of thinking similar to some indigenous cultures of Crona. In fact, their belief system embodied a third gender for much of its history and again, bisexuality was commonplace. Because only Fortuna citizens could vote and make laws, and with the Fortuna Isles having been a jus sanguinis jurisdiction up until statehood, no efforts to nullify or change these laws was ever made. It is the only metropole state in Cartadania to have this history (Porta Bianca is not considered metropole).

At the breakout of the Ano Vermelho in 1697, the LGBT community's prevalence in Lusia served as an asset to middle- and lower-class individuals who were rebelling. In fact, some of the largest proponents of the rebellion were Michele Astal-Ribeiro and João Caravalis, a lesbian woman and gay man from Calaine and Lynnhaven, respectively, that pushed hard to displace the chokehold the upper class held. In a short period of about four months, known as the rainbow rebellion, they also helped storm the Deseret, Galiza, Loumara, and São Andreas state legislatures, dragging out the religious leaders and those involved in passing down execution orders to the minority.

They have been so pivotal to their cause and the overarching protection of all of Cartadania's mistreated citizens to a point where, after the country was again rebalanced in 1701 leading up to its second constitution, they were celebrated. Michele even went on to become a politician in Alexandria and was the first woman to serve as mayor of Calaine in 1734. She is often credited with helping carve out the inclusive laws of not only Calaine, but Alexandria and Cartadania as a whole as well.

Modern history
Following the signing of the second constitution, Cartadania equalized rights across all peoples (with the exception of certain criminals) regardless of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression/identity, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status. This is enumerated in the "Rights of the People" subsection pretext in the country's constitution. It should be noted, though, that the government did not correct the age of consent equalization until 1901, a full 191 years after the world's earliest broad acceptance went into force.

The country is not without its faults, though, and even with the protections, there are still some isolated events that occur, especially in religious areas or areas where the population is mostly from a largely intolerant country. Regardless, violence and discrimination against the LGBT community is met with legal action in all states and territories.

In most modern times, even those of Cartic descent or origin who hold religion to be sacred above all else tend to have a view that the importance is not on the identity of the person, but their morals and values. Thus, even among the conservative, an ideal of acceptance exists and cooperation has become extremely valuable. Members of the LGBT community are increasingly being found in the governments of more conservative states, especially those with initiatives toward diversity and inclusion.

The 21st century has especially been prevalent for the LGBT community, especially among tourists, as the Cartadania has eased travel restrictions at the end of the Cold War and allowed more and more people to enter its borders with less scrutiny. This has seen large booms in urban areas populations and economies, especially those of Alahuela, Aumiers–Auvergne, Calaine, Kairi, Lua, the Palm Coast, and many other metro areas. Acceptance is seen as generally commonplace in modern times, such that it can be culture shock for those visiting Cartadania and Cartadanians travelling abroad as well.

Recognition of same-sex relationships
The recognition of same-sex relationships goes back to antiquity for Lusia, as bisexuality was seen as commonplace. This view allowed a more permissive and accepting society to prevail in the area, and eventually, Cartadania as a whole. The actual nationwide acceptance of same-sex relationships did not occur until 1710, when the current constitution enumerated its non-discrimination clauses in the "Rights of the People" subsection. In this year, Congress equalized all identities for all states. Despite this, some states, namely São Andreas and those in the southwestern corner of the country still sought to limit the rights of their LGBT populace, and thus, a compromise in these states was an offset of the age of consent. Of the five states with these laws, only two enforced them, and by 1901, the age of consent was re-equalized.

Adoption and family planning
Since 1995, registered partners have had the same adoption rights as married couples. Single LGBT individuals are permitted to adopt as well. With regard to foreign adoptions, the Department of Justice states: "As regards adoption from abroad, it is important that we are sensitive and aware that those countries with which Cartadania cooperates often hold a different view on LGBT people and LGBT parenthood. Cooperation regarding intercountry adoptions must be based on trust. This means that the limitations and terms that the countries of origin lay down must be complied with."

Military service
LGBT people are not banned from military service. In fact, Cartadania explicitly allows LGBT people to serve openly in the military. It was amongst the first nations in the world to allow LGBT people to serve. Interestingly, gay men were allowed to serve even before Cartadania equalized homosexuality in 1710, making it among the most progressive militaries on the planet.

The Cartadanian Armed Forces states that it actively works for an environment where individuals do not feel it to be necessary to hide their sexual orientation or gender identity. In 2013, they launched a Pride campaign featuring a soldier in uniform with the rainbow flag badget to her arm. The text's bold letters translate to "Some things you should not have to camouflage," followed by the text "Equality is an important ingredient in a democracy. In the military, we treat each other with respect and see our differences as a strength. We are an inclusive organisation where all who serve and contribute should feel welcomed and respected".