NationStates Jolt Archive

Basically, what I'm looking to have happen will be my two characters (the President, Mike Sarzo and the First Partner, Jay Tyler) will want to get married. In Sarzonian law, marriage has none of the legal trappings that it has in parts of the RL world. To gain the rights that many people recognise as being part of marriage, a couple, be it same-sex or opposite sex, must get a civil union. However, some couples still get married for their own religious reasons.

The problem is that many Sarzonian churches have consistently refused to marry same-sex couples, and the Government announced that they would receive no funding as a result. More devastating, the Government rescinded income and other tax exemptions for churches, making them bound to the same level of taxes as any for-profit company. Only donations from foreign countries, notably The Merchant Guilds, have saved the Catholic Church, the largest denomination in Sarzonia. Reform Judaism and minor churches that recognise same-sex marriages receive full government funding and tax exemptions.

However, the point behind this RP will be Sarzo's and Tyler's efforts to be married in a church ceremony. It will most likely have to take place in a foreign country. By Sarzonian law (notably, a variant of the Full Faith and Credit Clause that applies to American states), marriages performed in foreign countries must be recognised in Sarzonian Churches. Even same-sex marriages.

Essentially, I'm looking for a country that's willing to host the ceremony and for statements from countries regarding support or condemnation. No terrorist plots or military action will be accepted for this RP.

While, oddly enough, the Republic of Lanquassia cannot offer what you are looking for, the Republican Colony of Alioth can, with Governer Blake's Edict of Toleration of Native Customs saying that any religious ceremony in Alioth is legal.

The Republican Senate is currently working on a similar Admendment for the other four provinces.

Although the Corporation doesn't support Same sex marriages, it doesn't condem them either, the Corporation would like to send a Reichmarshal of the Secret police and 5 Kreigsmarines, to witness the ceremony, and ensure that everything runs smoothly.

an interesting concept, and one with a lot of RPing possibilities

Oo! Interesting, although my country neither supports nor condems same-sex marriage, I'd like to send President Jason Garner and Secretary of State Kara Maddox along with 5 guards to the ceremony.

I'll host it if you want, Aust is completly secular so our goverment dosn't give a damm about religions as long as they pay there taxes and don't starting killing people.

To:President, Mike Sarzo and the First Partner, Jay Tyler
Sarzonia
From: King Charles I, Kingdom of Lesser Ribena

The Kingdom is a fairly liberal country and same sex marriages are permitted and homosexual couples have the same rights as heterosexual couples. Though unable to provide for your ceremony due to a lack of a national religion, I would be honoured to attend such a ceremony if held in another country. Being our most valued military suppliers and a close international contact we hope that this is possible.

If so I would like to attend at your wedding as a guest alongside a few members of my cabinet and their partners and hope that this is possible. All the best wishes for the future.

CHARLES I
KING OF LESSER RIBENA

Nice to see the interest that came up so early on!

Wait, Sarzo is Catholic? You should probably get someone to RP the Pope, or something, seeing that he'd be excommunicated pretty damn quickly. Hell, if the Sarzonian Catholic Church was forced to recognize the marriage, the Papacy might slap an interdict on the whole country.

Just an idea (this coming from an RL Catholic)

Oh, yeah. Sarz, get on AIM.

My nations government is both secular and theocratic (Hard to explain). But it's not majorly Christian, so we do recognise same sex marriage. I can host it, or not. The Christian (And subsequent denominations of it) church is a small minority in my nation though.

At the very least, I'll be glad to send the Dictator and her wife there (Lesbians, you read right).

You can always build your own Church

*coughs*
Hi Sarz :)









Pick me.... pick me.....

Well, I'd be happy to do it. The NLP is pro-same-sex marriages, being liberal and all. However, Jones and his opposition clique are against it (Jones himself being a fairly rampant homophobe), so it won't win Sarzo friends among the plotters. Still, you can't please everyone, and that might make a good basis for some international tension later on if you're agreeable.

The Principality of Vintovia allows such marriages.Heck, Prince Harold's 19-year old son, prince Thomas, recently married his boyriend of three years.

Come to Vintovia. The (late) prince Harold's out-of-town palace will have to do you. His Vintburg palace is being repaired after the bombings from Rovonia.

Praetonia would welcome the couple, but Praetonian churches are similarly conservative, although gay marriage does exist in law, and can be done via civil ceremony. The Government is very libertarian and would issue a statement of support, if you want. Perhaps more interestingly, both the PM and the Imperator will attend the ceremony, wherever it is.

Howdy, folks. I thought I'd drop in and maybe vaguely explain an idea I pitched to Sarzonia a couple minutes ago.

The WKA stands for the "White Knights Association". It's a radically right-wing terrorist organization that's strongly religious and spiteful of any ideas remotely contradictory with their own beliefs. Think of them as a 1920s Ku Klux Klan, except with a much bigger chip on their shoulders. In addition to their hatred for folks of African descent, the WKA is opposed to abortion, science where it applies to evolution, atheism, women's rights, and most importantly of all, gay marriage. They're state-sponsored (though it remains a mystery exactly which country is funding them) and very secretive. To give you an idea of just how secret this organization is, members aren't allowed to know the given names of other members, and are restricted to calling each other ridiculous code names like "White Pegasus" and "Prime Cyclops". Most members have never even seen each other's faces; during rallies they wear the traditional garb of the Ku Klux Klan, and when conducting attacks on foreign countries they're confined to skii masks or paint. Only the core membership of the WKA has an idea about enlistee identities.

The idea I've pitched to Sarzonia is basically a terrorist attack on whatever party hosts this wedding. It doesn't neccessarily have to be AT the wedding or during the wedding ceremonies. It could be an attack on the marital venues PRIOR to the wedding to send a warning, or it could just be on a landmark. It's really up to Sarzonia and whatever third party candidate recieves the nod for the wedding host. From there we can go into detail how the WKA sneak in and what kind of attack takes place. What do you think?

Well, if I may, I'd welcome such a thing; the National Liberals' reduced spending on security has left the country relatively open to terror attacks, and a terror attack would be a great aid to the old government in re-establishing strong control (and of course encouraging defence spending), creating a climate of fear and all that.

That sounds like it would work out just fine. Plus, aren't your two nations allied, or at least acquainted with each other?

A civil ceremony could be performed in the UKIN, or in one of the many churches that split off from the original Church of Isselmere, although the former established church, the Reformed Church of Isselmere, is politely but absolutely against such marriages (think Church of England). The Free Church of Isselmere is the largest of the "dissident" churches. Another problem arises from the fact that most faiths in Isselmere tend to just marry their own (or at least one or the two must be members of the faith in question).

That sounds like it would work out just fine. Plus, aren't your two nations allied, or at least acquainted with each other?
Aye, we're both OMP members.

I would offer to help if only to get involved in... something. But Charr aren't Catholics, they don't even know what 'gay' is beyond the 'jolly' definition, and I doubt humans would enjoy (or even survive) the various fire rituals associated with their version of marriage... so it probably wouldn't work in that respect.

But I would still like to get involved if possible. If you don't mind non-human MT nations, of course.

If you are willing to wait until the first week of August, when I return from studying at Oxford, President Sarzo and Mr. Tyler can be wed in Hamptonshire. Since they would not be allowed to be married within a Roman Catholic church, Hamptonshire's majority religion, their religious service would be held in a much more socially "liberal" parish of the Hamptonian Lutheran Church.

Hamptonshire, legally, has had full same-sex unions since the 1880s. In 1882 marriage was defined as a religious act and since that time the legal definition of marriage as well as the qualifications for those that seek to be wed are as follows:
Any two parties that could in other circumstances fully enter into a legal contract shall be allowed to exercise the ability to join together under the Laws of the Grand Duchy.

Such a ceremony would be worked into the larger scheme of the domestic goings on in Hamptonshire that have been put on hold due to my summer studies. I'd also be willing to involve any potential third party trouble maker accepted by Sarzonia as that would further my own storyline goals.

A marriage would be attended by the appropriate Hamptonian dignitaries and would be presided over by the Presiding Bishop of the Hamptonian Lutheran Church (the leader of the HLC). In addition, Archbishop Walter Cardinal Luther, Primate of Hamptonshire (the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Hamptonshire) would privately and individually bless both Sarzo and Tyler.


Homosexuality: The church has officially welcomed homosexuals within its congregations since 1940. The church presently advocates even further strides toward full acceptance and equality for homosexuals. Active homosexuals in stable relationships have been allowed to be ordained as ministers since 1960, and ministers have been allowed to bless same-sex partnerships since 1952.

*bump*

IC thread to come soon (set before Operation Hellfire)

OOC: Would it be alright if guests were to attend from my government? I've been away from I.I for some time, and would like to get back into the loop. There hasen't been very much contact between Sarzonia and DC in the past, although the DC Navy made quite a lofty purchase from the Portland Iron Works some time ago in the form of Vigilant (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=420657&page=1) Class Super-Dreadnaughts.

OOC: Would it be alright if guests were to attend from my government? I've been away from I.I for some time, and would like to get back into the loop. There hasen't been very much contact between Sarzonia and DC in the past, although the DC Navy made quite a lofty purchase from the Portland Iron Works some time ago in the form of Vigilant (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=420657&page=1) Class Super-Dreadnaughts.You'd very much be welcomed. :)

Gay Marriage Farminan style:

It involves two wooden stakes, ropes, hay, kerosene and matches.


I doubt this is what you had in mind.

Gay Marriage Farminan style:

It involves two wooden stakes, ropes, hay, kerosene and matches.


I doubt this is what you had in mind.

[OOC: Lol.

Anyways, I'm interested in sending someone, though I don't know who. Probably an important family and a few diplomats - all the very liberal type.]

And just because this thread is the perfect excuse:

:fluffle:
(Sarzo and Tyler)

For the record my offer still stands. It's been a few months since I made it, but I'm good to go should I be chosen.