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Queer nationalism is a phenomenon related both to the gay and lesbian liberation movement and nationalism. Adherents of this movement support the notion that the LGBT community forms a distinct people due to their unique culture and customs.
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In 1969, gay activist Don Jackson from California proposed to take over Alpine County, California—a project also known as Stonewall Nation. [1]
Homophobia in many cultures has led some queer people to become increasingly frustrated and wish to separate from a perceived hostile heterosexual majority. [2] In 1990, prompted by these feelings, Queer Nation was founded, a radical organization best known for its slogan "We're here. We're queer. Get used to it". [3]
In 2004, a group of Australian gay activists declared the tiny islands of Cato Reef to be the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands and Dale Parker Anderson to be the Emperor.[ citation needed ] Following disagreements within the group in 2005, the Gay and Lesbian Commonwealth Kingdom and Unified Gay Tribe have cancelled their affiliation to Anderson.
Some other groups with similar causes exist, e.g. the Gay Homeland Foundation [4] and a micronation called Gay Parallel Republic.[ citation needed ]
In 2007, Garrett Graham published a plan and constitution for a gay state, [5] connected to Theodor Herzl's Jewish state ("Herzl's words, messages and concepts live on in ... The Gay State"). [6]
In his article "Social Movements as Nationalisms, or, On the Very Idea of a Queer Nation", Brian Walker points out that several features of the nationalistic creation of cultural identity apply to the LGBT national movement as well. [7] He classifies queer nationalism as one of the new cultural forms of nationalism which are distinct from the old ethnic and religious types of nationalism and concludes that the gay and lesbian community fulfils many criteria to be regarded as a people for the following reasons:
Walker regards modern communication technologies such as the Internet as offering a chance for the LGBT community to further integrate as a non-territorial nation.
This thesis is supported by Paul Treanor, who considers an alternative (non-nationalist) world order possible. In this context, Treanor mentions the LGBT community as a "non-territorial nationalist movement". [8]
Will Kymlicka acknowledges that LGBT people have developed a group identity and group culture similar to those of ethnocultural groups, but he argues in favor of integration instead of separatism. [9]
