1st Pride month post: the levels of discrimination across the cities
A thing about pride month in Ulinda though is that it isn't actually that needed compared to the archaic world (this is what i call our present in the book's timeline) since they're much more uncaring about it. While there are still cases of discrimination in every city (especially Krov), the LBTGQIA+ community is repressed way less in comparison to how our human world is currently run. There aren't exactly laws that suppress them directly, but there also aren't laws that officially recognize or legally acknowledge the community as a protected group or anything. If the desert were to ever actually unite into one country though, they would certainly have those laws to officially recognize in place since most local laws (the only laws in the Aaruvian region) protect them. The people are biased though, considering that their creator gods are both male.
Even though broader discrimination isnt really around, I will say, gender presentation is a large topic of debate in non-hetero relationships. So this means that while characters won't directly get harassed because they're gay, they will get harassed if the gay relationship is deemed 'abnormal' by the people. I won't get too too deep into this for the sake of being able to explain the cities individual characteristics when it comes to how they function with the community, but typically, in the broader continent, the people of ulinda expect a non-hetero relationship to be between someone who's cis and masc and cis and femme. This is because of the belief that many across the continent hold that only masc x femme relationships can actually work. Its like the nuclear family concept of our world with them, they just dont care about the gender and more about presentation. Without further ado though, lets get into the cities!
Romance Discrimination level: medium-low.
You might get weird stares if you're non-traditional (as discussed in General Knowledge above), but there's not much besides a few whispered murmurs. Of course there's a few extremists who would spit on you, but its not like you aren't able to avoid them. Shopkeeps with that extreme mentality would lose business fast, especially in such an easygoing city.
Discrimination levels against presentation: queen Elizabeth I (Iykyk)
They dont really care about it. The majority of Gida is small and moderately poor, so they dont have time to worry about the masc oni girl at the market or the trans guy selling them herbs and spices. They just dont want people being too flamboyant (super duper fem or super duper masc) in public. Though there are 'acceptable' avenues to present in public. I.e arruvian scarf dancers are SUPPOSED to be femme, so people dont mind when the drackon performing it acts super femme when they're a male. Though this does create downsides for those who are masc but have a passion for the hobby. There's not really a perfect world.
Overall safety level for queer folk: decently safe
Hate crimes aren't exactly outlined in law, but like previously mentioned, no one in Gida likes extremists, and the whole city would probably jump whoever trys to threaten the local nonbinary beekeeper. That's not to say a few hate crimes haven't been committed in Gidian history, but most of those hate crimes were from racism, not sexuality, romantic, or gender orientation, which isn’t what this post covers.
Romance Discrimination level: very low for peasants
Depending on what territory, it can be a bit higher, but ALOT of Eucoiran life is spent trying not to die. Its kinda hard to worry about the lesbians across the street when you're actively being hunted down by Swan for defaulting on your loan that has a 70% interest rate.
(The upper class does kinda judge though, but that's because everyone is expected to carry on the lineage, and having non-hetero, or at the very least, relationships where a child cant be produced, is very scandalous. Typically because its an affair. Its always an affair.)
Discrimination levels against presentation: ehhhhhh
Depends HEAVILY on territory. Like mentioned previously, its less sbout gender and more about vibes (masc, femme, ect). In a fight-heavy society like Shark's territory or Barracuda's, presenting as masc or femme might be the difference between you getting hired or tossed into the street. Being femme in those territories is seen as something only for the privileged (derogatory) so youd recieve more discrimination there. In the rest of Eucoir though, not being androgynous (in presentation, not gender) is seen as weird and out of the norm. Leaning heavily one way or another won't exactly get you attacked, but it'll get you a few curious glances and/or stares depending on which of the mentioned areas (Turtle's, Heron's, and Swan's territories) you're in.
Overall safety level for queer folk: decently unstable
There are no official protections for the community in ANY territory. Hate crimes aren't outlined in law and marriage rights are non-existent. Sodomy laws are technically still in place in certain territories (more specifically Heron and Swan's territories), but they’re only really in use to conveniently arrest people they dislike. You're not gonna get instantly attacked if you're nonconventional in Eucoir, just. . . Pay attention when you're crossing the borders.
Romance Discrimination level: higher than most places
Yeah, no, you’re getting looks from people if you're not in a heterosexual relationship. This is because the gekidian royal court REALLLY pushes people to have kids. This is because living in the mountains with 26,000 other people, quite frankly, SUCKS! Having children to gather food for you and go up and down the mountains is the primary reason people have them anyways. Plus the fact there is actually still some partial feudalism there. And this feudalism sometimes requires more laborers for payment to own land. Being non-hetero isn't fun in this society, and you could potentially be arrested
Discrimination levels against presentation: ehh, depends on social class + how the oni king sees you as a noble
As much as it is fucked up, it is how it is. The funny thing about Gekido is that class matters there even MORE than in Eucoir. This is because the oni king is an imperial emperor. His favor is the only thing that matters in the court. No one cares if a man is feminine- UNLESS the emperor dissaproves! Its very hypocritical and shitty, but its kinda how noblety functioned back in the day. If you're not one of the nobles, be prepared to be passive aggressively ignored.
Overall safety level for queer folk: if youre fine with being ignored and youre not disfavored by the current oni king, go for it
Yeah, I know, not very good rating. But again, social acceptance of the community is COMPLEX, especially in complex societies like Gekido
Romance Discrimination level: practically nonexistent
Ok so technically its not fully nonexistent, but pretty damn close. The dragons were created by gay husband creators, so why would they be judgemental exactly? They're tied with Krov for most religious region of people, so they take homophobia as a sin. Though this isn’t to say that not having children isn't a sin, because of course the desert has to stay populated.
The real reason it is described as technically nonexistent and not just nonexistent is because of religious fringe groups that branched off from the main thing. While these fringe groups do hold their own seperate beliefs about their creator gods, the ones of these types typically hold have to do with the 'ambiguity' of Wyndi's, the deity of butterflies and spouse of Serb, gender. To be fair, all religious statues depict the seven with clothes on, never naked. So one could assume that Wyndi is a woman- BUT that depiction is thrown out the window when the most FAMOUS painting of Wyndi is 'the hushes of the desert unleashed upon war', in which his bare chest is exposed. Painters of divinity, the people who paint artworks of deities and all levels of divine beings, are strictly adherent to the 10 rules. One of these rules, number 3, is to never leave a divine figure's genitals exposed in a finished artwork. In modern Ulindan culture, the bosom is considered 'indecent' like how it is in archaic times (again, referring to OUR present when I say archaic times), so if he was a woman, the painter would've been executed for disrespecting a major divinity like him
Discrimination levels against presentation: nonexistent, unless it interferes with your job
The desert is a practical place, so people often judge on two things before hiring people: appearance and level of skill. It's honestly fine on the surface, and kinda makes sense until it applies to whether someone is masc or fem. Sure, you want someone strong to be able to scale the metal mountains to get you treasures to sell, but why does the fem with a six pack not hired? Lots of desert people only quickly glance over crowds to find employees, so its actually not active bias like youd expect, but just an effect of how hiring methods are. And yes, people can attempt to apply for jobs, but employers only really seek the people they believe to be capable out. This doesn't help because interviews don't really exist.
Overall safety level for queer folk: pretty good
Few hate crimes are committed, and those that are, are only done by foreigners passing through. You might get a weird stare from someone once a year, but overall you're fine!
Romance Discrimination level: minimal
This is because the city is more concerned with itself than anyone else. They could hardly care what orientation someone is when they're getting their tax forms filed.
Discrimination levels against presentation: same answer as before
Overall safety level for queer folk: more people are killed in the landslides
Yeah, no. Xuéxí and Aaruva are the most safe places. Aaruva doesn't like homophobics and Xuexi just doesn't care.
Krov is ruled by the most dictator to ever dictator. Do you even think you're allowed to marry, let alone date whoever you want? Of course not, you dumbfuck! (affectionate)
The Tsar of krov has been overseeing the city for all of its history, do you really think she'd allow it to disobey her in any single way? Not at damn all!
Now, that being said, you'll be ignored if youre a peasant, so present however you want if you are! But you'll probably be too busy starving in the streets to be masc, fem, or andro. But you'll most definitely be stuck on a pike if you're a non-cis (including presentation, not just gender) noble.
Overall safety is terrible! Avoid at all costs! Do not visit this pride month!
(Note: sorry this took so long guys, ik its my first real post but it took me a few days to work through all this. I didn't expect it to be this long a post :p)
