Sandus disrespecting micronational norms, say community

Bradford, KR, Aug 1 – Sandus has been slammed by micronationalists across the MicroWiki community today for not adhering to micronational privacy agreements as the scandal surrounding the Denton Protocol continues to grow.

The Denton Protocol, established in a joint effort by Sandus and Zealandia this week, aims to provide solidarity for LGBT micronationalists and a way for said micronationalists to “unite” on matters relating to LGBT affairs.

However this agreement has come under heavy fire over the last two days, with anger directed at Article 3, which states that “should any no-signatory to this protocol refuse to respect the gender identity of another official whose government is a signatory to this protocol, the signatory government may refuse to use and communicate preferred names, styles of address, and titles of the violating official.”

In short, any nation that does not recognise a foreign official’s gender identity will not have its own names honoured by the latter party’s nation.

The article has been accused of flouting the long-standing agreement amongst MicroWiki micronationalists to only utilise micronational pseudonyms if requested that they be used.

Sandum leader William Sörgel has also been targeted after the publication of an article in Veritum Sandus, where Wyvernian Duke Bradley was identified by his macronational name.

Two requests to the newspaper to have the Duke’s name amended were refused, with Sörgel this morning stating that the publication “falls within the press freedoms of Veritum Sandus – per our national laws – to follow the strict example of the Protocol.”

However this explanation has not been accepted by a number of micronationalists, many of whom use pseudonyms of their own, and it has left an especially bitter taste in Duke Bradley’s mouth.

The Duke has criticised it as an “attempt at pressuring their ideas upon everybody else”, and has called it a case of double standards.

Eren Lewis claimed that the Protocol “is not to safeguard the rights of trans people in the community, but be used a tool of control”, while Ashukov Prime Minister Joseph Kennedy has called the document possibly “the most disgusting thing I have ever read.”

Lord Spiritual of Mercia, Richard I, expressed his surprise at Sandus “[running] the LGBTQ+ Gestapo”, and noted that “Gender pronouns are one thing, but risking the macronational political career of one of our members is an atrocity.”

Lostislandic leader Yaroslav Mar said to the Times that he “used to think that [Sörgel] had at least some micronational professionalism and human decency”, but that the publication of the Prince’s name “showed the true nature of Mr. Soergel – that of a blackmailer who respects nobody but himself.”

The USLSSR leader Alex Whitmarsh’s acerbic sarcasm was also on display this evening, with Whitmarsh saying that “It’s not like [Sörgel] has an ego problem … [he] has almost no problems in life, so [he] goes looking for other people’s to try and solve them.”

Whitmarsh backed up his comments, saying that “I’m sure he’ll attempt to ruin my life over some crap because his milk mainly went to the right of his bowl today when he had his cereal.” He then accused Sörgel of “sitting in his ivory tower of ‘being a pretentious prick'”.

Premier Daniel Anderson, one such pseudonym-bearing micronationalist, has joined the growing list of micronational leaders and members attacking the document, claiming it disrespects micronational naming protocols and breaking one of the fundamental rules of the community.

“For years, we have had an understanding in this community that if a member chooses to use a pseudonym, they are free to do so and will be addressed by it.” Anderson said in a press statement in the New Zealand city of Tauranga this evening.

“Sandus and its Red media have shown time and time again that they pay no attention to the views of the community, but to go as far as to publish a micronationalist’s birth name is utterly reprehensible.”

“Every person in this community has the right to choose how they wish to be identified, and for Sandus to go against this after being so vocal in allowing people to state their identities is disgraceful.”

“We stand by Duke Bradley and his right to a pseudonym, as well as all other members of this community who, for one reason or another, choose not to use their birth names for micronational affairs.”

Anderson has previously had his macronational name published in Veritum Sandus, but it was amended at his request a short time later.

Sirocco has a number of citizens who go by dual names, many of whom were asked to choose an alias when signing on with the country in late 2010. While it was policy at the time for new citizens to adopt an alias, this was relaxed in late 2012 as sign-ons slowed.

Meanwhile there are signs that one of the major signatories of the Protocol is looking to break away from it before the ink has dried.

Telegraph reports received this evening have stated that Zealandia is to withdraw from the Protocol, but at this time it is still uncertain whether such an action will be taken.

Links to the offending article have been removed from the front page of MicroWiki, and administration staff are busy discussing if any further action is to be taken.

Two polls out this evening appear to back up the community’s opinion on the matter. A Times poll asking “Do you believe that the Denton Protocol has had a negative impact on the community” had a 8-2 yes-no margin at 10:20 Eastern time this evening, while a separate poll asking whether respondents supported all the provisions of the Protocol has so far seen a 0-11 yes-no vote.

It is not the first time that Sandus has come under fire for its choice of naming conventions. Its long-running usage of the address “M.”, derived from the French monsieur, has rankled some, including Anderson, Duke Bradley, and Mar.

The Veritum Sandus has explained this as arising from “their hatred of French culture or their dislike for the Grand Unified Micronational”, while Anderson has countered this as “bunk”.

Editor’s note: It is the policy of the Sirocco Times to refer to micronationalists by their chosen name, be this a pseudonym or otherwise. While this also adheres to Siroccan privacy laws, we believe that it is in the interests of both the Times and its readers that the correct names be used at all times, so as to maintain journalistic integrity and accuracy, and ensure that the privacy of any persons mentioned in the Times is maintained. As such, we have declined to reproduce Prince Bradley of Dullahan’s macronational name, to ensure that his macronational and micronational identities are kept separate from one another and to honour his request that his alias be used for all micronational affairs.