The Gay Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands was thrown into a constitutional crisis when the gay parliament voted earlier this month to declare war on Australia and the fledgling country’s monarch, Emperor Dale refused to sign the declaration or give it his royal assent.

Horrified at what the parliament had done the Chief Justice, William J. Freeman, and His Majesty expressed to the parliament in writing their displeasure at such an irresponsible and stupid move.

Both the Emperor and the Chief Justice offered their resignation and parliament rejected both resignations for fear if the Emperor abdicated Australia could charge the entire gay government with treason and if the Chief Justice resigned the Kingdom’s case before the International Court of Justice would flounder.

His Majesty bowed to the pressure from parliament when the Prime Minister ordered him to sign the proclamation on the grounds His Majesty was a constitutional monarch and must by law approve all bills presented before him for royal assent. Three months after the Kingdom declared its Independence from Australia it found itself officially at war.

Very distressed at what was happening and the seriousness of the crisis the Emperor and the Chief Justice remained in their positions on the grounds that a new constitution be adopted to ensure that such a thing never happens again.

The Gay Parliament apologized and expressed its sincere sorrow for the distress it had caused its Sovereign and Lord Chief Justice. The declaration of War did have the following effect, according to government sources in Cato:

■  Notification of acceptance and notification of the Geneva Convention of August 12, 1949, were given to the Prime Minister of Australia John Howard, both directly and through the Swiss Federal Government. This is a ratified Law of Australia, and conveys the responsibility to Govern to the Occupying Power.

■  Therefore, by the Law of Australia, only the Gay Government is the Authority to Govern the Territory and the people of the Coral Sea Islands.

■  The one-week state of War, which was Officially declared, brought into effect the Law of War, under whose Sovereignty goes automatically to a State undefeated in a State of War.

“The Government of the Gay & Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands has used every effort to bring about a peaceful settlement since the beginning of the recent homophobic, anti gay legislation introduced into the Australian Parliament and feels that the Commonwealth of Australia has committed unprovoked acts against its gay & lesbian people,” the official proclamation says.

“The government of the Commonwealth of Australia not having answered in a satisfactory manner the note of the declaration of Independence of June 14th 2004, presented to the Governor General of Australia in Canberra, the Imperial Gay Government is compelled to see the safeguarding of the rights and interests of its gay people, and with this object, to have recourse to force of arms. The Gay & Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands consequently considers herself henceforward in a state of war with Australia,” it concludes.

As the Australian government has not responded and the Kingdom, which has no defence forces, remains undefeated in the war.  The Kingdom’s government is now claiming that the Law of War now applies giving the gay government absolute control over the territory.

It is understood that the Chief Justice is preparing a case that would bring Australia before the International Court of Justice in the Hague on the grounds the Gay Kingdom has under international law the right to self determination because its gay people were discriminated against by the government of Australia and that the Kingdom was an oppressed people and a colony administered by a foreign imperial power.

The Chief Justice also will put a case before the ICJ that Australia has never legally formally claimed the territory of the Coral Sea Islands, as no records exist, no formal proclamation was ever made, and no Australian Flag has ever flown over the territory. In fact the first flag to ever fly in the uninhabited territory was the gay rainbow flag when it was raised on Cato Island on June 13 this year and the declaration of independence was made on behalf of the Gay & Lesbian people of the world.

Earlier this month, a severe tropical storm hit the islands.  One victim was the country’s only computer which was damaged, with the loss of all data contained in the hard drive.  Officials admitted that none of the information, which included 4,000 email addresses, had been backed up.

See also:

Commentary:  The Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands (UK Gay News, August 2004)

Sydney Star Observer original news report

Useful Links

Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands official website
Website of the Kingdom's High Court (currently under construction)

26 September, 2004