Isabella I, Empress of Bonumland
| Her Imperial Majesty Isabella I | |
|---|---|
| Imperatrix Maiestas Addison Brooklyn Dillon POE OKI | |
| |
| Self-portrait, 2020 | |
| Reign | 13 December 2020 - present |
| Coronation | 15 December 2020 |
| Predecessor | Azerianus Severanus (as President) |
| Prime Minister | None |
| Reign | 11 December 2020 - present |
| Coronation | 13 December 2020 |
| Preceded by | Vincent I |
| In office | 25 June 2020 - 25 February 2021 |
| Preceded by | Babou Chkaya |
| Succeeded by | Sander Koff |
| Consort | None |
| House | House of Dillon |
| Born | 21 March 2006 PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center Vancouver, Washington |
| Occupation | Freelancer |
| Religion | Nondenominational Christian |
| Political party | List
|
Addison Brooklyn Dillon POE OKI (born Aydan Benjamin Dillon, 21 March 2006), known as Her Imperial Majesty Empress Isabella I in Bonumland is an American micronationalist, political commentator, and basketball player. She is best known for being the founder and leader of the State of Malinovia and Free Republic of Florania, and later as the Empress of Bonumland. Other notable positions include Member of the Riveri National Assembly from Ellisine, Secretary of Justice of West River, Princess of Malinovia, and formerly Prime Minister of Aswington and Member of the National Congress in Georgienstine. She discovered the MicroWiki community in early 2018 through a YouTube commenter and through her position as Princess of Malinovia.
She was formerly a delegate for Florania in the Cupertino Alliance and Grand Unified Micronational. After Florania's dissolution she was put in charge of Bonumland and began focusing on Bonumlandian domestic affairs. She hosted the December 2020 U5 Summit as President and was a leading figure in the monarchization of Bonumland. She likely had activity in micronationalism before 2018 with the now-defunct Kingdom of Dillonia (the predecessor of the modern-day State of Malinovia).
In Bonumlandian domestic politics, she is praised as a strict constitutionalist and, along with Gaia Grìbhinneach, as the intellectual founder of the monarchy. She pioneered the ideology of Dillonism. Her activity in the community diminished following the monarchization of Bonumland but returned later when the 2021 constitution was adopted. In Austenasia, she is the Representative and Baroness of Blue Ridge.
Early life
Isabella was born at 3:06 P.M. in Vancouver, Washington. She lived in various places in Skamania County throughout most of her infant life before departing to Seaside, Oregon in 2008. After two years residency in Seaside, they relocated again to Skamania County followed shortly after by a move to Vancouver, Washington. Upon the birth of her brother in 2011, Isabella and her family moved back to Skamania County once again, and after seven years moved to Florida, where she developed a profound interest in micronationalism. In May 2021 she moved to Georgia, where she currently lives with her parents and two siblings.
Micronational career
Bonumland
Isabella applied for and was subsequently granted Bonumlandian citizenship in October 2018. Though she was not active in Bonumlandian politics during this time period, she kept in close contact with President Nick Rankov. After the Bonumlandian Civil War, Isabella was sworn in as the Vice President of Bonumland, serving as the co-dictatorial ruler alongside President Rankov. Isabella and Rankov likely fell out of contact for quite a while after the Civil War, as Bonumland entered a nearly two-year period of inactivity. In January 2020, Rankov formally resigned due to personal reasons and passed the office of President to Isabella, who became the new President.
As President, Isabella sought reforms; namely, she abolished the dictatorship and reinstated the Parliament, albeit with heavy reform. Most substantially, she bolstered Bonumland's online presence through online advertising and virtual citizenships. Under her presidency, Bonumland saw a huge expansion, both in terms of land and in population. This sudden influx created instability, forcing Isabella to call a snap election for the recently re-established Parliament and the presidency.
In the election proper, she faced Board of Elections member Azerianus Severanus, the Conservative Party nominee, and activist Renzo Wessels, the Center Democratic nominee. Isabella and Severanus advanced to a runoff election in accordance with the Bonumlandian Constitution; in it, Severanus defeated Isabella by two votes and was declared the new President. Prior to the election, she had filed to run for a seat in Parliament; she was elected an MP and took her seat in Parliament following Severanus’ inauguration.
In secret, Isabella and Gaia Gribhinneach were coordinating the creation of the Revolutionary National Collectivist Party, whose goal was to enthrone Isabella in a monarchical position and the ousting of Severanus from power. The RNCP - a syncretic party - gained massive support from both sides of the aisle, leading to many defections from members of Parliament. In particular, the Conservative Party had gained a supermajority in the snap election and had now lost it due to the sheer number of defections to the RNCP, which now held the supermajority. This enabled Gribhinneach and Isabella to propose a piece of legislation, codenamed “The Package”, which declared a provisional government and the abolition of the presidency. The legislation was instantly vetoed by Severanus, but the RNCP with their supermajority overrode Severanus’ veto, ending his presidency.
Isabella became the chair of a provisional government consisting of seven councilors. Upon the adoption of the 2021 constitution, the provisional government was dissolved and Isabella was established as the Monarch. Due to inactivity, unrest has been growing domestically in Bonumland and support for the monarchy has waned.
In February 2021, Isabella renamed the country "Bonerland" for one week as a reference to a relevant meme.
Georgienstine
Isabella joined Georgienstine on 2 July 2020, and subsequently founded the now-defunct Libertarian Party of Georgienstine. She launched a presidential campaign on 4 July 2020 to run against President Raphaël Olivier, and selected Tukat Ætimak as her running mate. During her candidacy, Ætimak was involved in a large scandal in which it was revealed that he had created a trojan designed for IP scraping, and was subsequently stripped of his Georgienstinian citizenship and exiled. Because of the backlash received from her Vice Presidential selection, her support for President waned and she subsequently dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Olivier.
During the July 2020 House of Representatives election, she won a seat with the Libertarian Party. Due to ideological similarities, Isabella and President Olivier established the United Right Coalition, designed to be a union in opposition to the Labour Party. During her time in the National Congress, Isabella expressed willingness to collaborate with the opposition; in particular, she co-authored a piece of gun reform legislation with Emmeline Marino (at the time known as Lukas Nörvu) designed to make it easier for citizens to purchase firearms while also keeping weapons buyers safe, and likewise with arms dealers. Subsequently, she rebranded the Libertarian Party into the Conservative Party, and gave it a new color scheme.
Isabella merged the Conservative Party with Movement for Socialism due to ideological shifts, so as to comply with Georgienstinian law to keep her seat in the House of Representatives. Isabella was perhaps the biggest critic of the congressional merger bill, which merged both houses of Congress into a single, unicameral legislature. She wrote several bills addressing climate change and disproportionate representation in Congress, most of which were struck down by the Georgienstine First majority; she later wrote that it was "shameful of Georgienstine First to vote against a bill which would have created new protocols for directly addressing the threat of climate change" and how "Georgienstine First is turning against democracy itself".
Isabella soon left Movement for Socialism and established the New Democratic Party with congressman Roy Jackson and congressman Ariel Albert Lederman after expressing dissatisfaction with MfS leadership. She once again announced her candidacy for President in November 2020, and was set to face Roy Jackson and activist Renzo Wessels in the primary; however, her campaign fizzled out when she fell inactive in January 2021, and officially suspended her campaign in February. The New Democratic Party saw initial success, although it would later dissolve; its members would join the pre-established Socialist Labour Party or the newly-created Liberal Party.
Austenasia
In July 2020, Isabella approached Jonathan I of Austenasia to propose the establishment of an Austenasian Territory. The claimed area was a corner of Isabella's yard, located near the front of her home. The territory was to be named Blue Ridge; the name was chosen at random. A few days later, the Parliament of Austenasia passed Act 185 (Blue Ridge and Florencium Carolina Act 2020), which upon being granted Imperial Consent officially incorporated Blue Ridge as an Austenasian Territory and appointed Isabella Governor as well as the title of Baroness. As Governor she instigated a tourist boom through word of mouth and small-scale advertising campaigns.
In December 2020, the Parliament of Austenasia passed Act 197 (Blue Ridge and New Flat Rock Act 2020), which formally expanded Blue Ridge into Town status by annexing an adjacent residential building. Consequently, Isabella was named Acting Representative. In her capacity as Acting Representative, she was to coordinate, and subsequently count the votes for, the 2021 local election in January. The results were announced in early February, and Isabella was democratically elected Representative with 66% of the vote unopposed; one resident abstained.
Other micronations
Isabella was one of the principal citizens of the West River Confederation upon its creation. Because of this, she was appointed interim Secretary of Justice by President Benjamin Pickles. She was elected to the Riveri National Assembly in the 2020 election as a member of the West River Greens from Ellisine. On 22 November 2020, she was confirmed permanently to the post of Secretary of Justice.[1] As of May 2021, Isabella is inactive in West River although she intends to return soon.
Isabella was Prime Minister of Aswington from the resignation of Babou Chkaya to her dismissal. She was appointed by President Juan Cisneros in June 2020 as a member of the Labour Party. In February 2021 she lost the confidence of the National Assembly due to her lack of access to Discord and was replaced by Sander Koff, the current Prime Minister of Aswington.
Political positions
Isabella's views generally align with those of a left-libertarian or a progressive, with democratic socialism and social progressivism being the tenants of her ideological beliefs. She generally joins left-wing political parties that support market socialism, direct democracy and progressivism. Her first introduction to politics was the 2016 United States presidential election; she originally identified as a Republican and supported Donald Trump. She ended her support for Trump upon the passage of the Presidential Memorandum on Military Service by Transgender Individuals in which transgender people were barred from serving in the U.S. military. Throughout 2018 and 2019 she found herself shifting to the left of the political compass and officially switched her party membership to the Peace and Freedom Party in 2020 (although she supports the Democratic Party in elections due to the United States's first-past-the-post system). She initially endorsed Mike Gravel in the 2020 United States presidential election and later Bernie Sanders; she refused to endorse Joe Biden and instead endorsed Peace and Freedom nominee Gloria La Riva. She is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
Micronational issues
Isabella is described as a light secessionist, as she claims Bonumland is an independent state whilst doing all but advancing the notion in practical terms; Bonumland was relocated to the United States in January 2020, and as such the original Declaration of Establishment sent to the Government of Croatia is null and void. Though Isabella categorizes herself as secessionist, she has historically resisted the secessionist and simulationist labels, stating once in 2019 that "all micronationalism is one type of micronationalism: micronationalism".
Isabella typically argues against micronational organizations unless that organization has a unique purpose. For this reason, she opposes joining the Grand Unified Micronational and Cupertino Alliance, and she is an outspoken critic of YAMOs. Though she has criticized micronational organizations, she entered Bonumland into the Union of Five, which has attracted criticism through allegations of hypocrisy. She has dismissed these allegations as politically motivated, as many of the leaders of the Union of Five nations are close friends and the Union of Five is an online chatroom.
Macronational issues
Isabella is socially progressive, and sees individualism within reason as inherent to a functioning society.
She supports abortion up to when an infant is capable of self-conscious thought, which is usually around 24-28 weeks of gestation, or if reputable medical officials determine that the health of the mother is at risk due to complications of the pregnancy. She also supported the 1973 United States Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, in which the Court held that a woman's right to choose is inherently protected under the privacy clause of the Fourth Amendment.
Isabella has advocated for drug legalization, stronger state governments and electoral reform in the United States, and has called for the abolition of the Electoral College and the creation of a confederal direct democratic parliamentary system similar to that of Switzerland. She is a staunch supporter of LGBT rights, expressly including transgender rights; she supports the Equality Act and has called for a constitutional ban on conversion therapy. To a lesser extent, Isabella has voiced her support for land value taxation, property tax, and progressive taxation. She has emphatically stated that she does not support raising the minimum wage due to the effects it has on employment and income, although she does support universal basic income.
Personal life
Isabella resides in Bonumis, although most people view her residency as College Park, College Park. She is self-taught - and proficient - in music theory, and composes classical music in various styles including 18th century baroque, high classical, and American marches. She has learned how to play the ukulele and piano.
Isabella is 6'2", and plays high school basketball at the shooting guard position. Throughout her high school career, she has scored a combined total of 534 points in 30 games: an average of around 18 points per game. Though she is transgender, she participates on the boys' team due to Georgia law regarding athletic eligibility and personal choice.
Isabella is a bisexual transgender girl, having come out to the community in August 2020. She suffers from Asperger syndrome and has a mild form of red-green color blindness. Because of this, she is constantly harassed at school; she described one incident in which a group of students walked up to her, pointed their fingers and laughed, and began taking photos, all the while shouting derogatory epithets relating to transgenderism and mental disabilities.
She intends to study public administration as a major and women's studies as a minor at Portland State University, in order to pursue a future career in electoral politics. She has expressed interest in running for Mayor of Vancouver, Washington as an independent candidate in 2025 and, beyond that, Governor of Washington and eventually President of the United States.
Titles, styles, and award honors
| Monarchical styles of Empress Isabella I | |
| |
| Reference style | Her Imperial Majesty |
|---|---|
| Spoken style | Your Imperial Majesty |
| Alternative style | My Liege |
Titles
Austenasia-
- 20 July 2020 – present
Baroness of Blue Ridge
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Styles
Styles of nobility and royalty
21 March 2006 – present: Addison Dillon
April 2016 – 3 April 2018: Her Majesty, the Queen of Dillonia
3 April 2018 - 7 July 2020: Her Royal Highness, the Princess of Malinovia
10 July 2020 - 13 September 2020: Her Excellency, the President of Florania
1 November 2020 - 26 November 2020: Her Excellency, the President of Bonumland- 20 July 2020 - present: Lady Addison Dillon, Baroness of Blue Ridge
- 11 December 2020 - present: Her Serene Highness, the Princess of Malinovia
- 13 December 2020 - present: Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress of Bonumland
Full style
Her Serene Highness and Imperial Majesty, Isabella I, in Christ the God, his Deputy, Empress and Autocrat of the Bonumlandians, Princess of Malinovia, Baroness of Blue Ridge, Duchess of Bonumis, Matriarch of the Royal House of Dillon, Lady in Pensacola, Great Queen in Florida, Protector of the Order of the Eagle, Protector of the Order of the Empress, Protector of the Bonumlandian Order
Honors
National honors
- Bonumland:
Protector of the Order of the Eagle (1 April 2021)
Foreign honors
Burdette:
Recipient of the Order of King Isaiah Burdette I (25 December 2020)[2]
Molossia:
Recipient of the Friendship Medal of the Republic of Molossia (15 June 2019)[3]
See also
References
- ↑ West River Confederation. Riveri National Assembly (22 November 2020)
- ↑ Burdette, Isaiah. Royal Edict #002: Christmas Honours 2020.
- ↑ Republic of Molossia. Awards.
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