Fergusian Monarch completes State Tour of Europe and the Middle East.

Fergusian monarch and transgendered independent write-in U.S. presidential candidate Bennie Lee "Ben" Ferguson (a.k.a. Benelea I) recently returned on November 24 from a three-week state tour/vacation/fact-finding mission to the Middle East and Europe. The monarchs visited Israel (including the tiny self-proclaimed micronation of Akhzivland), the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland.

During stopovers in Minneapolis, Minnesota she campaigned briefly and visited the infamous "Larry Craig" men's room at the airport.

A strong advocate of decreased U.S. military and financial support of the Israeli state, their Majesties was keen to visit either Gaza or the West Bank during her stay in the Middle East. Due to security concerns, this proved inadvisable. However, she did meet with Palestinian representative Anijad Nasser in Jerusalem to express her sympathy regarding the plight of the Palestinian people.

While in Jerusalem, the candidate visited the Shushan Bar, the city's only GLBT nightspot which was unfortunately going out of business that very weekend. She was welcomed by the management, included in televised coverage of the event, and photographed by "Harrad" magazine's Tess Scheflan.

The Fergusian monarch arrived in Amsterdam on November 11 and participated in the tenth anniversary celebration of Lellebel, a local gathering place for transgendered people. Having lived in Amsterdam from 1979-1986, it was a homecoming of sorts for their majesties who enjoyed a chance to brush up on her Dutch while visting with Lellebel's patrons.

Switzerland, their majesties next destination, gave her a further opporunity to brush up on her German. She lodged in the twin villages of Nesslau-Neu St. Johann in the Toggenburg at the home of environmental activist Andreas Weber. Weber and the Fergusian monarch enjoyed lively exchanges related to "green" issues and her host explained to her the history of the Confederation of Helvetia, which lead to the founding of modern Switzerland.