# Guess who's less bigoted than the USA? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 14, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-whos-less-bigoted-than-the-usa/380442 "2006-11-14T21:33:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-whos-less-bigoted-than-the-usa/380442/1 "2006-11-14T21:33:52Z")
That’s right… fucking [South Africa!](http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/11/14/safrica.gay.marriage.ap/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Redwing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dfb087/32.png) [@Redwing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redwing)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-whos-less-bigoted-than-the-usa/380442/2 "2006-11-14T21:55:26Z")
[ > [@The link](#): > > ]([http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/11/14/safrica.gay.marriage.ap/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/11/14/safrica.gay.marriage.ap/index.html))In the United States, only the state of Massachusetts allows same-sex marriage, Vermont and Connecticut permit civil unions, and more than a dozen states grant lesser legal rights to gay couples. It is this sentence that really set it off to me. The dozen states that offer “lesser legal rights” to people. Something about people being unequal before the law. hmm. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-whos-less-bigoted-than-the-usa/380442/3 "2006-11-14T22:07:37Z")
I usually have very little negative to say about my home state, but the fuckwit gaybashing around here just pisses me the fuck off. _Two_ chances to fix this backward-ass state were tossed aside last week. Sure we aren’t alone, but it’s still fucked up. Buncha fucktards. Did I say “fuck” enough? ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-whos-less-bigoted-than-the-usa/380442/4 "2006-11-14T22:10:05Z")
As I said in the other thread: What the hell is wrong with my country? South Africa is legalizing gay marriage. South fucking Africa, the country that was the symbol of bigotry when I was growing up. Every other civilized country including [Mexico](http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-womexi164935437oct16,0,6421326.story?coll=ny-health-print) has some kind of universal health care, and here we are making people delay or avoid needed health care or go deep into debt to pay for it. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-whos-less-bigoted-than-the-usa/380442/5 "2006-11-14T22:18:22Z")
[QUOTE=Anne Neville] As I said in the other thread: What the hell is wrong with my country? South Africa is legalizing gay marriage. South fucking Africa, the country that was the symbol of bigotry when I was growing up. Every other civilized country including [Mexico](http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-womexi164935437oct16,0,6421326.story?coll=ny-health-print) has some kind of universal health care, and here we are making people delay or avoid needed health care or go deep into debt to pay for it. :mad: [/QUOTE] Speaking of Mexico…[Mexico City](http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/11/10/mexico.gay.ap/index.html) now offers civil unions to same sex couples. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-whos-less-bigoted-than-the-usa/380442/6 "2006-11-14T22:34:52Z")
[QUOTE=Anne Neville] What the hell is wrong with my country? [/QUOTE] America is a country dominated by fundie Christians, greedy corporations and free market fanatics, that’s what. Therefore, bigotry, few limits on the power of the wealthy to exploit the rest, and little help for the non-wealthy. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-whos-less-bigoted-than-the-usa/380442/7 "2006-11-14T22:40:55Z")
[QUOTE=Bobotheoptimist] I usually have very little negative to say about my home state, but the fuckwit gaybashing around here just pisses me the fuck off. \ [/QUOTE] I know how you feel - Canada has legalized same-sex marriage (as far as I know - if anyone has updated info, please chime in), but the province I live in, Alberta, has some serious redneck issues. From what I’ve heard, there is not a lot of support for homosexual rights here, including from our good ol’ boy current leader, [Ralph “No Conservative Bone In His Body” Klein.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_JgdWb5WZU&mode=related&search=) ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-whos-less-bigoted-than-the-usa/380442/8 "2006-11-14T22:45:55Z")
[QUOTE=Der Trihs] America is a country dominated by fundie Christians, greedy corporations and free market fanatics, that’s what. Therefore, bigotry, few limits on the power of the wealthy to exploit the rest, and little help for the non-wealthy. [/QUOTE] So why did we have to end up with more of those than everywhere else? It reminds me of a joke I made up while I was visiting Australia, but wasn’t brave enough to tell to anyone there: Why did Australia get settled by convicts, while America got settled by ultra-religious people? Because Australia got first choice. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-whos-less-bigoted-than-the-usa/380442/9 "2006-11-14T23:06:02Z")
Conservatism is a fundamentally selfish philosophy. Thus, the Constitution’s protections against the tyranny of the majority aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on. So unless you can obtain political power for your own interests, you’re fucked, because only the selfish interests of the majority have any value in the current conservative climate. Let’s hope the dems don’t fuck things up before they get a few things accomplished. ---
**Author:** ![Zerc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/82dd89/32.png) [@Zerc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zerc)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-whos-less-bigoted-than-the-usa/380442/10 "2006-11-15T15:48:13Z")
Woohoo, my country is less bigoted than the USA. Oh and fuck you **MaxTheVoo** l and **Anne Neville** for being disrespectful to my country. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-whos-less-bigoted-than-the-usa/380442/11 "2006-11-15T16:04:58Z")
Argentina also offers civil unions to same-sex couples and if IIRC so does Brazil. It would seem as if the entire world is moving forward while the US is stagnant, and in some aspects moving backwards. I am very sorry about that, your country sets an example for many others, unluckily not a good one as of lately. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-whos-less-bigoted-than-the-usa/380442/12 "2006-11-15T16:56:51Z")
I’ll point out that simply legalizing same-sex marriages- while a nice step forward- doesn’t make a nation “less bigoted” all by itself. Especially when _" Even in South Africa, gays and lesbians are often attacked because of their sexual orientation"_ ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-whos-less-bigoted-than-the-usa/380442/13 "2006-11-15T17:04:19Z")
[QUOTE=Mighty\_Girl] Argentina also offers civil unions to same-sex couples and if IIRC so does Brazil. It would seem as if the entire world is moving forward while the US is stagnant, and in some aspects moving backwards. I am very sorry about that, your country sets an example for many others, unluckily not a good one as of lately. [/QUOTE] Also the USA seems to be the only country in the world where creationism is taken seriously . Other countries left that behind a 100 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-whos-less-bigoted-than-the-usa/380442/14 "2006-11-15T17:06:20Z")
[QUOTE=Der Trihs] America is a country dominated by fundie Christians, greedy corporations and free market fanatics, that’s what. Therefore, bigotry, few limits on the power of the wealthy to exploit the rest, and little help for the non-wealthy. [/QUOTE] Don’t you think the fundies are losing power? It seems to me that they had their shining moment, and it is passing quickly away. Could be wrong… ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-whos-less-bigoted-than-the-usa/380442/15 "2006-11-15T17:09:02Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] I’ll point out that simply legalizing same-sex marriages- while a nice step forward- doesn’t make a nation “less bigoted” all by itself. Especially when _" Even in South Africa, gays and lesbians are often attacked because of their sexual orientation"_ [/QUOTE] The government, who represents the people, is allowing same sex marriages. I am sure they will still have ugly situations arise around homosexuality, but such is the human condition. The fact that they allow Gay Marriage as a society does speak better of them than of us. I am in Virginia and we just voted to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. They neglected to add “one time”. We wouldn’t want to oppress the divorced now would we? Being divorced is nigh impossible to hide in a closet. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-whos-less-bigoted-than-the-usa/380442/16 "2006-11-15T17:18:10Z")
[QUOTE=newcrasher] Don’t you think the fundies are losing power? It seems to me that they had their shining moment, and it is passing quickly away. Could be wrong… [/QUOTE] They dominate the culture, not just the government. And America has been sliding towards a Christian Dark Age since Reagan got into office. This last election was just a setback, a reaction against _Bush_, not fundamentalism. I fully expect America will become an out-and-out Talibanesque theocracy within my lifetime. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-whos-less-bigoted-than-the-usa/380442/17 "2006-11-15T17:27:15Z")
[QUOTE=Der Trihs] They dominate the culture, not just the government. And America has been sliding towards a Christian Dark Age since Reagan got into office. This last election was just a setback, a reaction against _Bush_, not fundamentalism. I fully expect America will become an out-and-out Talibanesque theocracy within my lifetime. [/QUOTE] Fundamentalist Christians dominate the culture in the US? They may wield more influence than you would prefer, but most of our popular culture is anathema to fundametntalist Christians. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-whos-less-bigoted-than-the-usa/380442/18 "2006-11-15T17:42:18Z")
[QUOTE=Rayne Man] Also the USA seems to be the only country in the world where creationism is taken seriously . Other countries left that behind a 100 years ago. [/QUOTE] You don’t read much, do you? Many Muslim’s believe in Creationism, and so do Hindus\*, so that’s most of the Middle-east and much of Asia (Buddhists, however, don’t really beleive in “Creationism” _per se_). Most Observant Jews also believe in Creationism, so that’d include Isreal. Few Christians do, really only Fundies. It’s true that Fundamentalist Xtians are in a smaller minority and have little political power in Europe. But Europe is hardly the _entire rest of the world_. Much of Asia and the Middle east have strong Fundamentalist beleifs- it’s just not _Christian_ Fundmentalist beliefs. African tribal faiths are “creationist” also. South America is mostly Catholic, and the Catholic Church, while accepting Evolution and the scientific age of the Earth does believe that God created the Earth. If one calls that “Creationism” then yes, most of America is also, as just about every Xtian faith has that as a beleif. In fact, (other than the Buddhist faith) that’s pretty much part of nearly every faith. \*True, it’s a completely different Creation. And, it’s hwaaaay different. But still. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creation\_(theology)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creation_%28theology%29) ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-whos-less-bigoted-than-the-usa/380442/19 "2006-11-15T17:46:25Z")
[QUOTE=newcrasher] Don’t you think the fundies are losing power? It seems to me that they had their shining moment, and it is passing quickly away. Could be wrong… [/QUOTE] What leads you to believe they’re coming out of power? The recent elections may have gone against the Republicans\*, but that seems to be more due to scandal and abuse of power, and the war, rather than a disagreement on social policies. Just look at how many states passed “defence of marriage” acts recently. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-whos-less-bigoted-than-the-usa/380442/20 "2006-11-15T17:46:39Z")
[QUOTE=Zerc] Woohoo, my country is less bigoted than the USA. Oh and fuck you **MaxTheVoo** l and **Anne Neville** for being disrespectful to my country. [/QUOTE] I’m sorry- I didn’t mean to say it is a symbol of bigotry _now_. But, when I was growing up in the 1980s, it was. You’ve gone from being worse than we were in terms of bigotry enshrined in law to much better than we are, which I think is amazing. I only wish my country could do the same in a comparable time frame. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-whos-less-bigoted-than-the-usa/380442.md?page=2)