# I pit the alarming surge in global homophobia **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 20, 2017, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-alarming-surge-in-global-homophobia/799349 "2017-10-20T06:02:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-alarming-surge-in-global-homophobia/799349/1 "2017-10-20T06:02:56Z")
This fine piece by Max Bearak in the [Washington Post](https://s2.washingtonpost.com/camp-rw/?e=ZG91Z21hY21pbm5AeWFob28uY29t&s=59e9829dfe1ff6159ed36d87) today hammered home to me the escalating levels of incarcerations, with reports of torture; this isn’t “business as usual” for many of these nations, there’s an ugly tide that’s gaining momentum in these countries, all with far-right leaders in power. In Chechnya it’s been particularly despicable. And then I think of Trump somehow miraculously vamoos-ing from the scene (preferably by means of accidentally slipping on a pool of his peeing miscueing), and then after we go “whew!” that that Orange Piece of Shit is gone, we’re looking at Pence, who is truly bonkers fucked-up homophobic. > [@](#): > > But the phenomenon would not be unique to Tajikistan: Over the past few months, police in Egypt, Azerbaijan, Tanzania, Indonesia and the Russian republic of Chechnya have rounded up people suspected of being gay — and in many cases tortured or publicly humiliated them. Curious if there are folks here who would contend that this is just the same old - that it’s only now that it happens to be getting reported on, more. Even if that would the case, high time, then, that light is being shed on this awfulness, but I’m inclined to think (despite my admitted lack of further cites to back me up) that this is, indeed, an alarming surge, as stated above. These round’em trends can presage much scarier things. This shit bothers me. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-alarming-surge-in-global-homophobia/799349/2 "2017-10-20T07:38:55Z")
Do your part, stop electing homophobes. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-alarming-surge-in-global-homophobia/799349/3 "2017-10-20T14:06:50Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > Do your part, stop electing homophobes. But most of the worst offenders aren’t elected are they? Even Rump doesn’t compare to the world-wide asshole leaders on this subject. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-alarming-surge-in-global-homophobia/799349/4 "2017-10-20T14:13:45Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > Do your part, stop electing homophobes. And that’s a major part of it - they _aren’t_ doing their part: from article, with my bolding: > [@](#): > > Of the 20, some were arrested for waving rainbow flags at a concert, others for Facebook posts supporting the LGBT community, and some were tracked down by police on gay dating apps and chatrooms. “ **The rainbow flag incident has made the public furious** , and this gave an opportunity for the government and state security to start the arrests,” said Mohamed, an Egyptian gay rights activist who requested that his last name be withheld for security reasons, to Raghavan. “They are showing the people that ‘we are conservative. We are embracing our traditions and customs.’ " > [@](#): > > “The main reason for such raids was **the numerous appeals from the residents of the capital** ,” he said. “People complain that such people walk around us, walk in our streets and sit in our cafes.” Safe to say that the countries mentioned in the article have a large contingent of fundamentalists and bigots, and while that might not be anything new, it’s something those countries will need to address if this atrocity escalates. And if it does escalate, I don’t see them addressing the issue very effectively, and that things would get worse. The article went on to mention Putin putting more or less a stop to these roundups so that it won’t appear that he has blood on his hands with the Olympics just around the corner. Manoman - usually I dont have any probem with typos - but in the thread title? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-alarming-surge-in-global-homophobia/799349/5 "2017-10-20T14:24:48Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Even Rump doesn’t compare to the world-wide asshole leaders on this subject. Especially [Chechyen chucklefuck Ramzan Kadyrov](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/ramzan-kadyrov-says-there-are-no-gay-men-in-chechnya-but-if-there-are-take-them-to-canada-a7843466.html), who’d give all psychotic homophobes on this planet a run for their money. Interesting that he has selected Canada as a repository for his jetsam.😕 ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-alarming-surge-in-global-homophobia/799349/6 "2017-10-20T14:25:34Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > This fine piece by Max Bearak in the [Washington Post](https://s2.washingtonpost.com/camp-rw/?e=ZG91Z21hY21pbm5AeWFob28uY29t&s=59e9829dfe1ff6159ed36d87) today hammered home to me the escalating levels of incarcerations, with reports of torture; this isn’t “business as usual” for many of these nations, there’s an ugly tide that’s gaining momentum in these countries, all with far-right leaders in power. In Chechnya it’s been particularly despicable. > And then I think of Trump somehow miraculously vamoos-ing from the scene (preferably by means of accidentally slipping on a pool of his peeing miscueing), and then after we go “whew!” that that Orange Piece of Shit is gone, we’re looking at Pence, who is truly bonkers fucked-up homophobic. > > Curious if there are folks here who would contend that this is just the same old - that it’s only now that it happens to be getting reported on, more. > > Even if that would the case, high time, then, that light is being shed on this awfulness, but I’m inclined to think (despite my admitted lack of further cites to back me up) that this is, indeed, an alarming surge, as stated above. > > These round’em trends can presage much scarier things. > This shit bothers me. They have freaking concentration camps for homosexuals in Chechnya where homosexuals are tortured, beaten and often killed and in Russia as a whole, it’s gotten particularly bad. In Iran and I believe North Korea it’s a death sentence…and they aren’t the only countries like this, either officially or unofficially. I certainly agree that this is pretty alarming and I’m surprised more hasn’t been said about this stuff. Yet this is about Trump and Pence? 😕 There is definitely a disconnect here… ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-alarming-surge-in-global-homophobia/799349/7 "2017-10-20T14:47:05Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Yet this is about Trump and Pence? 😕 There is definitely a disconnect here… Particularly since the OP seems to be focusing on (with the exception of Tanzania) calling out Muslim nations and regions – a somewhat Trumpian move in itself. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-alarming-surge-in-global-homophobia/799349/8 "2017-10-20T15:11:18Z")
The persecution of gays is an alarming tragedy, but I think it’s unlikely there is a global surge in homophobia. More likely, gays are more visible in these countries and are raising the ire of the already-homophobic folks. Or, those homophobes see how gays are increasingly accepted in The West and want to make sure it “doesn’t happen here”. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-alarming-surge-in-global-homophobia/799349/9 "2017-10-20T16:02:34Z")
**I pit the _alarmig_ surge in global homophobia** And severe nasal congestion. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-alarming-surge-in-global-homophobia/799349/10 "2017-10-20T17:25:12Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Yet this is about Trump and Pence? 😕 There is definitely a disconnect here… Yeah, I feel icky defending him but the worst you can say about Lord Dampnut on the issue is _he doesn’t care_. And it’s a losing enough issue for him to not press home even if his base loves it. Then again, he feels the same way about MJ and that’s in danger due to the views of his subordinates, whom he won’t reign in _because he doesn’t care_. So if Pence starts to push behind the scenes for homophobic policies, His Orangeness might let him because _he doesn’t care_. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-alarming-surge-in-global-homophobia/799349/11 "2017-10-20T17:35:36Z")
You can thank [active efforts by American evangelicals](https://www.thenation.com/article/its-not-just-uganda-behind-christian-rights-onslaught-africa/) for some of it. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-alarming-surge-in-global-homophobia/799349/12 "2017-10-20T18:07:21Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > You can thank [active efforts by American evangelicals](https://www.thenation.com/article/its-not-just-uganda-behind-christian-rights-onslaught-africa/) for some of it. And western colonial rule for some of the rest. We tend to forget how earnestly colonial legislators 100-150 years ago believed that eradicating traditional acceptance of same-sex sexual activity in their colonies was a necessary part of “civilizing” them. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-alarming-surge-in-global-homophobia/799349/13 "2017-10-20T18:53:25Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Yeah, I feel icky defending him but the worst you can say about Lord Dampnut on the issue is _he doesn’t care_. And it’s a losing enough issue for him to not press home even if his base loves it. Then again, he feels the same way about MJ and that’s in danger due to the views of his subordinates, whom he won’t reign in _because he doesn’t care_. So if Pence starts to push behind the scenes for homophobic policies, His Orangeness might let him because _he doesn’t care_. He might. I’m not going to defend him at all, but there are levels here. No matter what Trump and Pence or the rest of the Republicans might want or not want, what they CAN do is far more limited and it’s not comparable to what is actually happening in many other countries around the world. I also think this boat has sailed in the US…Trump et al can’t put this genie back in the bottle, IMHO. I think the most they can do is try and stop the tides, and if they do so, again IMHO they will look like those people in the 50’s and 60’s turning firehoses or dogs on young black children trying to go to school. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-alarming-surge-in-global-homophobia/799349/14 "2017-10-20T21:03:41Z")
Just heard about [this](http://www.torontosun.com/2017/10/20/whos-your-daddy-high-school-football-coach-turfed-after-instructing-players-to-taunt-opponents) and was reminded of the thread. > [@](#): > > GRAY, Maine — A Maine high school varsity football coach has been dismissed after he allegedly instructed his players to taunt an opposing player for having two mothers as parents. > > The parents, Lynn and Stephanie Eckersley-Ray, of Yarmouth, say Gray-New Gloucester coach Duane Greaton told his players to taunt their son every time he was tackled during a game last Friday by saying, “Who’s your daddy?” ---
**Author:** ![Hector\_St\_Clare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hector\_St\_Clare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hector_St_Clare)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-alarming-surge-in-global-homophobia/799349/15 "2017-10-21T01:28:11Z")
Chechnya notwithstanding, the general global trend over the last decade (not just in the US but in most of Europe, Latin America and parts of east Asia) has been positive for LGBT rights. ---
**Author:** ![Hector\_St\_Clare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hector\_St\_Clare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hector_St_Clare)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-alarming-surge-in-global-homophobia/799349/16 "2017-10-21T01:33:21Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > there’s an ugly tide that’s gaining momentum in these countries, all with far-right leaders in power. I don’t think “far right” is a very meaningful term even in western & central Europe (where it’s commonly used as convenient journalistic shorthand for ‘ethnic nationalist’) but it’s _especially_ meaningless when extended outside of western Europe, which is where all your examples come from. In Moldova the move against gay rights is happening under a far-left government, in Egypt it’s happening under a moderate government whose main goal seems to be to keep the Muslim Brotherhood out of power, Islamism doesn’t fit well into a left vs. right spectrum anyway, and in Africa in general politics is much less ideological today than it was during the Cold War. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-alarming-surge-in-global-homophobia/799349/17 "2017-10-21T02:01:43Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Yet this is about Trump and Pence? 😕 There is definitely a disconnect here… Not about T + P. Mentioned them simply for comparison. > [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Particularly since the OP seems to be focusing on (with the exception of Tanzania) calling out Muslim nations and regions – a somewhat Trumpian move in itself. :dubious: I was focusing on the countries in the article, and if it turns out that some of them are Muslim, then we’ll put that down to happenstance as opposed to “a somewhat Trumpian move” on my part.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![LongTimeLurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@LongTimeLurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LongTimeLurker)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2017, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-alarming-surge-in-global-homophobia/799349/18 "2017-10-22T03:06:44Z")
So posters on SDMB now know that LGBTQ’s are persecuted and killed in other countries. Do you have a Facebook page or even better, a gofundme page so people can donate money to your cause? So what is your cause? You want LGBTQ’s to be treated like everyone else. I agree that killing people because they are LGBTQ should be against the law. I think it is against the law in the US, but I might be wrong. Killing LGBTQ’s in other countries poses a problem. Some countries still stone women to death for being unescorted in public, or for being married to someone that just wants them dead. So your rant is that you are living in a country that allows you to be openly LGBTQ and you know that other LGBTQ people in the world aren’t allowed the same opportunity. So what are you going to do about it? Keep posting videos and links to web pages that document your concerns? I hope you aren’t too offended if I ignore your tirades. While I may agree that LGBTQ problems and prejudices exist, it really isn’t anywhere near the top of The World Problems I Would Like To Solve. Good Luck on your quest for LGBTQ equality. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2017, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-alarming-surge-in-global-homophobia/799349/19 "2017-10-22T08:09:12Z")
> [@LongTimeLurker](#): > > So posters on SDMB now know that LGBTQ’s are persecuted and killed in other countries. Do you have a Facebook page or even better, a gofundme page so people can donate money to your cause? > > So what is your cause? You want LGBTQ’s to be treated like everyone else. I agree that killing people because they are LGBTQ should be against the law. I think it is against the law in the US, but I might be wrong. > > Killing LGBTQ’s in other countries poses a problem. Some countries still stone women to death for being unescorted in public, or for being married to someone that just wants them dead. > > So your rant is that you are living in a country that allows you to be openly LGBTQ and you know that other LGBTQ people in the world aren’t allowed the same opportunity. > > So what are you going to do about it? Keep posting videos and links to web pages that document your concerns? I hope you aren’t too offended if I ignore your tirades. While I may agree that LGBTQ problems and prejudices exist, it really isn’t anywhere near the top of The World Problems I Would Like To Solve. > > Good Luck on your quest for LGBTQ equality. May your children be gay and may they have an intense desire to travel the world. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2017, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-alarming-surge-in-global-homophobia/799349/20 "2017-10-22T13:10:37Z")
Is there any statistical evidence on the acceptance of homosexuality in the world as a whole? I do not want anecdotes. I do not want changes within a single country. I want statistics on the acceptance of homosexuality in the world as a whole. Some statistics seem to imply that it’s more accepted now than before. The number of countries where homosexuality is a crime dropped from 92 in 2006 to 17 in 2017. The number where same-sex marriage is legal rose over that period. Is there any evidence that homosexuality is less accepted over that time period in the world as a whole?: > **[Fewer countries ban same-sex relations, but homophobic violence common](https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/fewer-countries-ban-same-sex-relations-but-homophobic-violence-common/story-PomdbnIEwzA1tvQEJjgRrK.html)** > > Gay marriage is now legal in 23 countries, and 43 states have banned hate crimes, including on the basis of race and sexual orientation > **[Same-sex marriage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage)** > > Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same legal sex. As of 2023,\[update\] marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 34 countries that have a total population of about 1.35 billion people (17% of the world's population), with the most recent being Andorra. > Adoption rights are not necessarily covered, though most states with same-sex marriage allow those couples to jointly adopt as other married couples can. In contra... > **[Where acceptance of homosexuality has and has not changed around the world](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2015/04/28/where-acceptance-of-homosexuality-has-and-has-not-changed-around-the-world/?utm_term=.e673c4bf5f16)** > > Compared with many other countries, public opinion toward homosexuality hasn't changed all that rapidly in the United States. I am reacting to the title of this thread. If you just give anecdotes or information about a single country, that doesn’t answer my question. If your view is that any homophobia anywhere is wrong, I have no problem with that. However, that is irrelevant to my question. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-alarming-surge-in-global-homophobia/799349.md?page=2)