Gay Rights Gained in U.S. Amid Russian, Ugandan Reversals
At a time of growing public acceptance of gay rights in the U.S., flash points of resistance in Russia and Africa point to the endurance of discrimination over sexual orientation as a political tool.
From Moscow to Kampala, punitive new laws against homosexuality have been enacted, solidifying support for the leaders in some quarters, including churches, while drawing criticism from elsewhere in the world.
President Barack Obama, who backed same-sex marriage rights in his re-election campaign, has chastised Uganda for passing laws calling for prison sentences for homosexual acts. And the U.S. sent a delegation featuring famous gay athletes to the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, where President Vladimir Putin has signed laws banning the adoption of Russian-born children by foreign gay couples and blocking distribution of information about “non-traditional sexual relations” to minors.
“Since the collapse of the U.S.S.R., Russia has been searching for its special mission,” said Richard Mole, a senior lecturer in East European studies at University College London. “Establishing itself as the defender of traditional values against Western decadence can be seen as a way for Russia to fulfill its historical destiny.”
While the world was once more aligned against homosexuality, the spectrum of opinion today puts pressure on politicians who champion laws and customs opposing it, said Michael Klarman, a Harvard Law School professor and author of “From the Closet to the Altar,” a legal history of same-sex marriage.
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-27/gay-rights-gained-in-u-s-amid-russian-ugandan-reversals.html