Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Worse than malaria-causing mosquitoes

While various federal district courts in state after state are declaring marriage protection amendments unconstitutional, Africa is moving in the opposite direction. Nigeria has instituted a draconian anti-gay law. Uganda has been stewing over one for several years and is on the verge of implementing it. And Kenya might be next. Perhaps followed by Gambia.

Obama scolded Uganda for their new law in hopes for convincing the president to withhold his consent. Obama said this would strain relations, implying reduced financial support. The Ethics and Integrity Minister in Uganda fired back scolding Obama for using blackmail.

Yeah, there are laws against homosexual sex in Kenya. Those are left over from colonial times. But Members of Parliament are miffed they can't jail someone for simply declaring they are gay. Kenya and other African nations are highly homophobic, so the current climate doesn't need to be stirred all that hard by American Fundies.

The Gambian president, Yahya Jammeh, has declared gays to be "vermin" and should be fought more aggressively than malaria-causing mosquitoes.


A study from Columbia University's Mailman School for Public Health found that lesbian, gay, and bisexual people who live in high-prejudice areas live on average 12 years less than those who live in low-prejudice areas. A lot of the difference is health conditions brought on by stress.

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