In addition to being the anniversary of the first same-sex marriages in Massachusetts, today is the International Day Against Homophobia, the perhaps unfortunately-acronymed IDAHO. Last year, IDAHO was marked by events in over 50 countries and endorsed by the European Parliament.
The day is more than just a party, however. The International Gay and Lesbian Association (ILGA) states that “In 2007, no less than 85 member states of the United Nations still criminalize consensual same sex acts among adults.” ILGA has therefore published a report on state homophobia around the world. In it, they note:
Although many of the countries listed in the report do not systematically implement those laws, their mere existence reinforces a culture where a significant portion of the citizens need to hide from the rest of the population out of fear. A culture where hatred and violence are somehow justified by the State and force people into invisibility or into denying who they truly are. Whether imported by colonial empires or the result of legislations culturally shaped by religious beliefs, if not deriving directly from a conservative interpretation of religious texts, homophobic laws are the fruit of a certain time and context in history. Homophobia is cultural. Homophobia is not inborn. We learn it as we grow.
Pam has more over at the Blend, including Human Rights Watch’s Homophobic Hall of Shame. Included on the list: both Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and U.S. President George W. Bush. Quite the pairing. Not that I want to compare freedoms in Iran to freedoms in the U.S. I still think we are relatively lucky here. Having said that, homophobia is never right, even if it’s worse somewhere else. If Bush is hoping to lead the world to democracy by example, he’ll have to work harder.
From Massachusetts political news to international LGBT rights. Local or global, it’s ultimately about making the world a better place for ourselves and our children.
