Since the ratification of the United Nations charter on October 24, 19451, the formation of Amnesty International in 19612, and the creation of the Human Rights Campaign in 19803, groups and organizations like these have strove, and continue to strive, to protect the “equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family” (“The Universal”).
Throughout the centuries, the collective global society has rose above the oppressive mentalities that allowed for the subjugation of Native Americans, the dehumanization of those of African descent, and the segregation of women from political and influential spheres. However, despite all these advancements on the issue of human rights for various groups around the world, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community still struggle to secure the same level of rights and respect allotted to the heterosexual members of the global society. Around the globe, the scope of rights given to members of the LGBT community varies widely (“About Us”). There no agreed upon standard.
Only a mere ten countries allow for adoption by same-sex couples (Crumley/Paris). Even in a country as liberal as the United States of America, only eight states allow for adoption by same-sex couples and only six states allow for gay marriage. Taken from a report by the Pew Research Center, since 2009, seven countries total make up the list of countries that allows for gay marriage. In more than seventy countries, members of the LGBT community run the risk of arrest or death by law, because in at least seventy countries homosexuality is a criminal offense (“Gay Marriage”). As evident by the laws of many countries around the world and the rights restricted from members of the LGBT community, substantial progress has yet to be made. Still, there is hope.
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By examining the progress on the issues of gay rights in various countries, we can begin to achieve progress for gays around the world, albeit, little by little. Through careful and deliberate examination of the plight of gays around the globe, it can be determines to what extent various factors, such as the political, religious, cultural, and educational make-up of a state, retard or advance the progress of gay rights. In this paper, we show that the ingrained cultural and religious values of a state leads to the unjust restriction of rights for gays, and the political scheme of the country could be the refuge that saves them or the shackles which confine them even more.
The importance of this topic however, does not lie in determining and evaluating these factors, but lies in using them to create and develop more effective methods of change. By knowing these factors, and their implications on change, betters methods can be implemented in countries to create social and political change on the issues of gay rights.
With each country that increases its scope of rights for gays, with every accomplishment, even the little ones, the list of successes grows, not only on the issue of gays rights, but on the issue of human rights in general. The threat issued to the rights of gays around the world is not just a threat to gay people, it is a threat to the rights of very human being that inhabits the Earth. By sitting back and doing nothing about the plight of gays in our country and in other countries, we, albeit, not out of sheer spite or hate, give a silent nod of approval to these governments and societies, which continue to classify gays as second-class citizens.
We cannot stand by when gays around the world live these lives sulking in the imprisonment of their own fear and self- inflicted shame, reciprocated by the environment that surrounds them. We, collectively the human race, should remain tolerant and impartial in our judgments. If we choose to live our lives letting hate and prejudice guide us, the human race will never progress towards the peace that we are all searching for. However, the importance of this issues should not only be the focus of those exclusive members of the LGBT community. Gaining rights, acceptance, tolerance, and respect, for the members of the LGBT community should be a goal of all individuals wanting to push the global society into a better future because “injustice anywhere is a threat to injustice everywhere” (King Jr.).
To begin, one of the factors that bind gays in secritude around the world is the religion of the country they live in because these countries may have harsh punishments for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Gay rights in countries are slow in coming because the religion of that state disapproves of sodomy or homosexuality. The strength of the religious ties in a country is proportional to the length of time it will take for that country to experience progress on the issue of gay rights because most religions disprove of sodomy. According to Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, sodomy is defined as “copulation with a member of the same sex,” or in other words, intercourse with a member of the same sex.
Christians use the Bible to guide their lives. The Bible expresses its views on homosexuality and states it opposition to homosexual acts. The Bible calls homosexuality “a perversion” and “an abomination.” Briefly, sodomy, as defined by the Bible, is wrong and sinful (Willis). According to the Pew Research Center, many Christian groups and organizations use the words and teachings of the Bible to guide them down a righteous path.
Moreover, in 2005, the American Baptist Churches USA asserted that homosexuality is wrong because “God’s design for sexual intimacy places it within the context between one man and one woman.” Most Christian groups and churches, such as the Evangelical Luther Church in America, the National Association of Evangelicals, the Southern Baptist Convention, and the United Methodist Church oppose homosexuality.
Evangelicals, Baptists, and Methodists aren’t the only ones who also heed the teachings of the Bible. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops also opposes same-sex marriage and homosexuality for the reason that same-sex couples are going against he will of God because they cannot procreate as heterosexual couples can. In addition, Islam also opposes homosexuality. Homosexuality is a crime in many Islamic states (“Religious”). Based on the information of these religions and their views on homosexuality, it would not be a stretch to make the claim that countries who are religious, such as Christian or Islamic nations, would give little to no rights to gays because of the religions’ views on sodomy.
This claim is rightly so made and is easily justified, through analysis and cross-referencing of sources on religion and rights for gays. Based on polls and reports by the Pew Research Center, Gallup, and the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association (ILGA), countries that are more religious will in fact limit the rights for gays and treat them as second- class citizens. The African nations of Botswana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and the Middle Eastern country of Saudi Arabia exemplify this claim. Firstly, according to the Pew Research Center, both Christians and Muslims in Botswana overwhelmingly agree that homosexual behavior is morally wrong (“Islam”).
The participants were compelled by their religion to view homosexuality in an unfair, negative light. Over three fourths of those polled from Botswana in the Gallup poll on the importance of religions said that they valued religion and considered it important in their everyday lives (Crabtree). According to the claim, the high level of importance places on religion in Botswana would lead to a low level of rights for gays, and this is just the result. Based on a report initiated by the ILGA, homosexual relationships between both men and women are illegal in Botswana. Gays face the harsh sentence of imprisonment of no more than ten years (“Botswana”). As afore mentioned, Botswana is not the only country whose religious obligation outweighs the importance of universal human rights.
