Gay Laws and the Company Russia Keeps

Russia claims to uphold national values with a vague law that outlaws promotion of homosexuality among children. The stance is attracting global attention, with boycotts on Russian vodka and worries about the safety of athletes and audience members attending the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. “This values-led argument is very useful to those who want to cloak the repression of others by saying they are in fact defending the rights of the majority,” writes Tim Marshall for Sky News, calling such national or cultural values arguments “a smokescreen.” Marshall points out that about one third of all nations ban homosexuality, and most of these are small, economically unstable or authoritarian states; suggestions that homosexuality is a Western invention are delusional and defy research and history. Bans on homosexuality and failure to protect minority rights reflect national value systems that encompass intolerance, betray insecurity and fear about basic freedoms, and lack of respect for human rights. – YaleGlobal