A Global Swell Of Anti-Gay Hate

What a strange Pride Month it has been so far for LGBT folks around the world. On the sort of plus side, Colombia tried but failed to grant gay couple similar rights to those of straight couples and Costa Rica is contemplating a similar attempt. On the downside, we've got Russia with banned Pride marches, violence against gays, and an American protest of Russian vodka. Israeli cult Orthodox Jews are issuing curses and staging anti-gay rallies. Jamaican mobs routinely beat suspected queers. In Iran and Iraq, militias hunt down and murder gays. And now comes word that thousands of gay Poles are fleeing their country in advance of a government-sponsored persecution program which includes a research into "curing" homosexuals. Many of these gay Poles are applying for asylum in Germany and the UK.

Those of you reading from far safer places, keep these folks in your thoughts. We're making great progress in many places, especially in the U.S., but we need to put the pressure on our government to consider the plight of foreign queers when they deal with their governments. These anti-gay thugs see what's going in other countries and feel emboldened. It's about time our famous big stick is used for something besides oil.