Obama Puts Sexual Minorities in Danger

The protection of gay rights has recently been introduced into U.S. foreign policy. It is incredibly bad news for gay people themselves, especially those who live in Muslim countries.

Barack Obama has given a new light to the American war for democracy and human rights. “I am deeply concerned by the violence and discrimination targeting LGBT persons around the world. I am directing all agencies engaged abroad to ensure that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBT persons,” wrote the president in his memorandum to all federal agencies.

From now on, defense of sexual minorities is on the official list of U.S. foreign policy aims. Americans will protect and support them both financially and morally (although not in a military way; such far-reaching promises are not made in the memorandum). Governments that discriminate against sexual minorities are to be reprimanded by Washington. People who are forced to leave their countries will be welcomed in the U.S. as political refugees.

It seems that those Polish politicians who do not like gay people, but at the same time admire Americans, have now quite a big ideological problem. However, since Poland is not included in the blacklist made by gay rights defenders, the right-wing journalists’ dilemmas are of secondary importance here. Among the countries which have much more to worry about are Uganda, Iran, Cameron, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Saudi Arabia or even Russia.

If it comes to LGBT communities of those countries, they are surely petrified by Obama’s declaration. If they haven’t suffered persecution already, now they will most likely be a target of violent attacks. Even before the president’s open support, gay people in Iran were considered immoral creatures who submitted themselves to sex-crazed Western culture. Now the majority of Iranian society is persuaded that sexual minorities are indeed a sort of fifth column of deprivation. Obama, by expressing his support and offering protection, made gay people look as if they were spies of the West. They will be paid with sinful dollars for their degenerate sexual habits. Even without Obama’s “help,” Iranian gays did not have an easy life. It happened very often that they were hung at the gallows for their lifestyle.

This paradox was noticed by human rights activists. The administration needs to secure allies on every continent to avoid appearing as though it is imposing American values on parts of the world that view the West with mistrust or hostility, according to Neil Grungas, founder of the San Francisco-based organization for Refuge, Asylum and Migration, which represents gay asylum-seekers. “In countries where U.S. moral leadership is not high and where increasingly Western values are negative … there is a real danger people can use this issue and say, 'No, we are cleaning up here, we are going to reject this American imposition of decay,’’’ Grungas concluded.

It already happened once in Pakistan where a gay parade was financed by the American embassy. “We rededicate ourselves to the pursuit of equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. I want to be clear: the US Embassy is here to support you and stand by your side every step of the way,” said Deputy Chief of Mission Ambassador Richard Hoagland.

Jamaat-e-Islami, a Muslim political party, announced that “homosexuals do not deserve to call themselves Pakistanis. They are the scum of our society.” There were huge anti-American and anti-gay demonstrations in Pakistani cities. “We condemn Americans who persuade people to be bisexual,” announced Mohammad Husajn Mehnati, the head of Jamaat-e-Islami. “For many years Americans have been destroying us physically, calling it ‘the war against terrorism,’ and now they threaten us with cultural terrorism themselves. It shows how cruel America truly is. They try to undermine Muslim values. We will fight against this with all our means!”

It would probably be better for sexual minorities if Obama fought for their rights in a more delicate, consistent and noiseless way without pompous declarations. He must understand that in many countries, American support does not always bring help and is not a point of pride.

Some offer spiteful remarks, claiming that Obama is fully aware of the problems that his support might bring. All in all, it was he who forbade using George Bush’s war rhetoric even though he conducts this war as intensely as his predecessor. But this time Obama could not be noiseless and delicate because his memorandum was to impact American sexual minorities rather than foreign LGBT. It is clear that the president is hoping to get their votes during next year's elections.