So, Uganda has passed a bill that appears to criminalize people for even identifying as LGBTQ, according to a CBC report today. Uganda has long been steeped in homophobia, bigotry and persecution, so this may not come as a great surprise to anyone. It’s just one of many countries that persecutes the LGBTQ community, and it may feel emboldened now to tighten the screws even more as anti-LGBTQ sentiment spreads in some Western nations.
Like the United States. From my vantage point in Canada, I’m kinda dumbfounded by how rapidly rights are being stripped away from citizens. And it’s not just the LGBTQ community. All women are, figuratively, being raped into submission on the abortion issue. Do as you’re told, or the state will incarcerate you. Some Republicans have even suggested executing women who have abortions. How does it feel when you always had control of your own body and then some hoary male Republican takes that control away? Rape, I’d wager.
Ye, in God’s name, eh?
It’s the old “give ’em an inch and they’ll take a mile” story. Republican politicians have been enabled in many states, and they are moving quickly to erase the LGBTQ from their cities and to make women submissive hens a.k.a. 1950.
It certainly looks like a well-organized crusade by elements of the Christian right, which seem to be bent on forcing everyone to live heterosexual lifestyles. LGBTQ history, literature, film and art will be incinerated in the Christian bonfires, and maybe some people who refuse to conform along with them.
Anything is possible these days. Superstition, fear and ignorance are rampant. I saw a report today about some U.S. pastor who told his flock that it’s OK to kill LGBTQ people because God wouldn’t mind.
The goal is Uganda. Zero trace of LGBTQ.
But that was always their goal. Religious extremists have always been against anything LGBTQ because in their hearts, they really feel it is evil. It’s a deep-seated fear that they mistakenly connect to some imaginary supernatural entity. But their real madness is in the persecution. It’s terrifying, if not terrorism.
I couldn’t help but think today how similar Christian crusaders are to those in other faiths who control their people through archaic religious doctrine and imaginary deities.
For the Christians, it’s a “holy war,” according to one report.
It’s not unlike what drives Putin in his Ukraine slaughter. Or leaders in any number of nations, like Afghanistan and Iran. Ignorance. Irrational fear. Hate. Not love. Holy?
Who would have thought that we might be comparing some U.S. states to Iran and Afghanistan and Uganda in 2023? America? The home of democracy?
That’s the elephant in the room. Democracy is under attack in America — by religious fanatics and those who do their bidding. They want Uganda. They want Iran. Some may even want Afghanistan.
Click, click . . .
— Jillian
Jillian Page 
I’ve always been an optimist, most often thinking it’s an incurable position If that’s true, this post certainly offers a respite from it.
I agree with you regarding your questioning the validity of Democracy. For several years I’ve been thinking it has outlived its usefulness as we know it, or at least as I know it.
I’m not yet comfortable commenting on any valid replacement for it yet, I just know that democracy’s replacement cannot be based on or supported by any beliefs in anyones god or any religious doctrine.
Whatever form of management that will be, it will have the ability to save all humanity and thus the habitability of our planet.
It’ll be based in humanity, respect for the planet, respect and understanding for all humanity…. In all our incarnations.
OK! Off I go now to develop some new thoughts on what that can be ….
…. anybody think I have time?
Ron
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They want anything they can have control of. If it’s a smoking ruin that’s perfectly OK with them.
Problem is – we’re so polite that we tolerate these people. We let them into our homes, give them jobs, mortgages, education that they don’t appreciate…
There’s simply no deterrent to their evil in today’s American society. Evil people have always been with us and always will be. It’s society’s job to inhibit them. Societies that can’t inhibit their evil outliers fail.
-Carl
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As the British say, I am gobsmacked by what Republicans are doing to America now, and wondering where it will all end. And I am counting my blessings on being able to live in Quebec and Canada. I expect many Americans will move up here,if they can.
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Yup. I was in Montreal recently for the first time in a very long time. Great city. The sense of ease – not feeling the palpable tension that goes with being in the US – was spectacular.
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Pity I didn’t know you were in town. We could have met up for some lunch or something.
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I would make the move, but Canada doesn’t want us. We’re retired and would be a unproductive drain on the country’s resources. Particularly medical care.
I do understand because people who have lived, worked and paid taxes to Canada for years would rightly oppose us getting government services without having ever paid taxes.
But, it’s still a nice thought.
If the Fascist party gets the white-house in the 2024 election, we may look at the options again.
Steve and Kim
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There may be a way you could move to Canada, Steve and Kim. But our winters are soooo long, which is why we only have a population of 35 million. You could also consider warmer countries like Portugal.
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No. Canada would be preferred since our daughter lives in New Hampshire. Besides, there are more nudist venues near Ottawa than there are in the entire New England area.
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You could certainly visit Canada for up to six months at a time, I think. Not sure how long you would have to leave before you could return. And you probably wouldn’t want to be here January through April, anyhow. You could spend those months in some warm place in the U.S. or abroad.
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That’s an idea. Summer in Canada and Winter somewhere south. Maybe Tahiti.
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That sounds wonderful. If you have a camper, you could tour Canada, as well.
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Can’t find a contact button on your blog, so I’ll just leave this here. The kind of folk we’re talking about:
https://www.local10.com/news/florida/2023/03/22/dont-say-gay-lawmaker-pleads-guilty-to-covid-relief-fraud/?breaking_news=8386&utm_content=30920700&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Breaking%20News%20Alert&utm_term=wplg_breaking
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Sigh . . . The hypocrisy of Republicans and extreme elements of the so-called Christian right is so blatant.
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