US Outraged by Anti-LGBTQ Law, Forgets Its Own Allies' Human Rights Records
CBS News reports with solemnity on Kazakhstan's new law banning the 'promotion of non-traditional sexual orientation,' painting it as a Russian-inspired regression of human rights. (Because only Russia could possibly inspire such bigotry, right?) The indignation is palpable, the concern for LGBTQ+ rights, unequivocal. Yet, one might squint at the map and wonder why this sudden concern rarely
extends to, say, Qatar or Saudi Arabia—nations where homosexuality is criminalized, sometimes with death, and are coincidentally prime destinations for US weaponry and diplomatic praise. Funny how 'human rights abuses' only seem to register when the offending nation isn't buying our F-35s or hosting our military bases. The hypocrisy, apparently, is 'non-traditional' in its selective application.