US 'Pride Match' Teams Up With Anti-Gay Nations. Again.
While Newsweek focused on the obvious hypocrisy of Iran and Egypt playing a 'Pride Match' given their domestic laws, they conveniently sidestepped the deeper, more pervasive hypocrisy underpinning U.S. foreign policy. This isn't an isolated incident of selective outrage. For decades, the US has forged alliances and funneled aid to nations with human rights records that would make a rock blush,
especially when oil, geo-strategic positioning, or weapons sales are involved. The State Department's annual human rights reports routinely condemn allies like Saudi Arabia, Egypt (receiving over $1.3 billion annually in U.S. aid), and others for persecuting LGBTQ+ individuals, yet the money keeps flowing. One might wonder if 'Pride' is just a brand to be slapped on anything that distracts from
genuine moral inconsistencies. The US government, through various administrations, consistently prioritizes 'stability' and 'partnerships' over human rights, particularly in the Middle East. This 'Pride Match' isn't a gaffe; it's a microcosm of a foreign policy framework where American values are negotiable. How many 'values' statements does it take before we question the genuine commitment when
the checks clear?