To be sure, Russia was the odds-on favourite going into the international freestyle homophobia competition. It got strong marks from bigots the world over for its so-called gay propaganda law, which makes it illegal to tell children about gay equality. And it even upped the anti at the last minute with a surprise move forbidding foreign same-sex couples (and single people from countries where same-sex marriage is legal) from adopting Russian children.
The retrograde powerhouse met with some serious challenges from unexpected quarters, however. The United States made a bid for the top of the podium with a proposed law that would have allowed private businesses in the state of Arizona to deny service to gays and lesbians in the name of religious freedom. But the governor of that state, Jan Brewer, faltered in the long program when she vetoed the controversial bill. It was always a long shot anyway, as gay couples can now marry in 17 states and the District of Columbia, and form civil unions in another four.
No, it is tiny Uganda that in the end presented the real threat to the supremacy of Russian douchebaggery. Homosexuality is taboo in much of Africa, and illegal in 37 of its countries, including Uganda. But the kicker is new legislation signed by its president this past Monday, which promises harsher treatment for offenders, and—stealing a routine right from the old KGB playbook—"makes it a crime to fail to report anyone who breaks the law."
As a judged event, some people will always second-guess the results of freestyle homophobia competitions, but when all was said and done, Russia had to content itself with silver, and Uganda took home the gold.
No, it is tiny Uganda that in the end presented the real threat to the supremacy of Russian douchebaggery. Homosexuality is taboo in much of Africa, and illegal in 37 of its countries, including Uganda. But the kicker is new legislation signed by its president this past Monday, which promises harsher treatment for offenders, and—stealing a routine right from the old KGB playbook—"makes it a crime to fail to report anyone who breaks the law."
As a judged event, some people will always second-guess the results of freestyle homophobia competitions, but when all was said and done, Russia had to content itself with silver, and Uganda took home the gold.
