Non-Linear Progression

In spite of the gay bar massacre and arkansas shoot-out, we really do have it a lot better than other countries here in America. Take Cameroon for instance.

The modern state of Cameroon was created in 1961 by the unification of two former colonies, one British and one French.
Since then it has struggled from one-party rule to a multi-party system in which the freedom of expression is severely limited.

While we may have things like the Patriot Act beginning to infringe upon people's privacy, we don't have the censureship/exposure troubles taking place there. The media in Cameroon have apparently started a gay witch-hunt.

The newspaper editors say they are exposing people who engage in "deviant behaviour". Some 50 people have been named and the papers have sold out. Homosexual acts are banned in Cameroon, with up to five years in jail. But the campaign has been condemned by the state communication council for invading people's private lives. The council also challenged anyone who felt they had been libelled to take legal action. So far, none of those named has gone to the courts.

So basically it really sucks to be gay in Cameroon and in comparison it only kinda sucks here. What's really disappointing though is that South Africa is officially more progressive than America. While many in the country hold more traditional beliefs, they still redefined marriage in the constitution from a "union between a man and a woman" to a "union between two persons". This all came about because South Africa's constitution specifically outlaws descrimination based on sexual orientation and in fact was one of the first countries to do so.

So basically America's at the point where we'll have to make the choice soon to go the route of Camaroon or South Africa. It's an issue that's been ignored long enough. Honestly though, that newspaper scandal in Camaroon will only show people just how many gays there are in the country in spite of the their laws essentially forbidding them. I've been told that in most cases people are generally more tolerant of other peoples, cultures, ideas, and sexual orientations when they see that friends, family, people they see every day are different. I unfortunately can't really testify to that as I've had my share of familial struggles since coming out. That seems to be the fault of certain individuals' religious beliefs (addictions?) both for me and for the people of Camaroon who are primarily Christian from what I've been able to gather. Hopefully our country (family and friends) will be able to get over its religious convictions and start caring more about the people they live with and care about. Seriously, you never know who'll comt out of the closet next. It could be someone you've known all your life or maybe only 4 or 5 years.