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Notes -
Why is LGBTQ so important for liberals in terms of foreign policy?
For example, when debating Russia, arguments often amount to Russia is evil because they aren't onboard with pride. Russia isn't putting LGBTQAASASFDSFDSFDSFDSFSD people in concentration camps, they simply seem not to have pride flags while having a don't ask don't tell attitude. Why does that infuriate liberals that much?
Countries in the middle east can engage in all sorts of questionable behaviour but, often it is a lack of LGBTQ flags that infuriates the left. Again, they aren't mass-executing LGBTQ people or having concentrations camps, they simply don't celebrate it or want it rubbed in people's faces.
It seems like existence of pride parades seems to be a key benchmark for judging the moral virtue of a country. Why is this benchmark so central?
There are specific laws in place that prosecute "propaganda" of "LGBT" with the definitions of those terms being quite vague. Even if a conviction is not reached, as many mottizens have noticed, the process is the punishment. Especially when the process in question is the Russian jail (can't say anything about Middle East, but they're probably not very respectful and luxurious either).
Your flippant "they just don't want parades" comment shows either a lack of basic research, or more likely given your tenure in the community, deliberate downplaying.
This isn’t even a top ten free speech issue in a Russian context, though.
I remember reading a report on human rights in Morocco by some organization or other. Obviously, Islamic monarchies generally aren’t up to western snuff. But the report generally glossed over free speech and police corruption(both serious issues) to discuss how barbaric it was that homosexuality was illegal. The attitude towards Russia seems similar- we know it’s a thuggish dictatorship, why are gay rights the top issue over there? The suspicious number of dissidents falling out of windows seems far more serious. The hate speech laws have actual teeth, unlike in much of Europe, and Putin allows the chechens to punish islamophobes.
I would like you to quote specific people who claim that gay rights is the top issue in Russia if you want that claim to be defended.
But to propose an answer that sounds plausible to me: the crowd who engages in active dissident politics is not large, and the wiser people are aware that blessed glorious West also has corruption, and perhaps will always have it. There is thus not much demand for being loud in a Putin-bothering way about it. Once Navalny got chased out and later offed, the anti-dictatorship side of dissident Russians has become much more disunited and self-eating.
As for islamic awareness, those of middle class means and above can largely avoid the worst of the Islamic component of Russia. Again, little demand. A lot of anti-Islamism is channeled through the gay rights issues, anyway.
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