Since we’ve been talking about and focusing on sex and sexual identities on a global scale, I thought it would be fun to look at laws around the world for the LGBT community.The results were horrifying. On a global level, there are 79 countries where homosexuality is illegal. Yep, that’s right. 36 those countries are in Africa; Middle Eastern countries are represented as well. So what about the Americas? Homosexuality is illegal in Antigua, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, as well as others. However a global trend, NO EUROPEAN COUNTRY HAS A LAW AGAINST HOMOSEXUALITY AS OF JANUARY 2014. (I must note, however, that there are countries such as Russia and Ukraine with explicit laws regarding the LGBT community, just none where the practice of homosexuality is illegal.) What can we as scholars (and Americans) infer from this trend? Since we seem to be moving in the (right) direction for human equality within the states, what is the cause of this worldwide trend?? From our readings, how can sort out whats going on in the global politics of human equality? If America does end up seeing complete marriage equality, with other countries follow?
Since the countries prohibiting homosexual practices tend to be Middle Eastern and African nations, I can only justify that some of the reasoning has to be, in part, due to the ethnic/religious background of the people, which I won’t get into. Since we as Americans are more technological and live life in the fast lane, are we just coming to accept homosexuality as part of a changing culture? What do you think is the key for global rights and equality or is this ideal even attainable? What steps should we as scholars and Americans do in the fight for global rights?
Sex and Society 
You’re right… 79 is an appalling number of countries that have made homosexuality illegal. As you briefly mentioned, the concentration of countries where identifying as LGBT is criminalized is in historically Islamic nations. I believe that this trend does not reflect the religious beliefs of the people as much as it reflects the theocratic nature of these governments. You mentioned that all of Europe has decriminalized homosexuality. It is important to consider that European governments are by and large secular institutions, which plays an important role in legislation regarding issues that can be debated on theological grounds.
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As the person said above, 79 is a number that seriously shows that the issue is problematic. Even in history, we see that certain groups are always highly targeted at specific times. This eventually transitions when society starts to shift and the population begins to embrace a more accepting way of thinking (due to gaining knowledge about the group in general and realizing the inadequacy of their hate). As scholars, I think it should be our job to educate the people about the dynamics of homosexuality. Prejudice sometimes is a direct result of ignorance, and this may be the reason that many people in America may hate gays (because they heard that it goes against a religion and is immoral or they heard other negative conversations relating to the issue). I think it starts with educating the people and then we could work our way up from there.
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