FIFA President Apologizes
Dec 17, 2010 Political
The president of FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association), the football (soccer) association, has apologized for remarks he made about the 2022 World Cup matches in Qatar. Sepp Blatter was earlier asked about the treatment of gays during the events in Qatar and he replied:
I would say that they should refrain from any sexual activities.
Blatter took a lot of heat from homosexual advocacy groups that were upset with his comment.
But he was correct.
Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar and those caught in homosexual acts could be arrested and subject to Draconian treatment. I believe that Blatter was stating the obvious in telling homosexuals to refrain from behavior that is illegal in the host country.
I imagine he could have expanded his comments to tell people not to steal or drive in violation of local laws but one would figure these are pretty universal and most people should know these acts are against the law.
In many countries homosexuality is not against the law so homosexuals might not have thought about the consequences of engaging in that behavior in a country where it is not allowed.
Instead, a knee jerk reaction to his comments overshadows the reality that anyone caught engaging in homosexual behavior might not ever get out of the country.
Perhaps he could have softened the blow (so to speak) if he had also warned against adultery, a crime that can result in a death penalty for the woman involved.
I think Blatter gave good advice. At least now if people are arrested they cannot claim ignorance. That certainly would have occurred if Blatter had said nothing.
Homosexuals who are upset (most of whom are probably not even going to Qatar) should consider whether Blatter’s advice was salient and should be heeded or if they are willing to risk the consequences of getting caught by a government that has little tolerance for such behavior.
Cave Canem!
Never surrender, never submit.
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Tags: fifa, homosexuality, qatar, sepp blatter, world cup
Obama Addresses Issue of Gays in the Military
Jul 9, 2008 Military, Political
When Bill Clinton was running for president he promised the gay community that he would change the service rules so that openly gay people could serve in the military. When he was elected he ran into a great deal of opposition and he struck a deal that is now termed “Don’t ask, don’t tell”, a policy that says the military may not ask if a person is gay and a person is not to tell. If caught engaging in homosexual behavior people would be discharged. This did not make the gay community happy because they felt betrayed by Clinton. I have no doubt many gay people have served honorably under this rule and this post is not to debate the pros or cons of gays openly serving.
Barack Obama was interviewed by the Military Times and he stated that he would allow openly gay people to serve in the military. He stated it was a matter of fairness. The military is not fair and there are many exclusions from service like failing a physical fitness test, poor vision, poor hearing, or being overweight. In any event, Obama is making a promise that he, like Bill Clinton, might not be able to keep. It is not a matter of just saying it and making it so, as Clinton found out. Perhaps the gay community should consider this before casting their votes. Obama is saying he will do it but history shows us that he probably will not be able to, at least not easily and with so many pressing issues he might not want to expend the effort. Here is what Obama said about the issue:
Obama also spoke of rocking the boat. In what seems certain to be one of his more controversial proposals for the military, Obama said he wants to allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military.
Equity and fairness are part of the reason for lifting the ban on acknowledged homosexuals serving in the military, Obama said, but there are practical reasons, too — like getting “all hands on deck” when the nation needs people in uniform. “If we can’t field enough Arab linguists, we shouldn’t be preventing an Arab linguist from serving his or her country because of what they do in private,” he said, referring to the 2006 discharge of about 60 linguists for violating the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on service by homosexuals.
“I want to make sure that we are doing it in a thoughtful and principled way. But I do believe that at a time when we are short-handed, that everybody who is willing to lay down their lives on behalf of the United States and can do so effectively, can perform critical functions, should have the opportunity to do so.” Military Times
A majority of people in the military oppose gays serving but it appears as if the number has been decreasing over the years. Still, if he wants to gain the trust of the troops he should not be using the military for social engineering. I am not sure the “all hands on deck” comment was the right one to use…
I wonder if all those interpreters who were discharged were male. The lesbian interpreters are better at hiding their homosexuality and ensuring they do not get caught.
The lesbian interpreters are cunning linguists.
Tags: dadt, homosexuality, Military, Obama, openly serve, policy