The Queer Western Thing

[unusualmusic_lj_archive]

I have very deep resentments when people in developed countries criticize the developing world.

A lot of that has to do with my wariness and the wariness many non-developed world citizens feel when they here the West lecture them on "human rights".

It's just a bit hypocritical I think sometimes when not even 60 years ago colonialism was still in vogue. The developed world loves to pretend that colonialism is a historical footnote and often fail to connect problems in the contemporary developing world as having origins in colonialism. Many of the countries on there that are orange or red are so because they still have colonial era British sodomy laws. Shouldn't that partially implicate Great Britain in the blame for the state of queer rights in developing countries? Why is Great Britain green, even though its centuries of colonization destroyed open societies and imposed Victorian morals throughout the world? And THEY'RE GREEN STILL ON THE MAP.

I also think that The West and many Western activists feel that what works in their countries can be achieved in the same way in every country. I don't think Western activists take developing world cultures into context as often as they should.

I don't approve of the West blasting developing nations for violations of "human rights" when they often refuse to make concessions to make more economically fair institutions. I mean it's kind of hard for activists to fight for LGBT rights when they're more concerned about their and their family's economic security.