Gay Marriage: Cross-Cultural Concerns

By Dominic Schuler '11

It's no secret that in our country, the (mainstream) gay community is very focused around the struggle for marriage equality, hate crime legislature, and rights within the military. I think it is important sometimes to step back and look at what struggles queer communities internationally are facing.

While we featured the first gay couple on the 'Newlywed Game' last month, debate raged over the marriage of two Kenyan men in London (the first gay marriage in London) under the Civil Partnership Act. Religious leaders in Kenya described the union as “unacceptable and unnatural” and “un-African”, and expressed a sense of shame in their shared heritage with the two men. They also cited China's intolerance for queer issues.

Currently, Kenya is drafting a new constitution, which intends to invest in the interests of both majority and minority groups. Although British MP's urge for gay rights to be recognized and protected, religious groups have a large say in the matter and will shoot down the draft if it includes gay rights. Leaders stated that “the majority of Kenyans are against...anything to do with homosexuals and lesbians” and asked “How can a Kenyan marry another man when there are many women out there looking for men to marry them?"

I don't claim to know very much about Kenyan society, but I know that, growing up, I heard many statements similar to those in the paragraphs which precede this one in the American media (Fox news, for example), and it is interesting and, I think, important for us to recognize the similarities and differences in the struggle of queer communities for recognition in our society and others.