We should break off diplomatic relations with any country that has the death penalty for gay people.

[Nye Bevan]

Omar Mateen's was brought up by parents from a country (Afghanistan) that has capital punishment for homosexual behavior. What message does it send that the US is best buddies with (for example) Saudi Arabia which also regularly executes people for being gay? How will a country such as Saudi Arabia even be able to condemn the Orlando massacre with a straight face when all of the victims would probably have been subject to execution in that country? What are they going to say, "we condemn the fact that these people were killed, even though we think they all deserve to die"?

According to the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) seven countries still retain capital punishment for homosexual behavior: Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iran, Afghanistan, Mauritania, Sudan, and northern Nigeria.[67][68] In United Arab Emirates it is a capital offense.[69][11] In Qatar, Algeria, Uzbekistan, and the Maldives, homosexuality is punished with time in prison or a fine. This has led to controversy regarding Qatar, which is due to stage the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Human rights groups have questioned the awarding in 2010 of the right to host the competition, due to the possibility that gay football fans may be jailed. In response, Sepp Blatter, head of FIFA, joked that they would have to "refrain from sexual activity" while in Qatar. He later withdrew the remarks after condemnation from rights groups.[70]

In Egypt, openly gay men have been prosecuted under general public morality laws. (See Cairo 52.) In Saudi Arabia, the maximum punishment for homosexual acts is public execution, which is often carried out.[71] The government will sometimes use lesser punishments—for example, fines, time in prison, and whipping—as alternatives.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_in_Islam

Let's condemn and ostracize these countries as much as we possibly can. Perhaps if Saudi millionaires were not allowed to buy apartments in Manhattan as long as these brutal laws exist there would be more pressure for changing them.

[HassleCat]

1. We should break off relations with any country with the death penalty for any crime.

Because what kind of unciviliz... oops. Never mind.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. Beat me to it.

[Nye Bevan]

4. One of the many reasons I hate that we have the death penalty

is that it reduces our moral authority on this kind of issue. Still, there is a big difference between executing murderers after 20 years of painstaking appeals and beheading people for being gay.

[David__77]

2. I think that not allying with them would be a good start.

I wouldn't support breaking diplomatic relations. I certainly don't think that should be called or treated as allies.

[Lucky Luciano]

5. While we are at it, break ties with countries that arrest rape victims for "adultery."

Same countries more or less though.

[smirkymonkey]

6. I agree completely.

[HooptieWagon]

7. Break off heavy donors to the Clinton Foundation?

Like THAT will happen.

[Mika]

10. +infinity eom

[Greybnk48]

8. K&R

I agree 100%!

[still_one]

9. We should, but it won't happen because of the oil. In a similar instance Jimmy Carter tried

something like this by boycotting the Olympics in Russia, and blocking the Russian wheat deal

It didn't work out because other countries refused to join in, and made those actions ineffective.

The same would most likely happen in this situation, but more amplified.

Most of the countries involved in that are the oil rich middle eastern countries. Unless a unified approach with the other countries could be obtained, breaking off diplomatic relations I suspect would not accomplish very much.

[Lizzie Poppet]

11. Outstanding idea.

We can scream all we want about access to firearms, etc...but we do business with nations in which lethal homophobia isn't just tolerated, it's institutionalized.

[alarimer]

12. You think this will happen when we prop up dictatorships because they are useful?

We don't even dare criticize Saudi Arabia for its treatment of women, much less gay people.

Oh, a diplomat or Secretary of State or the President might make some kind of speech alluding to how we don't like how they treat people, but they won't actually criticize them openly because we need them to fight ISIS or whatever.

[get the red out]

13. Agree completely

Very astute post.

[GoneOffShore]

14. Too right.

Time to boycott, ostracise and interdict.

[Fumesucker]

15. They would run your ass out of DC on a rail if you were a Very Serious Person

Of course no Very Serious Person would ever say that so the likelihood of it happening is nil.

[Fumesucker]

16. kick