Same Issue - Different Response

While travelling in India Paul Martin has had to defend his same-sex marriage legislation:

Just two days before Martin arrived in New Delhi, the spiritual leader of Sikhism directed his religion's followers worldwide to reject the legalization of gay marriage, as proposed by Martin's Liberals.

The unprecedented edict by Joginder Singh Vedanti – likened by one Sikh Liberal MP to the Pope – followed a lively debate in the Indian press this month in which it was speculated that Mr. Martin had cancelled a planned visit to the Golden Temple in Amritsar because of political concerns about the controversy.

Mr. Martin had to defend the legislation Tuesday after a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

“I would point out that we are a country of ethnic and religious minorities,” Mr. Martin said in response to a question about the controversy at a news conference.

“And the purpose of the Charter of Rights is to protect minorities, to protect them against the oppression of the majority.”

This is all fine and dandy but the story got me to ask a question.

Why is it that only Western people who oppose same-sex marriage are called bigots, oppressors, haters of minorities, homophobes, etc...?

All over the world there are entire cultural groups who would laugh at the thought of allowing gay couples to marry. Hindus, Muslims, and Africa, are all places where homosexuality, for the most part, is totally supressed if not outright forbidden.

Yet I've never heard a gay-rights activitist use such loaded language with these groups of people.

Just an observation.

crossposted to The Shotgun