The ordinary citizen in these jurisdictions sincerely believes that when gays and lesbians are bashed and murdered, and subjected to “corrective rape”, they are getting what they deserve, and that their attackers are doing “God’s work”.

Religion is at the heart of practically all homophobia. Religion is the scourge of the homosexual. People have the civil right to their religious beliefs, but they do not have the authority to deny others their right to a different religious belief, or no religious belief at all. And they certainly do not have the right to deny homosexuals our civil right to love another human being of our own choosing.