Sodom and Gomorrah

I have wanted to write this blog for a while. However, I simply have not taken the time. Fair warning: conservatives may not like what I have to say. Then again, let's be honest—other than my family, I'm not entirely convinced conservatives read my blog.

A few weeks ago, while we were waiting for a bus, someone lit up a marijuana cigarette and started smoking. Now, I am not a fan of the pungent odor, but I don’t have an issue with someone indulging. After working in higher education for a LONG time, I came to realize I would prefer students smoke marijuana than drink alcohol. I never had a case where someone smoking Mary Jane vadilized the building, got into a fight, or were sent to the hospital. Uruguay officially legalized the production, sale, and consumption of recreational marijuana in December 2013, becoming the first country in the world to fully regulate its cannabis market.

While marijuana is legal, it is not rampant throughout the city. Yes, people smoke it openly (good for them), but people also smoke cigarettes (which smell even worse, in my opinion). Despite what some might imagine, every street corner is not lined with tie-dyed hippies discussing the meaning of life.

There are regulations governing legal marijuana. There is a maximum THC content allowed. Only registered pharmacies can sell it (think of it as needing a liquor license in the United States). In addition, there are limits on how much marijuana a person can purchase each month.

By legalizing marijuana, law enforcement can focus on far more serious issues, such as drug trafficking through the country's ports or violent crime. They no longer have to spend time confronting someone simply because they are smoking a joint.

A brief history lesson. After the repeal of alcohol prohibition in the United States, some government officials feared their agencies would become less relevant. One of the ways they justified their continued existence was by pushing for marijuana prohibition. Bureaucracies, it seems, have survival instincts too.

Uruguay was also the first country in South America to decriminalize homosexuality, taking that step in 1934. Over the last 92 years, Uruguay has become one of the most progressive countries in the world when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights. Same-sex marriage was legalized in 2013, and notably, it was accomplished through legislation rather than through a court ruling.

Now, let's think about what else was happening in the 1930s.

Around that same time, Nazi Germany began aggressively enforcing Paragraph 175, a law criminalizing homosexuality. While the law had existed for decades, enforcement had largely faded. Berlin had become a thriving center of LGBTQ+ life where people could live openly and authentically. Then, almost overnight, the law was revived. Men who were gay—or merely suspected of being gay—were arrested and sent to concentration camps.

The pink triangle that many LGBTQ+ people proudly reclaim today was originally used by the Nazis to identify gay men. Yet somehow, my conservative middle school history teacher neglected to mention that part of history.

Paragraph 175 has eerie similarity to the sodomy laws in the US. SCOTUS said they were unconstitutional. However, at least one Supreme Court Justice wants to hear a case so the decision can be overturned. And we all know, as one conservative judge so say they all rule. Republicans want to bring back the laws thus criminalize homosexuality among gay men. If this happens a case will move to the Supreme Court (reread the first part of this paragraph.)

Uruguay legalized abortion by law in 2012, becoming one of the first countries in South America to do so.

Uruguay was also a pioneer in providing free public education from "cradle to grave." No, I did not invent that phrase, though it does sound like something a marketing department would create.

In 2025, Uruguay became the first country in the world to legalize assisted suicide. There are strict requirements. Applicants must be citizens or legal residents. They must have a terminal illness and be at a stage where further medical intervention will not change the outcome. Finally, a medical review panel evaluates each case before approval is granted. Supporters view the law as a way to preserve dignity and quality of life during a person's final days.

Uruguay has also avoided the epidemic of mass shootings that has become common elsewhere. While firearm ownership is legal, prospective gun owners must undergo background checks (there are no loopholes) and complete firearm safety training every so many years (I don’t know the duration because I don’t intend to own a gun.) There are also laws governing how firearms must be stored in the home.

Please keep in mind that the majority of religious Uruguayans identify as catholic, and the catholic church certainly makes its views known. However, when members of Congress vote or a president signs legislation, religious doctrine is not the basis of government policy. The focus is on governing, not preaching.

I say all of this to make a larger point.

Uruguay has often been first. It hosted and won the first FIFA World Cup. It was an early leader in LGBTQ+ rights. It pioneered progressive policies in education, reproductive rights, cannabis regulation, and assisted dying. Many of these policies would be condemned by christian nationalists in the United States.

Yet Uruguay has not collapsed into Sodom and Gomorrah.

The country is not ruled by Satan. Society has not crumbled. It is not a "shithole country."

It is a stable, thriving democracy that continually seeks ways to improve the lives of its people.

I am proud to live in Uruguay. I am grateful to live in a country that responds to challenges with public policy instead of thoughts and prayers. A country that prioritizes solving problems rather than hosting prayer breakfasts for politicians seeking photo opportunities while appealing to christianity.

The lesson here is simple: progressive laws do not weaken a country.

They strengthen it.

I chose to love the believer,
I chose to hate the belief.
(Let that sink it for a moment)

Thank you for sticking with me.

As always, be kind to yourself, and be kind to others.