In case you needed a reminder that things are different in America, check out this op-ed in the Independent, wherein British Prime Minister David Cameron -- the leader of the Conservative Party, remember -- writes of his commitment to gay rights:
There's no single lever we can pull or even collection of measures that we can take to make that happen. The wall of prejudice is also chipped away by high-profile role models, by public celebrations, by a positive approach to diversity. That's why I am proud that there are now more openly gay MPs in the Conservative Party than any other party. It's why I wish the upcoming Pride events – today in Leeds, all week in Brighton and on Saturday in Liverpool – every success. And it's why I congratulate everyone on this list for doing their bit to inspire and change attitudes. This is a country where people can be proud of who they are – and quite right too.
Try to imagine for a moment a Republican leader -- say, President Palin -- speaking of her pride at the number of gay Republican members of Congress (oh wait...). This is just one example of how on lots of issues, the ideological gulf that separates the main parties in Britain is pretty small compared to what we have here. Not that there aren't plenty of differences, but at least the Tories and Labor appear to hail from the same planet. Kind of makes you jealous.
-- Paul Waldman