The American Political Science Association is among several disciplinary associations that have found themselves caught in debates over whether to hold meetings in locales that some want to boycott. In 2008, the association rejected calls by some to move the 2012 meeting out of New Orleans because Louisiana has adopted one of the most stringent bans on gay marriage, applying the ban also to any proposed legal relationships, such as civil unions, that could be seen as resembling marriage. The decision led to a call by some political scientists to boycott the meeting.
Now the association is facing yet more criticism from boycott organizers. It is holding a workshop this summer in Uganda, where the government is supporting some of the most anti-gay legislation in the world, which would carry terms of life imprisonment for gay acts and execution in some cases. The APSA’s president said in an interview Sunday that the association is deeply concerned about the situation and has started talking to gay members and others about what to do if the bill passes.
Full story: News: Should American Academics Hold Meeting in Uganda? – Inside Higher Ed