A lot of this goes back to Rousseau, a philosopher who sees civilization as the root of evil.

He thought of undeveloped places as filled with “noble savages” uncorrupted by the evils of modern society.

This is why many people believe that anti-gay sentiment only exists because of American or European influences.

While it’s true undeveloped counties often have very different sexual ethics, that does not mean humanity’s default is liberal individualism sanctioned by custom and community.