It's a false bifurcation to present only "local laws should reflect what the local culture finds acceptable in public", and "everyone should be really liberal i

It's a false bifurcation to present only "local laws should reflect what the local culture finds acceptable in public", and "everyone should be really liberal in what they accept in public" as valid choices. My position is simple: people are happier in countries where kissing in public is allowed. People have become happier in countries where things like kissing in public have become allowed. Things like enlightenment, separation of church and state, democracy and checks and balances result in countries where people are generally happier and more free. That has been experimentally verified in a number of countries over the past few hundred years. Some sets of ethical beliefs produce results that are deemed better, even by those that object to part or all of those beliefs. Cultural relativism cannot and must not be used to excuse repressive behavior.