UAE's Gay Marriage Policy

I had to read this article more than once to fully grok the proposed punishment of the two dozen or so gay men caught trying to get married. Jail time? Lashings? Hormone treatments?

A representative quote:

“Because they’ve put society at risk they will be given the necessary treatment, from male hormone injections to psychological therapies,” [Interior Ministry spokesman Issam Azouri] said. “It wasn’t just a homosexual act. Now we’re dealing with a kind of marriage. There was a ritual involved.”

Compare with a quote from this press release from the White House:

Marriage cannot be severed from its cultural, religious and natural roots without weakening the good influence of society. Government, by recognizing and protecting marriage, serves the interests of all.

Note the similarity? Both positions are trying to protect society's status quo with respect to marriage. The first approach is extreme in our (well, at least my) eyes. But if the end justifies the means, is that means a constitutional amendment, or something even more severe?

I'm a big believer in a live-and-let-live approach to governance and society. I also believe if a person's action "crosses the distance of their nose", then it's of public concern. It's why I'm for public smoking bans, but it's also why I see the UAE's response (and, truth be told, the White House's response) to gay marriage as extreme.