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  • UN backs gay rights for first time ever

    UN backs gay rights for first time ever

    GENEVA (AP) — The United Nations endorsed the rights of gay, lesbian and transgender people for the first time ever Friday, passing a resolution hailed as historic by the U.S. and other backers and decried by some African and Muslim countries.

    The declaration was cautiously worded, expressing "grave concern" about abuses because of sexual orientation and commissioning a global report on discrimination against gays.

    But activists called it an important shift on an issue that has divided the global body for decades, and they credited the Obama administration's push for gay rights at home and abroad.

    "This represents a historic moment to highlight the human rights abuses and violations that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people face around the world based solely on who they are and whom they love," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in a statement.

    Following tense negotiations, members of the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council narrowly voted in favor of the declaration put forward by South Africa, with 23 votes in favor and 19 against.

    Backers included the U.S., the European Union, Brazil and other Latin American countries. Those against included Russia, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Pakistan. China, Burkina Faso and Zambia abstained, Kyrgyzstan didn't vote and Libya was suspended from the rights body earlier.

    The resolution expressed "grave concern at acts of violence and discrimination, in all regions of the world, committed against individuals because of their sexual orientation and gender identity."

    More important, activists said, it also established a formal U.N. process to document human rights abuses against gays, including discriminatory laws and acts of violence. According to Amnesty International, consensual same-sex relations are illegal in 76 countries worldwide, while harassment and discrimination are common in many more.

    "Today's resolution breaks the silence that has been maintained for far too long," said John Fisher of the gay rights advocacy group ARC International.

    The White House in a statement strongly backed the declaration.

    "This marks a significant milestone in the long struggle for equality, and the beginning of a universal recognition that (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) persons are endowed with the same inalienable rights — and entitled to the same protections — as all human beings."

    The resolution calls for a panel discussion next spring with "constructive, informed and transparent dialogue on the issue of discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against" gays, lesbians and transgender people.

    The prospect of having their laws scrutinized in this way went too far for many of the council's 47-member states.

    "We are seriously concerned at the attempt to introduce to the United Nations some notions that have no legal foundation," said Zamir Akram, Pakistan's envoy to the U.N. in Geneva, speaking on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

    Nigeria claimed the proposal went against the wishes of most Africans. A diplomat from the northwest African state of Mauritania called the resolution "an attempt to replace the natural rights of a human being with an unnatural right."

    Boris Dittrich of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights program at Human Rights Watch said it was important for the U.S. and Western Europe to persuade South Africa to take the lead on the resolution so that other non-Western countries would be less able to claim the West was imposing its values.

    At the same time, he noted that the U.N. has no enforcement mechanism to back up the resolution. "It's up to civil society to name and shame those governments that continue abuses," Dittrich said.

    The Obama administration has been pushing for gay rights both domestically and internationally.

    In March, the U.S. issued a nonbinding declaration in favor of gay rights that gained the support of more than 80 countries at the U.N. In addition, Congress recently repealed the ban on gays openly serving in the military, and the Obama administration said it would no longer defend the constitutionality of the U.S. law that bars federal recognition of same-sex marriage.

    The vote in Geneva came at a momentous time for the gay rights debate in the U.S. Activists across the political spectrum were on edge Friday as New York legislators considered a bill that would make the state the sixth — and by far the biggest — to allow same-sex marriage.

    Asked what good the U.N. resolution would do for gays and lesbians in countries that opposed the resolution, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary Daniel Baer said it was a signal "that there are many people in the international community who stand with them and who support them, and that change will come."

    "It's a historic method of tyranny to make you feel that you are alone," he said. "One of the things that this resolution does for people everywhere, particularly LGBT people everywhere, is remind them that they are not alone."
    Good for them. I'm of a firm belief that what one does in the bedroom should stay in the bedroom. There's no reason the LGBT should be discriminated against in any form, fashion or manner, and while it's a shame we reached a point where this resolution was necessary, it's a good thing it came about
    Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

    Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.

  • #2
    Long overdue and completely toothless in terms of enforcement, but extremely welcome. The policies of some countries on LGBT equality (or if that's too 'PC' for those who behead gays, at least the right to exist and love whoever your natural, god-given feelings tell you to), particularly certain African and Middle Eastern ones, are disgraceful and unfit for purpose if they want to sit at the table of nations.

    I agree that it's embarrassing such resolutions have to be passed, but the vitriol homosexuals face in a wide variety of ways across many socities means progress on this is really important, as well as the symbolism for young gay people growing up in unspeakable darkness that no child or teenager should face. The biggest problem is a lack of outlets and people to talk to, a spiral of silence that unfortunately ends up with many LGBT youths taking their lives. If it's a flare in that darkness for those people, that no you are not alone, and no you are not an abomination, and that you can have a life like everyone else, with friends, a job and a cute boyfriend/girlfriend then it will serve it's purpose well.

    IMO It's also relevant to pay tribute to David Kato (beaten to death in his own home in Uganda in January) and countless others who have been and continue to be murdered around the world every year for having the temerity to suggest they have such rights, and stand tall as the real men and women they are, for which they pay the ultimate price - I'd imagine he's smiling down today, one small step for man but also a giant leap. Look forward to the day when I can attend my brother's wedding here and hug him as a fully equal citizen not just in that but in every other way, until then the fight goes on.
    Although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid people, it is true that most stupid people are conservative.
    - John Stuart Mill.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by bigross86 View Post
      UN backs gay rights for first time ever



      Good for them. I'm of a firm belief that what one does in the bedroom should stay in the bedroom. There's no reason the LGBT should be discriminated against in any form, fashion or manner, and while it's a shame we reached a point where this resolution was necessary, it's a good thing it came about
      Agree wholeheartedly. The right for the LGBT to live & love as it chooses is no less fundamental a right that that of heterosexuals to do the same. Watch for the backlash, it will be long & loud.
      sigpic

      Win nervously lose tragically - Reds C C

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Bigfella View Post
        Watch for the backlash, it will be long & loud.
        Which is part of the reason why I posted this. I don't plan on arguing the point, since I outlined my position on the matter before, live and let live, but I've got the feeling this has potential to be very interesting and eye-opening
        Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

        Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by bigross86 View Post
          Which is part of the reason why I posted this. I don't plan on arguing the point, since I outlined my position on the matter before, live and let live, but I've got the feeling this has potential to be very interesting and eye-opening
          I'm wondering how long it will take for this to get mentioned by one or more of the GOP candidates for the Presidency. The combination of Obama, Gay rights & the UN will work the moralizing minority constituency into quite the lather.
          sigpic

          Win nervously lose tragically - Reds C C

          Comment


          • #6
            Hopefully not......

            Then again this might be the "end of the world" event that nutjob radio preacher predicted.....

            Comment


            • #7
              So like most things that happen in the UN, this is another example of them patting themselves on the back and congratulating themselves and nothing changing.
              Last edited by YellowFever; 18 Jun 11,, 04:19.

              Comment


              • #8
                I reminds of that You Tube video "They eat the poo-poo"

                sigpic"If your plan is for one year, plant rice. If your plan is for ten years, plant trees.
                If your plan is for one hundred years, educate children."

                Comment


                • #9
                  Wisconsin,

                  This is straight from the playbook of anti-gay crusaders in the West. They have been holding 'seminars' like this for decades. You might have noticed on the wall behind the guy in the first scene a US flag next to the ugandan one. Wouldn't surprise me if some of the 'teaching material' and funding for this stuff came from churches in the US. The involvement of American churches (mainly evangelical) in Africa & their association with some very nasty people & behavours is something that could do with a lot more publicity.
                  sigpic

                  Win nervously lose tragically - Reds C C

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by crooks View Post
                    Long overdue and completely toothless in terms of enforcement, but extremely welcome. The policies of some countries on LGBT equality (or if that's too 'PC' for those who behead gays, at least the right to exist and love whoever your natural, god-given feelings tell you to), particularly certain African and Middle Eastern ones, are disgraceful and unfit for purpose if they want to sit at the table of nations.
                    Up till 2009, you could have included India in that list as well. Then we had a historic judgement passed in 2009. I read the 100+ page judgement and the arguments offered in favour were amazing, was like a novel or Hollywood movie. The opposition did not stand a chance

                    All the cries about death of the indian family did not really get very far.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      This will be a dead letter on the paper, same as the right to Internet UN declared a weeks ago.
                      No such thing as a good tax - Churchill

                      To make mistakes is human. To blame someone else for your mistake, is strategic.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by YellowFever View Post
                        So like most things that happen in the UN, this is another example of them patting themselves on the back and congratulating themselves and nothing changing.
                        Yup

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Bigfella View Post
                          Wisconsin,

                          This is straight from the playbook of anti-gay crusaders in the West. They have been holding 'seminars' like this for decades. You might have noticed on the wall behind the guy in the first scene a US flag next to the ugandan one. Wouldn't surprise me if some of the 'teaching material' and funding for this stuff came from churches in the US. The involvement of American churches (mainly evangelical) in Africa & their association with some very nasty people & behaviors is something that could do with a lot more publicity.
                          It is sickening for sure, so much so it in this example is it comical - but behind this malevolent idiot are hideous atrocities, like the publishing of the address of his victims in newspapers -calling for and generating murderous attacks. Every sexual orientation can be shown to have some perversions. I think "poo-poo" eating rates as a fringe perversion, not a normal activity-and I doubt it is restricted to gays.
                          sigpic"If your plan is for one year, plant rice. If your plan is for ten years, plant trees.
                          If your plan is for one hundred years, educate children."

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Why stop with sexual orientation? Why not just legalize all moral depravity?

                            Mabey everyone on the planet should be gay. That would sure get the population down.
                            Don't listen to me, I'm a wack job.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by bigross86 View Post
                              UN backs gay rights for first time ever



                              Good for them. I'm of a firm belief that what one does in the bedroom should stay in the bedroom. There's no reason the LGBT should be discriminated against in any form, fashion or manner, and while it's a shame we reached a point where this resolution was necessary, it's a good thing it came about
                              If only it stayed in the bedroom.
                              Removing a single turd from the cesspool doesn't make any difference.

                              Comment

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