Tag: United Nations

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United Nations Votes To Create LGBT Rights Watchdog

Big step forward for LGBT rights today as the United Nations Human Rights Council passed a resolution by a vote of 23 to 18 to create an LGBT rights “watchdog.”

From Buzzfeed:

The person appointed to this role will be known as an “independent expert” and the position is charged with monitoring “violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.”

This was the most ambitious effort yet to advance LGBT rights within the United Nations system, and the resolution included the strongest language to date suggesting LGBT rights should be a concern of international human rights law.

Not everyone was thrilled. See this from anti-LGBT group Family Watch International:

While we condemn violence against people based on sex or any other physical or mental characteristics, including sexual orientation and gender identity, this resolution goes way beyond seeking to end violence and unjust discrimination. The main objective of the resolution is to appoint a global LGBT “Czar” who will investigate alleged rights violations by governments and individuals against LGBT people.

Everyone knows that this is intended to be a tool to try to force such things as same-sex marriage, cross-gender bathroom use, LGBT “rights” indoctrination education, and much more upon countries around the world in the name of preventing discrimination and violence.

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United Nations Video On Costs Of LGBT Social Exclusion

From the United Nations:

Rates of poverty, homelessness, depression and suicide have been found to be far higher among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people than in the general population. But it’s not just LGBT people who pay the price. We all do. Every LGBT child thrown out of home and forced to miss out on education is a loss for society. Every LGBT worker denied their rights is a lost opportunity to build a fairer and more productive economy.

More info at United Nations/Free & Equal.

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United Nations: Can You See Past The Label?

This video from the United Nations Free & Equal campaign celebrates the contributions that millions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people make to families and local communities around the world.

The cast features “real people” (not actors), filmed in their workplaces and homes — among them, a firefighter, a police officer, a teacher, an electrician, a doctor and a volunteer, as well as prominent straight ally and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

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Russia Fails In Attempt To Block Benefits To Same-Sex Married United Nations Staffers

By a vote of 80-43 (37 abstaining), the United Nations blocked a proposal from Russia to deny benefits to UN staffers who are legally married.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had led a proposal to offer benefits to all spouses of legally-wed gay UN staffers.

The AP reports:

Currently, family benefits for U.N. staff members are determined by their country of origin. The secretary-general’s plan will give family benefits to all staffers who are legally married — regardless of the laws on same-sex marriage in their home countries.

The secretary-general has been an outspoken supporter of gay rights.

Saudi Arabia, China, Iran, India, Egypt, Pakistan, and Syria joined Russia in opposing the benefits.

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United Nations Human Rights Council Adopts Resolution Condemning Violence Against LGBT People

From GLAAD: The 27th session of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations has passed a resolution that would condemn violence against people on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and call for the reporting of violations against LGBT people internationally. The vote passed 25-14 with 7 abstentions.

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United Nations to US: Stop death penalty after botched Oklahoma execution

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has asked the United States to place a moratorium on all executions:

The suffering of Clayton Lockett during his execution in Oklahoma on Tuesday 29th April, may amount to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment according to international human rights law. It also appears to run counter to the 8 th Amendment of the United States Constitution, which states that “…nor cruel and unusual punishment [shall be] inflicted.” We note that the execution of a second man in Oklahoma, scheduled later on Tuesday, was stayed by the Governor, who has ordered a review of execution procedures and protocols.

The prolonged death of Clayton Lockett is the second case of apparent extreme suffering caused by malfunctioning lethal injections reported in 2014 in the United States. The other case was that of Dennis McGuire, executed by the State of Ohio on 16 January 2014 with an allegedly untested combination of drugs.

The UN Human Rights Committee and the Committee against Torture have both previously called on the United States to review its execution methods in order to prevent severe pain and suffering. Most recently, in March 2014, the Human Rights Committee recommended the US ensure that lethal drugs used for executions originate from legal, regulated sources, and are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The apparent cruelty involved in these recent executions simply reinforces the argument that authorities across the United States should impose an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty and work for abolition of this cruel and inhuman practice. Thirty-two out of 50 states in the US still have the death penalty in their laws (in addition to the US government and the US military). Eighteen states in the US have abolished the death penalty, most recently Maryland in 2013 and Connecticut in 2012.

The UN opposes the use of the death penalty in all circumstances.

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Desmond Tutu: “I would refuse to go to a homophobic heaven”

Graphic via Memeographs

The United Nation’s has launched a global campaign for the LGBT rights during a meeting in South Africa.

At the launch announcement was Archbishop Desmond Tutu:

South Africa’s Nobel peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu says he will never worship a “homophobic God” and will rather go to hell.

The retired archbishop was speaking at the launch of a UN-backed campaign in South Africa to promote gay rights.

Archbishop Tutu said the campaign against homophobia was similar to the campaign waged against racism in South Africa. “I am as passionate about this campaign as I ever was about apartheid. For me, it is at the same level,” he added.

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United Nations passes resolution condemning killing of LGBT persons

View the votes cast for/against resolution – click to enlarge

The United Nations approved a resolution that condemns the killing of LGBT persons either by governments or via “extrajudicial” means such as hate crimes:

An international coalition of organizations dedicated to human rights celebrated yesterday’s historic vote in the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to pass resolution condemning extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. The vote reversed the events of 2010 when the same body voted to strip the resolution of reference to “sexual orientation.” The UNGA also expanded upon its commitment to the universality of human rights by including “gender identity” for the first time in the resolution’s history. The resolution, which is introduced biennially in the Third Committee, urges States to protect the right to life of all people, including by calling upon States to investigate killings based on discriminatory grounds. It was introduced by the Government of Sweden and co-sponsored by 34 states from around the world.

The United Arab Emirates attempted to strip “sexual orientation” from the resolution on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, just as they did two years ago.

Japan broke its long silence on the issue with this declaration: “We cannot tolerate any killings of persons because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Our delegation voted against the proposed amendment to this paragraph because we think it is meaningful to mention such killings from the perspective of protecting the rights of LGBT people.”

(via JoeMyGod)

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Obama Administration Asks United Nations to Support LGBT Rights

The Obama administration, on Tuesday, introduced a declaration to the United Nations calling for better treatment and protections for LGBT people internationally.

The declaration, announced at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, has the support of more than 80 countries, according to the Associated Press. The document demands that countries end persecution of gay people and asks the U.N. to review how governments treat their gay citizens.

In a statement, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said “Gay rights are human rights and human rights are gay rights. We will continue to promote human rights around the world for all people who are marginalized and discriminated against because of sexual orientation or gender identity. And we will not rest until every man, woman and child is able to live up to his or her potential free from persecution or discrimination of any kind.”

In opposition to the proposed declaration, The Family Research Council, an SPLC-certified hate group released a statement saying “Our global neighbors have the freedom to believe that homosexuality is wrong–just as they have the freedom to legislate against any behavior they think is harmful to society. That freedom–and their very sovereignty–would be threatened by this effort.”

The move represents a break on the part of the US from the Bush administration, which declined to support a 2008 document written by the French government similar to the one being proposed.

The new resolution now has support from Thailand, Rwanda, El Salvador, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic, which did not support the 2008 document.

Homosexuality is still punishable as a crime in at least 85 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Sudan, and Ghana.