A significant advancement in peacebuilding around the world played out at the UN last week. On June 15, that body passed a resolution endorsing the rights of gay, lesbian and transgender people.
“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. Clinton said the U.S. “will continue to stand up for human rights wherever there is inequality and we will seek more commitments from countries to join this important resolution.”
Put forward by South Africa, the UN Human Rights Council voted in favor of the declaration by a 23 to 19 margin. Backers included the United States, European Union, and several Latin American countries. Those voting against included Russia, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Pakistan. Currently, consensual same-sex relations are illegal in 76 countries worldwide, with countries such as Uganda calling for capital punishment in some cases.
This UN resolution follows the March U.S. nonbinding declaration issued in favor of gay rights that gained the support of more than 80 countries at the U.N. U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary Daniel Baer, told reporters the Obama administration had chosen what he described as a “course of progress” on gay rights, both domestically and internationally. When questioned about the clout of the resolution to create change in countries that oppose the resolution, Baer said, “that there are many people in the international community who stand with them, and who support them, and that change will come.”
For more information and full article by Frank Jordans, AP:
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=13865133
by William Repicci
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