Oh fair, wonderful, loving United States of America. While the rest of the Western world moves forward to a place where all people are created equal, you remain stuck between a Church and a hard place, refusing to accept that gay men and women are just like everybody else, and deserve the same rights as everybody else. So, while 66 countries in the United Nations General Assembly agreed to pass a resolution decriminalizing homosexuality, this great nation refused to get on board. Of course, the U.S. isn’t alone here.
Russia, China, the Roman Catholic Church and members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference all refused to accept the language under the foolish excuse that it would also — stay with me here — legitimize pedophilia.
It’s the first time the issue has been brought before the 191-member U.N.; a French-Netherlands effort brought it to the floor for a vote on the heels of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Reports the Times:
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“How can we tolerate the fact that people are stoned, hanged, decapitated and tortured only because of their sexual orientation?” said Rama Yade, the French state secretary for human rights, noting that homosexuality is banned in nearly 80 countries and subject to the death penalty in at least six.
France decided to use the format of a declaration because it did not have the support for an official resolution. Read out by Ambassador Jorge Argüello of Argentina, the declaration was the first on gay rights read in the 192-member General Assembly itself.
Although laws against homosexuality are concentrated in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, more than one speaker addressing a separate conference on the declaration noted that the laws stemmed as much from the British colonial past as from religion or tradition.
Navanethem Pillay, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, speaking by video telephone, said that just like apartheid laws that criminalized sexual relations between different races, laws against homosexuality “are increasingly becoming recognized as anachronistic and as inconsistent both with international law and with traditional values of dignity, inclusion and respect for all.”
The opposing statement read in the General Assembly, supported by nearly 60 nations, rejected the idea that sexual orientation was a matter of genetic coding. The statement, led by the Organization of the Islamic Conference, said the effort threatened to undermine the international framework of human rights by trying to normalize pedophilia, among other acts.
The Organization of the Islamic Conference also failed in a last-minute attempt to alter a formal resolution that Sweden sponsored condemning summary executions. It sought to have the words “sexual orientation” deleted as one of the central reasons for such killings.
ksu499
If you just sit and read this story and do not write your Congresscritter, you are aiding and abetting.
Gregoire
Was there a reason given for the U.S. not to sign it? I know we’re all evil overlords, but there had to be some paltry reason other than ‘we don’t want to piss off our middle eastern allies.’
Joe Moag
@Gregoire: I would assume that the inferred reason about pedophilia would be the U.S.’s reason. But the actual reason(s) is(are) the current Administration’s views towards the U.N., human rights, the rule of law, and LBGT communities.
Terry
They claim we didn’t sign because our Federal Government wouldn’t live up to the agreement. At least not under George Butthole’s reign. Hopefully, President Obama will reverse this travesty as soon as he is in office, along with so many others that Butthole created.
Jaroslaw
Pedophilia? thats a laugh. Who are almost 100% of the businessmen/people going to Asian countries to buy little girls? STRAIGHT men. Correct me if I’m wrong here.
Berdie
Wait…is homosexuality a criminial activity in America? Becuase it’s difficult to decriminalize something that is not a crime…
Matt
Homosexuality is not a crime here so why does it matter if they signed it or not.
John
@Gregoire: I heard it had something to do with it being a state and not a federal issue. That sounded pretty weak to me, especially as human rights are at issue.
audiored
@Matt: Umm… gay people live in countries other than the US.
ChristopherJ
@Matt:
@Berdie:
Many of those countries on the list have already decriminalised homosexuality (UK, France, Sweden, the Netherlands, etc)–it is largely a symbolic and non-binding act, which begs the question why not sign it then?
The full list of signatories is here:
http://www.petertatchell.net/international/UNwatershedforgayrights.htm
Alexa
The number of people who feel the need to post without actually following the link and reading the article so they actually know what they are talking about is astounding.
@Jaroslaw:
Pedophilia is predominantly a straight male crime, but not exclusively so. There are some gay male pedophiles, as well as gay and straight female ones. But absolutely, equating gays with pedophilia is ridiculous, whether the idea comes from international opponents of this declaration or from Rick Warren.
Jaroslaw
Alexa – I’m aware of course, there are a few Gay pedophiles, but you support my assertion the shoe is on the wrong foot completely by those who make the claim above that decriminilization of homosexuality will encourage pedophilia.
As to most of the rest of the posts here – where did all the stupid people come from? We are talking about the UNITED NATIONS so guess what folks? Nations get together to discuss things etc. so it doean’t matter if homosexuality is not a crime in the US. It is a vote of all the member nations.
So it DOES matter if the US signs or not. It is just like if you are in a meeting at the office and you say “let’s change the policy on XXX.” If no one speaks up to support you, how do you feel?
John from England(used to be just John but there are other John's)
@Matt:
It’s also a ‘safety’ issue, as well as a recognition issue. But you guys are very puritanical really aren’t you-country?
So it does make sense…
Jennifer
The US didn’t sign because of the Church and its constant pressure on your government and its infiltration of your government.
Kill the Church before it kills you.
SuperCat
The world is messed up. The UN is only an illusion of unity. Anything the UN does will have no effect on the more bigoted nations of the world.
I still agree with it though. A worldwide declaration that homosexuality is not a crime is a pretty strong statement, and a first step.
John from England(used to be just John but there are other John's)
““How can we tolerate the fact that people are stoned, hanged, decapitated and tortured only because of their sexual orientation?†said Rama Yade, the French state secretary for human rights, noting that homosexuality is banned in nearly 80 countries and subject to the death penalty in at least six.”
God, this is depressing..why are people so homophobic = mean ..? (duck down to calls of naivety/idealism)
RichardR
Yep, our delegation, according to the Times article, claimed the US couldn’t sign it because of states’ rights and the possible impact on civil rights. That’s nonsense, since the declaration was only about criminality, not marriage or any other legal matter. In addition to the influence of krischuns, as noted by other posters, I’m seeing a link between Middle East countries, Islam, oil, and Bush & Co.
Mark
There are two basic forces opposing us:
1. Religion of all stripes, because they need to control people.
2. Communist/totalitarian regimes, because they need to control people.
In the US, the theme is pretty basic. The Church needs to continue to control people because of MONEY. What does the Church in the US do when gay rights issues arise? They go on the air and they RAISE MONEY to make sure we’re put in our place.
Power and control. If the US gave us our basic rights our gov’t would have NO OTHER enemy to fight.
borebox
I cannot believe that this damn homophobic government sanctions gays being slaughtered in the rest of the world. Obama can’t be sworn in fast enough.
John in CA
The good news is nobody cares what we think anymore. The era of American hegemony is over.
Thank you [Jesus, Yaweh, Allah, Buddha, Shiva, and Zeus].
Brian
The history of the U.S. is one clearly marred by the marginalization of minorities — we began with the religious minorities, and proceeded to push the Native Americans further and further West.
As time elapsed, the U.S. has seen religious persecution, and sundry groups, including the women, the blacks, the Asians, the Jews… have carried this country on their shoulders.
Now… it’s the gays turn.
I don’t condone this — by any means… the marginalization of a people, regardless of the outcome, is completely and totally unacceptable.
My primary… and not academic response to this article is simple: If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.
I seriously believe that the hate, persecution, and degradation gay people face round the world is well beyond the grass-roots level… our retaliation need be, too.
Charles J. Mueller
I applaud you very well thought out post, Brian.
You are absolutely right.
If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.
I am outraged, that so many gays people are NOT outraged.
michael
After living in Canada almost 4 years I have been able to look back from afar at the United States and reach for the answer to the question why are Americans so different than Canadians when it comes to human/civil rights, religion in politics and other social/political issues. I am a well traveled person, I have spent a lot of time in Western Europe especially. The number one reason for the backwardness of the United States is that it is such a poorly educated society. This was even pointed out during one of the recent presidential debates. In Canada it is amazing to just talk to a child and compare their language skills to those of U.S. children. Children here are articulate and have vocabularies that are far superior to the average adult American. It is also refreshingly difficult to automatically draw a conclusion to ones social and economic status here. When I go back to the states I can tell immediately if a person is blue collar worker, a professional, what part of town they probably reside in, just by the way they speak, the words they choose etc. It is also no wonder that so many in the U.S. are fundamental Christians. Studies have shown that the lower ones I.Q. is the more likely one is to be from a religion, or denomination of a religion, that has a fundamentalist bent. Baptist, Catholic, Mormon are all at the top of those lists of members with lower intelligence. It also explains why so many gay people themselves are so passive about their own rights being trampled upon. After all gay Americans are a product of the American educational system as well.
Basically, Americans are just plain dumb. Yes, Americans can always point to those
brilliant souls such as Bill Gates as egotistical proof of their superiority but in reality
a country of America’s size and with America’s freedoms should be producing far more Bill Gates than they are. Personally I believe that America is going down the tubes because its citizens are so stupid, but just educated enough to be grandiose. I would advise any gay American to get out. There is a world out here that is so much more progressive, more intelligent and more exciting than the U.S. is. Why spend your life trying to save or change a lost cause? The rest of the world has learned a lesson that it needs to turn away from America, relying on its economy and such for its own economic progress and turn to other sources and markets to invest in, market to etc. The U.S. has been circling the drain for quite sometime now and Obama is not a great leader, he is no Martin Luther King and he does not have what it takes to lead the U.S. out of the sewer that it has become. Go somewhere and take your mind, your skills, your money and become a part of a place that at the very least sees you as equal.
Trevor from Canada
@michael: I, for the most part agree with the above statements. Although I would not go as far as to say Americans are stupid, I do agree that they are under educated, and have a backwards view on many things. For FAR to long, the world has followed in the foot steps of the US, and that is changing. The rest of the world is opening their eyes and realizing that the US is wrong on so many issues, homosexuality being one of them.
I also do not agree with the Obama can’t run the US comments. I believe that Obama is a welcome change, and I can not wait to see what he does with the USA.
I give thanks almost daily that I live in Canada, a country where one is free to be yourself, gay or straight.
We currently have one of the worst (in my opinion) Prime Ministers of all times, and yet he could not defeat the gay marriage issue here in Canada.
The people showed they wanted it, and were granted this RIGHT. Why the USA can’t follow is beyond me.
Troy
No. 14 · Jennifer
The US didn’t sign because of the Church and its constant pressure on your government and its infiltration of your government.
Kill the Church before it kills you.
The above comment is why I am glad the US did not sign the F/N resolution. Kill the church? We are not ready yet.
What this article does not point out that there was an opposing resolution to the F/N one and the US refused to sign that as well but somehow that was left out of this one sided story.
It’s wrong to murder someone because of their sexual preferences and it is JUST as wrong to “kill” the church because of their religious preferences.
Way to much hate here.
Charles J. Mueller
@Troy:
>”Way to much hate here.”
Oh really now? Such a typical Christian response.
Just who was it that started the hating, going back some 2,000 years ago, a tradition, as it were like their fucking 5,000 year old tradition (lie) of marriage???
Read you fucking bible and maybe you get a sense of why no one with a lick of sense wants anything more to do with mythology, sky-daddies and pix-dust.
All religions, including xtianity are a pox on the world. And if they ever get they way again, it will be them who will kill us all.
No hate for the queers. They just hate the sin.
M Shane
Queerty: have you completely lost any sense of history: China and Russia haven’t been Communiust countries for years. They are the most extreme Capitalist nations in the world. We taught them unfortunately. Read your history before making hisrionic and false sgtatements.
There is no correspondence between Capitalism and freedom. Get in touch, huh. America is just getting more dictatorial like them.
Berdie
Michael…let me thank you, on behalf of all Americans, for showing the world that someone who calls an entire country dumb is probably a complete moron masquerading as some sort of pseudo-intellectual. Kindly go back to Canada and shut up.
Denton Ellis
Legal status in modern Islamic nations
Homosexuality is a crime and forbidden in most Islamic countries, Saudi Arabia, Iran, etc. In some secular or multi-religious Islamic countries, this is not the case, Albania, Indonesia and Turkey being examples. However, the governments of Albania, Indonesia, and Turkey are presidential representative democratic republics and are not Islamic Republics, like in the case of Iran.
Same-sex intercourse officially carries the death penalty in several Muslim nations: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Mauritania, northern Nigeria, Sudan, and Yemen. [19] [20] It formerly carried the death penalty in Afghanistan under the Taliban. The legal situation in the United Arab Emirates is unclear. In many Muslim nations, such as Bahrain, Qatar, Algeria and the Maldives, homosexuality is punished with jail time, fines, or corporal punishment. In some Muslim-majority nations, such as Turkey, Jordan, Indonesia or Mali, same-sex intercourse is not specifically forbidden by law. In Egypt, openly gay men have been prosecuted under general public morality laws. (See Cairo 52.) On the other hand, homosexuality, while not legal, is tolerated to some extent in Lebanon, and has been legal in Turkey for decades.
In Saudi Arabia, the maximum punishment for homosexuality is public execution, but the government will use other punishments—e.g., fines, jail time, and whipping—as alternatives, unless it feels that homosexuals are challenging state authority by engaging in LGBT social movements.[21] Iran is perhaps the nation to execute the largest number of its citizens for homosexuality. Since the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran, the Iranian government has executed more than 4,000 people charged with homosexual acts[22]. In Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban, homosexuality went from a capital crime to one that it punished with fines and prison sentence.
alice moonshade
@Matt:
it’s important that we sign it because it officially says that the united states supports human equality around the world and is willing to show it’s support to make the world a better place and if we truly are a country of equality then it is our duty to support legislation like this on the Geo-political stage to help change the world for the better, by not signing we are greatly weakening this important equality legislation ability to get passed and approved by the U.N. and the world looks to us everyday to guide the way of equality and when we fail like this it tells the rest of the world its okay to not reach for true equality as well.
alice moonshade
@Troy:
it’s hatred to think religion is killing the world because if analyze human history extensively enough you find that nearly every form of hatred or bigotry can be traced back to being caused by religious ideology, religion in and of its self is not really bad but when placed in the hands of man kind and given power it is dangerous.
“the sword of religion is a divisive and deadly blade, it is a sword that in the hands of man can kill many but even worse in the hands of power and politics it can kill all”
-VII
plus when you look at history many of the most brutal and inhuman tortures ever used were created by religion.
alice moonshade
@Trevor from Canada:
thank you and thank Canada for being a beacon of hope and equality for gay people all across the world may your light shine down on all forever and may the dreams of equality that belong to so many and yet so view one day fill the hearts of all men so that peace truth equality and prosperity can rule this world with love.
maxime Donzel
Following the UN resolution, France and Norway held a world congress on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity, in Paris, on May 15th, with LGBT activists from all over the world. Here is our video coverage of the event:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryc2292kU6I