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U.N. council passes gay rights resolution

Mycroft

High Priest of Ed
Mycroft
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Sep 10, 2003
Messages
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http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/06/17/un.lgbt.rights/

U.N. council passes gay rights resolution

(CNN) -- In what the U.S. State Department is calling a "historic step," the U.N. Human Rights Council passed a resolution Friday supporting equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation.

The resolution, introduced by South Africa, is the first-ever U.N. resolution on the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered persons.

It passed with 23 votes in favor, 19 opposed and three abstentions amid strong criticism of South Africa by some African nations.
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It might be a baby-step, but it's still progress.
 
I don't think the UN is particularly effective at anything, but getting this passed is good news. The article mentions that the Obama administration lobbied heavily to get this passed, and that's also good. Obama, after a slow start on gay rights, has really made some significant strides lately. Bravo!
 
Honestly, I'm surprised this isn't receiving more attention here. It's significant news.
 
Tsukasa Buddha said:
A UN resolution? Pff :rolleyes: . Don't get me wrong, it sounds good and makes a nice milestone, but what does it actually do?
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Yes I'd also like to know. Considering the effectiveness of the UN I'm going to go on a hunch and guess that this isn't going to 'do' anything and that people are still going to be executed and otherwise be punished for consensual homosexual behavior for many many years ahead, because no one seems to give a damn about what the UN says unless they happen to agree with it themselves.
 
Mycroft said:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/06/17/un.lgbt.rights/

It might be a baby-step, but it's still progress.
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I might wander over there and see the roll call vote ... might be amusing.
23 pro
19 con
3 5 out taking a crap having a cigarette on the street ...

Here was the roll call
Countries voting for the resolution were Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Hungary, Japan, Mauritius, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Republic of Korea, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the, United States, and Uruguay.

Countries voting against it were Angola, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Djibouti, Gabon, Ghana, Jordan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Moldova, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, and Uganda.

The countries of China, Zambia, and Burkina abstained. Two other members—Kyrgyzstan and Libya—were absent. (Libya was suspended from the Council in March.)
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I think its an important step - well as important as anything is to do with the UN - a more milquetoast, lame-ass organization I have never seen.

This effectively rebuts an earlier resolution (2008 I think) that was anti-LGBT rights that got passed by the coalition of 'nays' outweighing those of the 'yeas' by virtue of apathy. Good move. Nothing will come of it, but at least the UN no longer has an active expression of anti-LGBT rights. IIRC, South Africa was part of the coalition of the 'nays' when the original article was tabled for the vote. I guess them bringing this to the table for round 2 is a measure of mea culpa.

Note that a number of Western countries are not represented in the vote at all (Canada, Germany, Netherlands etc...)
 
Antiquehunter said:
Note that a number of Western countries are not represented in the vote at all (Canada, Germany, Netherlands etc...)
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It's a vote of the UN Human Rights Council, and they're not a member there. Anyway, the resolution itself will not change the world, but it is another tool for national LGBT organizations to pressure their governments with to adopt effective measures against LGBT discrimination.
 
Russia's vote against surprised me. It's the only nay vote that isn't from a country that is either Islamic (which has pretty strict religious compunctions against homosexuality) or from sub-Saharan Africa (probably the most homophobic area in the world). I thought they would, like China, merely abstain. Did the Russian delegate make any sort of statement?

On the other side of the coin, Mauritius' vote also surprised me, particularly since homosexuality is illegal in that country. Anybody know if the delegate from Mauritius has explained this discrepancy?
 
Is anybody actually prosecuted there for it? Sometimes such laws exist which are a dead letter, especially in countries which got their laws in the 19th century in colonial times.
 
marksman said:
Russia's vote against surprised me.
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Then you haven't been paying attention:
Being gay is not supposed to be a crime in Russia. Homosexuality was decriminalized in 1993; six years later, the law that sent gays and lesbians to psychiatric wards was annulled. But Russia would still rather have its homosexual citizenry invisible — and silent. Nikolai Alexeyev knows that very well. He's just been released from jail for trying to organize a gay-rights demonstration in Moscow.

...At the same time, an anti-gay demonstration sanctioned by Moscow's government was taking place near a metro station in the central part of the Russian capital. Protesters held up signs saying, "Moscow is not Sodom." Vladimir Terechenko, a refrigerator repairman, said he tells his sons repeatedly that if they come out as homosexuals he will kill them. "Homosexuality is the end of civilization. They are pale, they are sickly, and they smell," he said. He echoes the opinions of Luzhkov, who has said homosexuality is a disease that needs to be treated, has called gays satanic and has vowed that there will never be a gay parade in Moscow. Despite the violent beliefs and the hateful messages of the anti-gay protesters, they were left untouched by Russian riot police, who sat meekly in their vans during the demonstration.
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http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1899340,00.html
 
They are pale, they are sickly, and they smell
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Am not. I am ruddy complexioned, firm of fetlock & largely hale and hearty, and today I smell of Hermes. Clearly I should go to Moscow.
 
Antiquehunter said:
I think its an important step - well as important as anything is to do with the UN - a more milquetoast, lame-ass organization I have never seen.

This effectively rebuts an earlier resolution (2008 I think) that was anti-LGBT rights that got passed by the coalition of 'nays' outweighing those of the 'yeas' by virtue of apathy. Good move. Nothing will come of it, but at least the UN no longer has an active expression of anti-LGBT rights. IIRC, South Africa was part of the coalition of the 'nays' when the original article was tabled for the vote. I guess them bringing this to the table for round 2 is a measure of mea culpa.
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There is still a LONG way to go for that to happen.
 
@Hoverboarder

Well I was referring to the earlier UNHCR bit that removed sexual orientation as one of the clauses (which apparently has now been put back in.)
 
Antiquehunter said:
@Hoverboarder

Well I was referring to the earlier UNHCR bit that removed sexual orientation as one of the clauses (which apparently has now been put back in.)
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I know, I agree, there is just still a lot of outright homophobia in the UN, and this is a small, but very important step.

Your comment was correct though, I am just pessimistic that it will change much at the UN anytime soon.
 
Well - I worked for 'em once and would think long and hard about working for them ever again. Doesn't have a lot to do with homophobia, more about their complete and utter uselessness.
 
Antiquehunter said:
Am not. I am ruddy complexioned, firm of fetlock & largely hale and hearty, and today I smell of Hermes. Clearly I should go to Moscow.
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Eh, you admitted you hunt antiques. There's always some clue.


ETA: Oop, better add :)
 
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