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Gay News: The UN has voted to remove sexual orientation from a resolution calling on its countries to protect the lives of their citizens.
By: Nigel Robinson
Tatchell@ "shameful day" for UN
“What is the point of the UN if it refuses to uphold its own humanitarian values and declarations?”
Tatchell claimed that the vote was partly the result of a “deeply homophobic alliance” between mostly African and Arab states, often inspired by religious fundamentalism.
Tatchell@ "shameful day" for UN
UN "gives green light" to LGBT murders
19 November 2010
On an amendment to delete reference to sexual orientation from a resolution on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly voted by 79 votes to 70 to remove the reference.
The resolution urges all member states to protect the lives of all its citizens, and to investigate killings based on discriminatory grounds, For the past ten years sexual orientation has been included in the list of discriminatory grounds.
States voting in favour of removing sexual orientation from the resolution included Afghanistan, China, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Kuwait, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Uganda.
Sweden, which voted against the amendment, stated that sexual orientation had often been the motive for extrajudicial killings. Its representative said that the deletion of the reference would amount to the Committee looking the other way concerning arbitrary executions based on sexual orientation,
In a response to the UN’s decision, gay and human rights activist Peter Tatchell said:
“This is a shameful day in United Nations history. It gives a de facto green light to the on-going murder of LGBT people by homophobic regimes, death squads and vigilantes. They will take comfort from the fact that the UN does not endorse the protection of LGBT people against hate-motivated murder.”
He went on to say: “The UN vote is in direct defiance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which guarantees equal treatment, non-discrimination and the right to life.
“What is the point of the UN if it refuses to uphold its own humanitarian values and declarations?”
Tatchell claimed that the vote was partly the result of a “deeply homophobic alliance” between mostly African and Arab states, often inspired by religious fundamentalism.
“Many of the nations that voted for this amendment want to ensure that their anti-gay policies are not scrutinised or condemned by the UN,” he said. “Even if they don't directly sanction the killing of LGBT people, they have lined up alongside nations that do.”
Tatchell reserved particular criticism for Cuba and South Africa who voted to remove the reference to sexual orientation from the resolution.
“South Africa and Cuba claim to support LGBT rights, yet they voted to remove sexual orientation,” he said. “They can no longer be considered gay-friendly countries…
“Presidents Raul Castro [of Cuba] and Jacob Zuma [of South Africa] should hang their heads in shame. They’ve betrayed the liberation ideas that they profess to uphold.”
