LGBT Rights Resolution Passes United Nations Human Rights Council In Lopsided Vote

[Brighton]

LGBT Rights Resolution Passes United Nations Human Rights Council In Lopsided Vote

An LGBT rights resolution was adopted on Friday by the United Nations Human Rights Council on a vote of 25 to 14, with seven abstentions.

The resolution is rather anemic, simply calling for a report from the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights on combatting human rights violations on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. But it is one of the few times a U.N. body has adopted a resolution affirming LGBT rights are human rights, and so LGBT advocates see it as an important precedent in empowering officials throughout the U.N. system to work on LGBT rights.

The proposal’s opponents — led by Egypt and other members of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation — fought determinedly to defeat the proposal, which they framed as a form of cultural imperialism and an attack on Islam.

“We feel there is an attempt to impose uniculturality” that “runs counter to religious and cultural practices of some countries,” said Saudi Arabia’s representative during debate. The language “In my opinion, this [resolution] is a human rights violation.”

Pakistan’s representative was more explicit: “The wider connotation of the words ‘sexual orientation’ can be destructive and inimical to our Muslim [faith] …and to our youth as a whole,” he said.

But several amendments intended to gut the bill failed, and the final vote suggests the these arguments are losing ground even in the regional blocs that have historically been the most unified in opposing U.N. language supporting LGBT rights. Congo, Sierra Leone, and Namibia broke with most of the rest of the Africa bloc to abstain on the resolution, a kind of soft “yes” vote. Kazakhstan, a member of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation abstained as well. The vote was far more lopsided than when a virtually identical resolution was voted on in 2011, when it passed by a vote of 29 to 19 with three abstentions.

The most closely watched nation in today’s vote was South Africa, which had co-sponsored the 2011 resolution but had been so hostile in discussions that LGBT rights advocates were concerned it might help torpedo the effort until shortly before voting began. Though South Africa voted for the resolution in the end, LGBT activists close to the negotiations said it had helped water down the resolution before the vote: the original proposal would call for LGBT rights reports to be produced every two years, while the version voted on today only called for a one-time report.

In remarks delivered following the vote, South African Ambassador Abdul Samad Minty made clear he felt squeezed by its historic commitment to LGBT rights — it was the first country in the world to protect LGBT rights in its constitution — and a desire to preserve relationships with other African countries that have recently enacted severe anti-LGBT laws like Uganda and Nigeria.

“South Africa believes that no person should fear fro their safety or be deprived of their dignity because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” Minty said, but blasted “divisive” steps taken by some donor nations to “use development aid to shift policies and laws in some countries,” an apparent reference to adjustments ñade by the United States and some European countries in contributions to Uganda following enactment of its Anti-Homosexuality Act earlier this year.







http://www.buzzfeed.com/lesterfeder/...hts-co#3fy1ctu

COUNTRIES VOTING YES

EUROPE (11): Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Montenegro, Romania, Macedonia, United Kingdom
AMERICAS (9): Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, United States, Venezuela
ASIA (4): Japan, Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam.
AFRICA (1): South Africa,

COUNTRIES ABSTAINING/VOTING NO

EUROPE (1): Russia
AMERICAS (0).
ASIA (9): China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Maldives, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, UAE
AFRICA (11): Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Morocco, Sierra Leone

[alfieb]

I would have abstained.

I support some gay rights but I am entirely against gender identity rights. Transgenderism is a mental disease.

[Brighton]

I just found interesting how the votes were so geographically divided

[LightHouse89]

LGBT Rights Resolution Passes United Nations Human Rights Council In Lopsided Vote

An LGBT rights resolution was adopted on Friday by the United Nations Human Rights Council on a vote of 25 to 14, with seven abstentions.

The resolution is rather anemic, simply calling for a report from the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights on combatting human rights violations on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. But it is one of the few times a U.N. body has adopted a resolution affirming LGBT rights are human rights, and so LGBT advocates see it as an important precedent in empowering officials throughout the U.N. system to work on LGBT rights.

The proposal’s opponents — led by Egypt and other members of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation — fought determinedly to defeat the proposal, which they framed as a form of cultural imperialism and an attack on Islam.

“We feel there is an attempt to impose uniculturality” that “runs counter to religious and cultural practices of some countries,” said Saudi Arabia’s representative during debate. The language “In my opinion, this [resolution] is a human rights violation.”

Pakistan’s representative was more explicit: “The wider connotation of the words ‘sexual orientation’ can be destructive and inimical to our Muslim [faith] …and to our youth as a whole,” he said.

But several amendments intended to gut the bill failed, and the final vote suggests the these arguments are losing ground even in the regional blocs that have historically been the most unified in opposing U.N. language supporting LGBT rights. Congo, Sierra Leone, and Namibia broke with most of the rest of the Africa bloc to abstain on the resolution, a kind of soft “yes” vote. Kazakhstan, a member of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation abstained as well. The vote was far more lopsided than when a virtually identical resolution was voted on in 2011, when it passed by a vote of 29 to 19 with three abstentions.

The most closely watched nation in today’s vote was South Africa, which had co-sponsored the 2011 resolution but had been so hostile in discussions that LGBT rights advocates were concerned it might help torpedo the effort until shortly before voting began. Though South Africa voted for the resolution in the end, LGBT activists close to the negotiations said it had helped water down the resolution before the vote: the original proposal would call for LGBT rights reports to be produced every two years, while the version voted on today only called for a one-time report.

In remarks delivered following the vote, South African Ambassador Abdul Samad Minty made clear he felt squeezed by its historic commitment to LGBT rights — it was the first country in the world to protect LGBT rights in its constitution — and a desire to preserve relationships with other African countries that have recently enacted severe anti-LGBT laws like Uganda and Nigeria.

“South Africa believes that no person should fear fro their safety or be deprived of their dignity because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” Minty said, but blasted “divisive” steps taken by some donor nations to “use development aid to shift policies and laws in some countries,” an apparent reference to adjustments ñade by the United States and some European countries in contributions to Uganda following enactment of its Anti-Homosexuality Act earlier this year.







http://www.buzzfeed.com/lesterfeder/...hts-co#3fy1ctu

COUNTRIES VOTING YES

EUROPE (11): Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Montenegro, Romania, Macedonia, United Kingdom
AMERICAS (9): Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, United States, Venezuela
ASIA (4): Japan, Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam.
AFRICA (1): South Africa,

COUNTRIES ABSTAINING/VOTING NO

EUROPE (1): Russia
AMERICAS (0).
ASIA (9): China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Maldives, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, UAE
AFRICA (11): Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Morocco, Sierra Leone

Disgusting to see my country among the 'Yes' box..... I am glad some countries are going strong in the red. They are the only sane people left in the world it would seem.

[alfieb]

Disgusting to see my country among the 'Yes' box..... I am glad some countries are going strong in the red. They are the only sane people left in the world it would seem.

Nearly all of those "sane" countries also have awful human rights records, but a simple-minded person like yourself sees things in black-and-white, so of course Saudi Arabia and Africa are the good guys.

[LightHouse89]

Nearly all of those "sane" countries also have awful human rights records, but a simple-minded person like yourself sees things in black-and-white, so of course Saudi Arabia and Africa are the good guys.

'simple person' do not respond to my posts. I dont bother you anymore immigrant so dont bother me. Thanks though for supporting the removal of my traditions, morals and beliefs. People like you belong on a boat back to good Old Europe where you came from where you can support this homosexual culture all you wish. Not in my lands!

The countries in red refuse to give into 'human rights'...a left wing organization that does not represent my society. The worst thing my country ever did was have anything to do with europe or their retarded left wing views. Now do not bother me anymore I have no use for some city dwelling immigrant.

[Bloodnigger]

let it all burn

[alfieb]

I'm not an immigrant, and I'm neither pro-gay nor anti-gay. What they do in their homes is their business, not mine.

I would never attend a gay wedding service, but I wouldn't support countries that kill or imprison people for being gay, either.

[LightHouse89]

I'm not an immigrant, and I'm neither pro-gay nor anti-gay. What they do in their homes is their business, not mine.

I would never attend a gay wedding service, but I wouldn't support countries that kill or imprison people for being gay, either.

I dont support homosexuality forcing me , my religion and my people to accept it. It is sodomy....sodomy is sodomy and it is a sin. The fact they want to get married is disgusting. Only cultural christians support it. The same thing with the legalization of pot.... what next? they might as well legalize heroin and pedophilia or zoophilia. I hate Democrats as they have brought all these 'european' ideas here and claim how enlightening this garbage is. Homosexuals should go back to being secret about it in order for me to ever respect them.

[Brighton]

I dont support homosexuality forcing me , my religion and my people to accept it. It is sodomy....sodomy is sodomy and it is a sin. The fact they want to get married is disgusting. Only cultural christians support it. The same thing with the legalization of pot.... what next? they might as well legalize heroin and pedophilia or zoophilia. I hate Democrats as they have brought all these 'european' ideas here and claim how enlightening this garbage is. Homosexuals should go back to being secret about it in order for me to ever respect them.

Dude please

Comparing homosexuality to zoophilia is extremely offensive.. what's next? comparing it to paedophilia?

Also, it's not Europeans the ones who brough "social liberal views" to America.

The West Coast, the North East, Minnesota have always been more liberal.

Also Jews, White Mainline Protestants, White Catholics, Hispanic Catholics and unaffiliated people even have majorities approving same-sex marriage.

So yah, it's not like Europeans are brain-washing Americans..