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Human Rights Day reminds us of global persecution of gays
By Paula L. Ettelbrick
December 6, 2006
As we commemorate International Human Rights Day this Dec. 10, more work must be done to ensure the dignity and equality of all human beings, including sexual minorities.
This week at the United Nations in New York, more than four dozen U.N. member states will vote on whether three lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups from Europe will be granted official status to represent this community within the United Nations.....
At the moment, there is no functioning group representing the voices and experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people at the United Nations.
In fact, the United States has lobbied against LGBT folks for more than a decade. Just a year ago, the United States joined China, Cuba and Iran in voting against inclusion of LGBT voices at the United Nations, only to turn around after international activists and organizations expressed outrage at the overt discrimination committed by our own democracy......
But there is hope. On Dec. 1, the United States signed on with 53 other governments at the United Nations to a simple proclamation calling for more discussion and attention to the human rights conditions faced by LGBT people around the world.
Now, as the United Nations meets in New York, the United States must stand up for justice not only by voting to welcome in gay groups, but also by advocating on their behalf with other voting members of the committee.
It is long past time to acknowledge LGBT people as human beings whose dignity and equality should be respected.
The international process must start by including all of us in the most robust human rights body in the world -- the United Nations.
http://www.progressive.org/node/4292
By Paula L. Ettelbrick
December 6, 2006
As we commemorate International Human Rights Day this Dec. 10, more work must be done to ensure the dignity and equality of all human beings, including sexual minorities.
This week at the United Nations in New York, more than four dozen U.N. member states will vote on whether three lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups from Europe will be granted official status to represent this community within the United Nations.....
At the moment, there is no functioning group representing the voices and experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people at the United Nations.
In fact, the United States has lobbied against LGBT folks for more than a decade. Just a year ago, the United States joined China, Cuba and Iran in voting against inclusion of LGBT voices at the United Nations, only to turn around after international activists and organizations expressed outrage at the overt discrimination committed by our own democracy......
But there is hope. On Dec. 1, the United States signed on with 53 other governments at the United Nations to a simple proclamation calling for more discussion and attention to the human rights conditions faced by LGBT people around the world.
Now, as the United Nations meets in New York, the United States must stand up for justice not only by voting to welcome in gay groups, but also by advocating on their behalf with other voting members of the committee.
It is long past time to acknowledge LGBT people as human beings whose dignity and equality should be respected.
The international process must start by including all of us in the most robust human rights body in the world -- the United Nations.
http://www.progressive.org/node/4292