Boosting the Signal
From an open group called Protest UN's Removal of LGBTs from an Anti-Execution Resolution:
The United Nations General Assembly has voted to remove sexual orientation from a key resolution that calls on member countries to investigate extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions that are motivated by prejudice.
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) and ARC International have condemned the General Assembly's decision in the strongest terms. Money quote:
"This decision in the General Assembly flies in the face of the overwhelming evidence that people are routinely killed around the world because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation, and renders these killings invisible or unimportant. The Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions has highlighted documented cases of extrajudicial killings on the grounds of sexual orientation including individuals facing the death penalty for consensual same-sex conduct; individuals tortured to death by State actors because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation; paramilitary groups killing individuals because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation as part of "social cleansing" campaigns; individuals murdered by police officers with impunity because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation; and States failing to investigate hate crimes and killings of persons because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation."
Other human rights campaigners say the General Assembly's decision is "shameful" and may encourage murders of LGBT people.
This link will take you to a press release that tells you which countries voted in favor of the amendment supporting removal of sexual orientation and gender identity from the resolution (79), which countries were opposed to the amendment (70), which abstained (17), and which were absent (26).
It's pretty clear that the abstainers and the absentees could have swung the vote toward opposition. By doing nothing, they did something--and that something was terrible.
This entry was originally posted at http://gehayi.dreamwidth.org/421284.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
The United Nations General Assembly has voted to remove sexual orientation from a key resolution that calls on member countries to investigate extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions that are motivated by prejudice.
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) and ARC International have condemned the General Assembly's decision in the strongest terms. Money quote:
"This decision in the General Assembly flies in the face of the overwhelming evidence that people are routinely killed around the world because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation, and renders these killings invisible or unimportant. The Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions has highlighted documented cases of extrajudicial killings on the grounds of sexual orientation including individuals facing the death penalty for consensual same-sex conduct; individuals tortured to death by State actors because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation; paramilitary groups killing individuals because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation as part of "social cleansing" campaigns; individuals murdered by police officers with impunity because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation; and States failing to investigate hate crimes and killings of persons because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation."
Other human rights campaigners say the General Assembly's decision is "shameful" and may encourage murders of LGBT people.
This link will take you to a press release that tells you which countries voted in favor of the amendment supporting removal of sexual orientation and gender identity from the resolution (79), which countries were opposed to the amendment (70), which abstained (17), and which were absent (26).
It's pretty clear that the abstainers and the absentees could have swung the vote toward opposition. By doing nothing, they did something--and that something was terrible.
This entry was originally posted at http://gehayi.dreamwidth.org/421284.html. Please comment there using OpenID.