The UN now officially doesn't mind if you execute people for being gay, lesbian, or bisexual
The United Nations voted, effectively, to endorse the idea that homosexuality is a valid reason to execute people.
A resolution before the UN General Assembly, which has been in effect for the last ten years or so, condemned extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions, and calls on countries to investigate executions based on discriminatory grounds, including executions based on sexual orientation.
A motion was made by Benin, a country in West Africa, on behalf of the African Group in the General Assembly, to strip sexual orientation out of the resolution. For ten years, sexual orientation has been included in the resolution, but that al changed this week as sexual orientation was removed by a close vote. This reprehensible resolution passed, 79-70, with 43 countries abstaining or absent.
Apparently at least 79 countries think being gay is perfectly reasonable grounds for execution, and 43 countries can't be bothered to argue otherwise.
Most western countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, opposed this measure. No country in Europe supported it except Russia; no country in Latin America supported it except Cuba. Every NATO country voted against the motion except Turkey, which was absent. Perhaps most surprising was South Africa's vote in favor of the resolution, considering that South Africa is one of the few countries in the world whose constitution specifically prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and South Africa doesn't have capital punishment at all anymore. Is any form of discrimination more severe than, uh, execution? Being executed can ruin your whole damn week.
Ten countries in the world have nationwide same-sex marriage (Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and Sweden). All but South Africa voted against the motion.
Eight countries have the death penalty for homosexuality: Iran, Mauritania, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
In favor of stripping sexual orientation out of the resolution:
Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Botswana, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Comoros, Congo (Brazzaville), DR Congo (Kinshasa), Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Against stripping sexual orientation out of the resolution:
Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bhutan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Timor-Leste, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela
Abstaining:
Antigua-Barbuda, Barbados, Belarus, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Colombia, Fiji, Mauritius, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
Absent:
Albania, Bolivia, Central African Republic, Chad, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Nauru, Nicaragua, Palau, Sao Tome Principe, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Togo, Tonga, Turkey, Turkmenistan
A press release from the IGLHRC (International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission) is here.
A resolution before the UN General Assembly, which has been in effect for the last ten years or so, condemned extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions, and calls on countries to investigate executions based on discriminatory grounds, including executions based on sexual orientation.
A motion was made by Benin, a country in West Africa, on behalf of the African Group in the General Assembly, to strip sexual orientation out of the resolution. For ten years, sexual orientation has been included in the resolution, but that al changed this week as sexual orientation was removed by a close vote. This reprehensible resolution passed, 79-70, with 43 countries abstaining or absent.
Apparently at least 79 countries think being gay is perfectly reasonable grounds for execution, and 43 countries can't be bothered to argue otherwise.
Most western countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, opposed this measure. No country in Europe supported it except Russia; no country in Latin America supported it except Cuba. Every NATO country voted against the motion except Turkey, which was absent. Perhaps most surprising was South Africa's vote in favor of the resolution, considering that South Africa is one of the few countries in the world whose constitution specifically prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and South Africa doesn't have capital punishment at all anymore. Is any form of discrimination more severe than, uh, execution? Being executed can ruin your whole damn week.
Ten countries in the world have nationwide same-sex marriage (Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and Sweden). All but South Africa voted against the motion.
Eight countries have the death penalty for homosexuality: Iran, Mauritania, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
In favor of stripping sexual orientation out of the resolution:
Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Botswana, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Comoros, Congo (Brazzaville), DR Congo (Kinshasa), Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Against stripping sexual orientation out of the resolution:
Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bhutan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Timor-Leste, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela
Abstaining:
Antigua-Barbuda, Barbados, Belarus, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Colombia, Fiji, Mauritius, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
Absent:
Albania, Bolivia, Central African Republic, Chad, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Nauru, Nicaragua, Palau, Sao Tome Principe, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Togo, Tonga, Turkey, Turkmenistan
A press release from the IGLHRC (International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission) is here.