Pink News: UN: Human Rights Council passes landmark LGBT rights resolution

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/09/26/un-human-rights-council-passes-landmark-lgbt-rights-resolution/
26th September 2014, 7:20 PM by Nick Duffy

The United Nations passed the resolution (Image: United Nations)

The United Nations Human Rights Council has passed a landmark resolution condemning violence and discrimination against LGBT people.

The resolution expresses grave concern “at acts of violence and discrimination, in all regions of the world, committed against individuals because of their sexual orientation and gender identity.”

Gay Star News: UN votes for 'traditional values' above gay rights

Russia has passed a resolution at the United Nations which highlights traditional values: Experts say the Human Rights Council vote will be used against gay, trans and women's rights
http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/un-votes-traditional-values-above-gay-rights270912
27 SEPTEMBER 2012 | BY DAN LITTAUER

Russia has won a vote in the United Nations today which promotes 'traditional values' above lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and women's rights.

In the resolution references to sexual orientation and transgender protection are actually removed from what is included in human rights.

Activists have said it makes demands for the UN to vote to decriminalize gay sex worldwide even more urgent.

The anti-gay Russian resolution was passed in the UN Human Rights Council today (27 September). It was backed by 25 countries with 15 against and seven abstaining.

United Nations: UN issues first report on human rights of LGBT

Discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.
Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights:

http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/19session/A.HRC.19.41_English.pdf
15 December 2011 –

The first ever United Nations report on the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people details how around the world people are killed or endure hate-motivated violence, torture, detention, criminalization and discrimination in jobs, health care and education because of their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.

The report, released today by the UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva, outlines "a pattern of human rights violations… that demands a response," and says governments have too often overlooked violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Violence against LGBT persons tends to be especially vicious compared to other bias-motivated crimes.

Homophobic and transphobic violence has been recorded in every region of the world, the report finds, and ranges from murder, kidnappings, assaults and rapes to psychological threats and arbitrary deprivations of liberty.

LGBT people are often targets of organized abuse from religious extremists, paramilitary groups, neo-Nazis, extreme nationalists and others, as well as family and community violence, with lesbians and transgender women at particular risk.

"Violence against LGBT persons tends to be especially vicious compared to other bias-motivated crimes," the report notes, citing data indicating that homophobic hate crimes often include "a high degree of cruelty and brutality."

Violent incidents or acts of discrimination frequently go unreported because victims do not trust police, are afraid of reprisals or are unwilling to identify themselves as LGBT.

The report – prepared in response to a request from the UN Human Rights Council earlier this year – draws from information included in past UN reporting, official statistics on hate crimes where there are available, and reporting by regional organizations and some non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

In the report, Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, calls on countries to repeal laws that criminalize homosexuality, abolish the death penalty for offences involving consensual sexual relations, harmonize the age of consent for heterosexual and homosexual conduct, and enact comprehensive anti-discrimination laws.

In 76 countries it remains illegal to engage in same-sex conduct and in at least five countries – Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen – the death penalty prevails.

Ms. Pillay recommends that Member States also promptly investigate all killings or serious violent incidents perpetrated because of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity, and to establish systems to record such incidents.

The High Commissioner also calls on countries to ensure that no one fleeing persecution because of their sexual orientation or gender identity is returned to a territory where their life or freedom is at threat, and that asylum laws recognize that sexual orientation or gender identity is a valid basis for claiming persecution.

Public information campaigns should be introduced, especially in schools, to counter homophobia, and police and law enforcement officials should also receive training to ensure LGBT people are treated appropriately and fairly.

Charles Radcliffe, the chief of OHCHR's global issues section, told UN Radio that "one of the things we found is if the law essentially reflects homophobic sentiment, then it legitimizes homophobia in society at large. If the State treats people as second class or second rate or, worse, as criminals, then it's inviting people to do the same thing."

He stressed that all UN Member States have an obligation under international human rights law to decriminalize homosexuality, adding it was important to persuade rather than lecture States to change their laws.

"I think we have seen the balance of opinion amongst States really shifting significantly in recent years. Some 30 countries have decriminalized homosexuality in the last two decades or so."

Mr. Radcliffe said that while all people have freedom of religion, "no religious belief or prevailing cultural values can justify stripping people of their basic rights."

The report, which will be discussed by Council members at a meeting in March next year, has been released as top UN officials have increasingly raised concerns about human rights violations against LGBT people.

Last year, in a speech marking Human Rights Day, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that "as men and women of conscience, we reject discrimination in general, and in particular discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity."

Ms. Pillay, during a public conversation last week on social media, also called for an end to bullying and other forms of persecution of LGBT people.

UN News Service

MaltaToday: AD welcomes UN declaration on gay rights’ violations

http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/mgrm/ad-welcomes-un-declaration-on-gay-rights%E2%80%99-violations

MONDAY, JUNE 20, 2011

Alternattiva Demokratika welcomed the United Nations’ declaration on human rights violations, based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

AD deputy chairperson and spokesperson for civil rights Yvonne Arqueros Ebejer described the declaration as a step forward for human rights and the LGBT community.

She stressed the “utmost importance” of having an official UN process to certify human rights abuses against gays, including discriminatory laws and acts of violence.

She said that in 76 countries worldwide, “consensual same-sex relations are illegal, while harassment and discrimination are common in many more. In some societies, such as Uganda and Iran, basic gay rights are still inexistent and being gay can actually lead to death.”

Arqueros Ebejer said that even though in Malta homosexuality was decriminalised in the 1970s and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation at work was made illegal following Malta's EU accession, “people with an LGBT identity are still being discriminated in various other areas, most notably when it comes to family policy.”

She added that green parties were always the most progressive parties when it comes to LGBT rights. "The LGBT community can rest assured on Alternattiva Demokratika's support.”

AD chairperson Michael Briguglio added that "in the coming months one expects further debates in Maltese society on discrimination in general and LGBT rights in particular.”

He also vowed that “as the only progressive party in Malta, AD will be ensuring that lesbians, gays, bi-sexual and transgender persons will not be excluded from such debates.”

[Click on the hyperlink above to view the comments on Malta Today's website.]

Il-Ġens Illum: In-Nazzjonijiet Uniti għaddiet riżoluzzjoni li tirrikonoxxi omosesswali u transesswali d-drittijiet tal-persuni

http://www.il-gensillum.com/news.asp?newscat=14&news=8812
18 ta' Ġunju 2011

Għall-ewwel darba in-Nazzjonijiet Uniti għaddiet riżoluzzjoni li tirrikonoxxi d-drittijiet tal-persuni omosesswali u transesswali. Din ir-riżoluzzjoni ġiet deskritta bħala waħda storika mill-Istati Uniti, iżda ġiet ikkritikata minn xi pajjiżi Afrikani u Musulmani.

Id-dikjarazzjoni tan-Nazzjonijiet Uniti tesprimi tħassib serju dwar abbużi li jsiru fuq xi persuni minħabba l-orjentazzjoni sesswali tagħhom tant li se tikkummisjona rapport globali dwar id-diskriminazzjoni kontra l-persuni omosesswali.

Attivisti tan-Nazzjonijiet Uniti iddeskrievew din ir-rizoluzzjoni bħala waħda storika għax s'issa dejjem kien hemm nuqqas kbir ta qbil dwar din il-kwistjoni.

Times: UN adopts Gay rights resolution

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110618/world/un-adopts-gay-rights-resolution.371196

18.6.2011 by Press Association

The United Nations has endorsed the rights of gay, lesbian and transgender people for the first time ever, passing a resolution hailed as historic by the US and other backers and decried by some African and Muslim countries.

The declaration was cautiously worded, expressing "grave concern" about abuses because of sexual orientation and commissioning a global report on discrimination against gays.

But activists called it an important shift on an issue that has divided the global body for decades, and they credited the Obama administration's push for gay rights at home and abroad.

"This represents a historic moment to highlight the human rights abuses and violations that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people face around the world based solely on who they are and whom they love," US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement.

Following tense negotiations, members of the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council narrowly voted in favour of the declaration put forward by South Africa, with 23 votes in favour and 19 against.

Backers included the US, the European Union, Brazil and other Latin American countries.

Those against included Russia, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Pakistan. China, Burkina Faso and Zambia abstained, Kyrgyzstan did not vote and Libya was suspended from the rights body earlier.

The resolution expressed "grave concern at acts of violence and discrimination, in all regions of the world, committed against individuals because of their sexual orientation and gender identity".

More important, activists said, it also established a formal UN process to document human rights abuses against gays, including discriminatory laws and acts of violence.
According to Amnesty International, consensual same-sex relations are illegal in 76 countries worldwide, while harassment and discrimination are common in many more.

"Today's resolution breaks the silence that has been maintained for far too long," said John Fisher of the gay rights advocacy group Arc International.

The White House in a statement strongly backed the declaration.

"This marks a significant milestone in the long struggle for equality, and the beginning of a universal recognition that (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) persons are endowed with the same inalienable rights - and entitled to the same protections - as all human beings."

The resolution calls for a panel discussion next spring with "constructive, informed and transparent dialogue on the issue of discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against" gays, lesbians and transgender people.

The prospect of having their laws scrutinised in this way went too far for many of the council's 47-member states.

"We are seriously concerned at the attempt to introduce to the United Nations some notions that have no legal foundation," said Zamir Akram, Pakistan's envoy to the UN in Geneva, speaking on behalf of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference.

Nigeria claimed the proposal went against the wishes of most Africans. A diplomat from the north west African state of Mauritania called the resolution "an attempt to replace the natural rights of a human being with an unnatural right".

[Click on the hyperlink above to view the comments on the Times' website.]

UN: Ending Violence and Criminal Sanctions on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity

There are 78 countries where individuals may still face criminal sanctions on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity according to Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay.

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/GenderIdentity.aspx
23.9.10

It can never be acceptable," she told a recent High Level Panel in Geneva on Ending Violence and Criminal Sanctions on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity "to deprive certain individuals of their rights, indeed to impose criminal sanctions on those individuals, not because they have inflicted harm on others or pose a threat to the well-being of others, but simply for being who they are, for being born with a particular sexual orientation or gender identity."

"The priority should be decriminalization world-wide", Pillay said. Even then that would only be a first step, "it is not easy for decades of prejudice and intolerance to disappear by the stroke of the legislators' pen. But change must be started."

In a message read to the meeting, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon repeated his appeal of earlier this year "for all countries that criminalize people on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity to take the steps necessary to remove such offences from the statute books".

Ban Ki-moon was joined by the Human Rights High Commissioner, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and civil society representatives from Cameroon, Guyana and India in calling for an end to human rights violations directed against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

"Sexual orientation, like skin colour, is a feature of our diversity. How sad it is that when God's children are facing such massive problems - poverty, disease, corruption, conflict - we are so often obsessed with human sexuality. Is there not already too much hate in this world, without also seeking to persecute those who love?" This excerpt formed part of a video message from Archbishop Tutu who said the United Nations has a particular role to play in standing up for the principles of universal humanity and fellowship.

David Clarke speaking for SASOD, a group based in Guyana which is committed to eradicating discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity acknowledged that laws banning sex between males are not often enforced but: "We believe that the mere existence of these laws gives state officers, and private citizens, the belief that their discriminatory actions are legitimized," he said.

Sunita Kujur representing CREA, an international women's human rights and sexual rights organization based in New Delhi described the special problems created for men and women in India who want to freely choose their own partners in a heterosexual context. This is not a rural phenomenon or one restricted to the poor and illiterate, Kujur said. "Imagine", she said "the kind of violence and discrimination that people face when they choose a same sex partner."

Pillay stressed that discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender "knows no boundaries …there is still no region in the world today where people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex (LGBTI) can live entirely free from discrimination or from the threat of harassment and physical attack."

In her closing remarks, the High Commissioner noted that "Today, almost 62 years after the Universal Declaration was adopted, it is, thankfully, unthinkable to impose criminal sanctions on individuals simply on the basis of their gender or the colour of their skin.

"With all our efforts and those of many others, over time let us look forward to a time when it is equally unthinkable that such sanctions could be imposed on people simply because of their sexual orientation or their gender identity."

MaltaStar: Malawi gay couple pardoned

http://www.maltastar.com/pages/r1/ms10dart.asp?a=9468
30.5.10

The Malawi gay couple who were sentenced to 14 years in prison because they got married, were pardoned and ordered to be released from custody by Malawi’s President Bingu wa Mutharika.

According to the President, Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza were being released on "humanitarian grounds only" . The President made it clear that homosexuality still remains illegal in the conservative southern African nation.

The Malawi President made this statement during a news conference in the presence of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Lilongwe.

The court had sentenced both men on charges of unnatural acts and gross indecency. They were arrested in December, a day after their engagement celebrations.

[Click on the hyperlink above to view the comments on MaltaStar´s website.]

Times: Gay conviction in Malawi is alarming precedent - UN commissioner

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100524/world-news/gay-conviction-in-malawi-is-alarming-precedent-un-commissioner
Human Rights; Monday, 24th May 2010; AFP

Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza being led from court in Blantyre, Malawi, after a judge sentenced the couple to the maximum 14 years in prison for unnatural acts and gross indecency under Malawi's anti-gay legislation. Photo: Alex Ntonya/AP

The UN human rights chief has slammed the "blatantly discriminatory" jailing of a gay couple in Malawi, saying that it sets an alarming precedent for the treatment of homosexuals in the region.

"I am shocked and dismayed by the sentence and reports of the treatment of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga while in detention," said Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

"The law which enabled the conviction dates back to the colonial era and has lain dormant for a number of years - rightly so, because it is discriminatory and has the effect of criminalising and stigmatising people based on perceptions of their identity," she added.

Ms Pillay said the conviction should be repealed and penal codes that criminalise homosexuality reformed.

"Laws that criminalise people on the basis of their sexual orientation are by their nature discriminatory, and as such are in apparent violation of a number of key international treaties and instruments," said Ms Pillay.

She also warned that the move would drive homosexuals underground, and potentially have a "disastrous effect" on the fight against AIDS.

"It is a question of fundamental rights, not one of geography, history or disparate cultures," Ms Pillay added.

"The protection of individuals against discrimination is pervasive in international human rights law. Why should it be suspended for this one group of human beings?"
Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza were arrested on December 28 after holding an illegal same-sex wedding, accused of violating "the order of nature".

US singer Madonna also condemned their sentence.

[Click on the hyperlink above to view the comments on the Times' website.]

It-Torċa: 47 rakkomandazzjoni lil Malta mill-Ġnus Magħquda

http://www.it-torca.com/news.asp?newsitemid=8498

27.9.9

Quddiem il-Kunsill tad-Drittijiet tal-Bniedem, tal-Ġnus Magħquda, din il-ġimgħa Malta sostniet li alissa għadha mhijiex f’pożizzjoni li tiffirma l-Konvenzjoni għall-Ħarsien tad-Drittijiet tal-Ħaddiema Immigranti. Dan fid-dawl tal-problemi li pajjiżna qed isib minħabba l-influss ta’ immig-ranti llegali f’pajjiżna.

Malta kienet qiegħda twie-ġeb għal 47 rakkomandazzjoni li saru minn dan il-kunsill, ib-bażati fuq dak li jissejjaħ bħala ‘Universal Periodic Review’, li fih ikun studjat l-istat tal-ħar-sien tad-drittijiet tal-bniedem fil-pajjiżi membri tal-Ġnus Magħquda. Il-parti l-kbira tar-rakkomandazzjonijiet għal Malta għandhom rabta mal-immigrazzjoni u mad-drittijiet tal-persuni omosesswali u trangender.

Filwaqt li kien hemm kum-menti pożittivi dwar Malta għall-impenn tagħha fil-ħar-sien tal-konvenzjonijiet mar-buta mad-drittijiet tal-bnie-dem, il-kritika kienet immirata l-aktar għall-mod li bih Malta tilqa’ lill-immigranti llegali. Fost oħrajn kien hemm kritika għall-politika ta’ detenzjoni u ċ-ċentri li fihom jinżammu l-immigranti f’pajjiżna. Fil-fatt, kritika ewlenija kienet li ċ-ċentri ta’ detenzjoni mhumiex miżmuma tajjeb u l-immigranti qiegħdin jgħixu “f’kundiz-zjonijiet li ma jagħmlulhomx tajjeb għal saħħithom.”

Kritika li saret mill-Kum-missjoni Internazzjonali tal-Ġuristi kienet dwar id-deten-zjoni awtomatika għall-im-migranti llegali u ż-żmien li jkollhom jibqgħu fid-deten-zjoni kien deskritt bħala wie-ħed twil wisq u mhux propor-zjonali. L-Istati Uniti saħqet li Malta għandha tħarrax il-pieni u żżid l-isforzi kontra t-traffi-kar tal-bnedmin.

Min-naħa tagħha, Malta fissret kif irranġat il-liġi biex iddekriminalizzat l-immigraz-zjoni illegali u għalhekk id-detenzjoni fiċ-ċentri hija biss waħda amministrattiva, ta’ 18-il xahar għall-immigranti lle-gali u ta’ sena għal dawk li jku-nu jridu jsiru refuġjati. Fissret ukoll kif iċ-ċentri huma mmex-xija minn persuni ċivili u mhux militari u l-immigranti għandhom l-assistenza ħielsa tal-organizzazzjonijiet mhux governattivi. Malta spjegat kif minkejja li kontinwament qed isir xogħol ta’ manutenzjoni, madankollu l-vandaliżmu u l-irvellijiet mill-immigranti nfus-hom qiegħdin iwasslu għad-deterjorazzjoni ta’ dawn iċ-ċentri.

Omosesswalità u transgender

Matul is-sessjoni tat-23 ta’ Settembru, Malta kienet ukoll imħeġġa biex tieħu ħsieb il-ħarsien tad-drittijiet ta’ persuni omosesswali u transgender. Madankollu, Malta qalet li r-relazzjoni bejn persuni tal-istess sess tibqa’ kwistjoni ta’ kompetenza nazzjonali.

L-Assoċjazzjoni Internaz-zjonali tal-Lesbjani u Gay, insistiet li Malta għandha tim-penja ruħha aktar biex tiġġie-led id-diskriminazzjoni fuq bażi ta’ orjentazzjoni sesswali u ġeneru.

Saħqet li b’mod speċjali Malta għandha tinkludi l-orjentazzjoni sesswali u l-ġeneru fil-politika tagħha dwar saħħa sesswali. Kien suġ-ġerit ukoll li l-gvern jaħdem aktar mill-qrib mal-organiz-zazzjonijiet mhux governattivi li jirrappreżentaw lill-omo-sesswali u transgender b’mod speċjali biex jissorveljaw li ma jkunx hemm ksur tad-drittijiet ta’ dawn il-persuni.

The U.N. Human Rights Council on Malta and LGBT

24.9.9 by Björn van Roozendaal

Received from Wim Monasso philanthropic advisor for LGBT Rights www.filad.nl

---
MALTA
Mr President,

Following working group recommendations, we recommend that Malta adopt further measures to fight discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. This is consistent with Malta’s welcome endorsement of the joint statement on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity delivered at the UN General Assembly last December, on behalf of 67 States. In particular we urge Malta to take concrete measures ensuring that:

1. Policy is developed ensuring that same-sex couples enjoy equal rights and obligations as opposite-sex couples;

2. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people have effective access to health advisory services, in particular those relating to sexuality and sexual health and reproductive rights.

3. Legislation is developed allowing the change of legal status of transgender persons, following Maltese court decisions and in line with the right to respect for private life protected by Article 8(1) of the European Convention.

In addressing recommendation 70, we would like to thank Malta for including sexual orientation and gender identity in awareness raising campaigns in the realization of human rights by all persons. We would like to ask the Maltese government:

1. To specifically inform the Human Rights Council about the means by which such awareness raising shall take place, and;

2. To include civil society organisations in the development, execution and evaluation of such campaigns.

We commend Malta for developing a policy on sexual health including sexual education following recommendations 35, 36 and 37. We recommend Malta:

1. To explicitly include sexual orientation and gender identity in this policy, and;

2. To include civil society organisations in the development, execution and evaluation of these programs.

In closing, we note that this year’s annual conference of the European Region of the International Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Intersex Association will take place in Malta next month. We believe that this conference can be an impetus to improve the national human rights situation for LGBT people and we hope the Maltese government will actively participate in and support this initiative.

Thank you Mr President.

[Sent from the U.N. Office in Geneva.]

YouTube: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Gay Rights Spot (with Slim K)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkAO0fYv3nM

The short for "Amnesty International" has been linked to by dozens of sites, news portals and blogs. In the online gay world, it secured a front-page report which caused a surge in visits to the spot posted on YouTube. From chueca.com (a gay portal), there have been tens of thousands of visitors among the Spanish gay community, enjoying the most rights in the world.

As at March 2008, the video has been viewed over 73,000 times. "Amnesty International" and the Publicis group also sent an e-mail with the TV spot attached to a database of over 56,000 e-mail addresses, thus setting in motion the whole viral mechanism around the initiative.

A short film for a greater cause. http://www.amnestyusa.org The spot will be presented as well at this years "Cannes International Film Festival" (14-25 May 2008) http://www.festival-cannes.fr/;  project directed by JUAN VARELA and produced by Brenda Weiermair, Txetxu Lozano and Laura Bautista for SAATCHI & SAATCHI (Madrid, Spain) - SLIM KHEZRI stars as a Robber; visit Slim K Official Website http://www.slimk.cjb.net

Independent: Discrimination against gays

http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=81568
18.1.9 by Mr Jospeh Vella; Żebbuġ

The Malta Independent on Sunday of 11 January carried the news on page 3 that a university lecturer excommunicated himself because of the Vatican’s opposition to the UN Resolution for the universal decriminalisation of gay relations, and, a few weeks ago, the Pope called homosexuality a destruction of God’s work and so on.

After reading the news item I thought to myself, where is the news value of this item? After all, our Lord is quoted to have said to his disciples: “Will you also go away? (John 6:68), and in the Old Testament: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts: nor your ways my ways,” saith the Lord (Isaiah 5:26).

I can assure Dr Ing. Patrick Attard that not all UN Resolutions are parallel to the teaching of the Lord, which is amply emphasized both in the Old and the New Testament over and over again. In this instance I appreciate the fact that this Dr Attard is a lucky man because he is Maltese, as I know of countries that not only ignored this resolution but if one is caught in public he is either stoned, shot, or hanged and I can assure Dr Attard that these are quite a few countries.

To emphasise his point, he blamed the Pope and the local curia for their hate preaching on this subject.

I am no defender of the faith but to put things in their proper prospective, the Pope, or better still the title of pope, was given to the bishop of Rome after the sixth century and has been so ever since. It was St Gregory who explained the duties of the bishop of Rome, that he must be a man who meditated deeply on the scripture, devoted to preaching, teaching, admonishing, a minister, and one who seeks to subdue himself rather than his brethren.

I find it very strange that Dr Attard calls the Bishop of Rome’s preaching “hate preaching” when on his site (patrickattard.blogspot.com) the main focus is a picture of a demonic pope with his hands covered in blood.

I for one do believe the Church did the right thing, and yes, it is the duty of the Church to be the vanguard and speak when things are said that go against the teaching of the Holy Book.

UN: General Assembly Statement Affirms Rights for All - 66 States Condemn Violations Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

(New York, December 18, 2008) – In a powerful victory for the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 66 nations at the UN General Assembly today supported a groundbreaking statement confirming that international human rights protections include sexual orientation and gender identity. It is the first time that a statement condemning rights abuses against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people has been presented in the General Assembly.

The statement drew unprecedented support from five continents, including six African nations. Argentina read the statement before the General Assembly. A cross-regional group of states coordinated the drafting of the statement, also including Brazil, Croatia, France, Gabon, Japan, the Netherlands, and Norway.

The 66 countries reaffirmed "the principle of non-discrimination, which requires that human rights apply equally to every human being regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity." They stated they are "deeply concerned by violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms based on sexual orientation or gender identity," and said that "violence, harassment, discrimination, exclusion, stigmatization and prejudice are directed against persons in all countries in the world because of sexual orientation or gender identity."

The statement condemned killings, torture, arbitrary arrest, and "deprivation of economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to health." The participating countries urged all nations to "promote and protect human rights of all persons, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity," and to end all criminal penalties against people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

According to calculations by ILGA (the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Association) and other organizations, more than six dozen countries still have laws against consensual sex between adults of the same sex. The majority of these laws were left behind by colonial rulers (http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2008/12/17/alien-legacy-0 ). The UN Human Rights Committee, which interprets the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), a core UN treaty, held in a historic 1994 decision that such laws are rights violations – and that human rights law forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity happen regularly around the world. For example:

· In the United States, Amnesty International has documented serious patterns of police abuse against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, including incidents amounting to torture and ill-treatment. The United States refused to sign the General Assembly statement.

· In Egypt, Human Rights Watch documented a massive crackdown on men suspected of homosexual conduct between 2001-2004, in which hundreds or thousands of men were arrested and tortured. Egypt actively opposed the General Assembly statement.

· The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission has documented how, in many African countries, sodomy laws and prejudice deny rights protections to Africans engaged in same-sex practices amid the HIV/AIDS pandemic – and can actually criminalize outreach to affected groups.

The signatories overcame intense opposition from a group of governments that regularly try to block UN attention to violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Only 60 states signed an alternative text promoted by the Organization of the Islamic Conference. While affirming the "principles of non-discrimination and equality," they claimed that universal human rights did not include "the attempt to focus on the rights of certain persons."

At first, the Holy See had voiced strong opposition to the General Assembly statement. Its opposition sparked severe criticism by human rights defenders worldwide. In a significant reversal, however, the Holy See indicated to the General Assembly today that it called for repeal of criminal penalties for homosexual conduct.

This year is the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the General Assembly statement reaffirms the reach and breadth of UDHR principles. The statement is non-binding, but restates what UN human rights bodies have repeatedly said: that no one should face rights violations because of their sexual orientation and gender identity.

Navanetham Pillay, the UN high commissioner for human rights, strongly supported the statement. In a videotaped message, she cited South Africa's 1996 decision to protect sexual orientation in its Constitution. She pointed to the "task and challenge to move beyond a debate on whether all human beings have rights," to "secure the climate for implementation."

Since the Human Rights Committee's landmark decision in 1994, United Nations experts have repeatedly acted against abuses that target lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, including killings, torture, rape, violence, disappearances, and discrimination in many areas of life. UN treaty bodies have called on states to end discrimination in law and policy.

Other international bodies have also opposed violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, including the Council of Europe and the European Union. In 2008, all 34 member countries of the Organization of American States unanimously approved a declaration affirming that human rights protections extend to sexual orientation and gender identity.

Earlier in the day, the General Assembly also adopted a resolution condemning extrajudicial executions, which contained a reference opposing killings based on sexual orientation. Uganda moved to delete that reference, but the General Assembly rejected this by 78-60.

The signatories to the General Assembly statement are:

Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, United Kingdom, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

For more information, please contact the following organizations issuing this statement:

Amnesty International (in New York, Kate Sheill: +44-79-0439-8439)

ARC International (in Canada, Kim Vance: +1-902-488-6404)

Center for Women's Global Leadership (in New York, Cynthia Rothschild: +1-917- 318-3593)

COC Netherlands (in New York: Björn van Roozendaal +31-62-255-8300)

Global Rights (in Washington, DC, Stefano Fabeni: +1-202-741-5049)

Human Rights Watch (in New York, Scott Long: +1-646-641-5655)

ILGA (International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual and Intersex Association (in New York, Renato Sabbadini: +39-335-60-67-158)

Inter-LGBT France (in New York, Philippe Colomb: +33-68-985-3109)

International Committee for IDAHO (International Day Against Homophobia) (in New York, Louis-Georges Tin: +33-61-945-4552)

IGLHRC (in New York, Hossein Alizadeh: +1-212-430-6016)