Obama Administration Takes on LGBT Rights at the United Nations

Published February 19, 2009 @ 10:18AM PT

By many accounts, President George W. Bush's interaction with the United Nations was nothing short of an embarrassment on many accounts, whether it was in how the Bush administration pitched the Iraq war to the international community, or how it nominated firebrand John Bolton to be the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, or in how the Bush administration joined with Sudan and Saudi Arabia to vote against a UN statement calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality.

While Sudan and Saudi Arabia may have been the company that the Bush administration wanted to keep at the United Nations, that's no longer the case under President Obama. Especially when it comes to the issue of LGBT rights. According to UN Watch, the United States has signed on with a number of other Western countries to a proposal that would condemn discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Do you hear that? That's the sound of the United States' reputation improving in this world.

The official proposition, which was introduced as part of a review conference on racism and xenophobia in Geneva, Switzerland, is worded:

"...Recognizes that experiences of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance are aggravated and intersect with discrimination on grounds including sexual orientation and gender identity, and condemns all forms of discrimination and all other human rights violations based on these grounds."

That proposal caused a number of anti-LGBT countries to go ballistic, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, and Nigeria. But for a change, isn't it nice to see the United States actually falling on the side of equal rights? Kudos to Obama and to his UN Ambassador, Susan Rice, for beginning to change the tide of how the U.S. will respond to LGBT issues in the global community.

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Comments (6)

Fortunately, Bush no longer has control and with President Barack Obama, the United States of America will improve its global reputation for human rights. In addition, there is no reason for discriminating against people on the basis of sexual orientation and is why signing these statements are important and a necessity. Finally, I hope that the United States and other countries continue to support LGBT rights because it's the right thing to do.

Posted by Edwin Bonilla on 02/19/2009 @ 02:28PM PT
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Go Bama! You are doing the right thing!

Posted by leatrice brantley on 02/19/2009 @ 02:47PM PT
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Wow. I love the stark comparison to Bush. Nice to have a president who actually respects people.

Posted by Luella - on 02/19/2009 @ 02:48PM PT
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Great news, maybe this country is really changing!

Posted by Sean Stidham on 02/19/2009 @ 04:36PM PT
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Soon my partner for the past 12 years has to leave America. No other ways will let him stay legally. My mother urges me to go with him and try to find a job there. But I know she really wants me, her only son, to stay. I cannot make a choice between them, but I know my mother needs me to take care of her. My partner and I are counting our days and our love only grows stronger and stronger. UAFA have been our hope for years, but it always got no further than a simply gesture of introduction. What is HOPE, if it will not come true? It seems like such a luxury that our gay friends got so upset about the gay marriage issue, when we don't even have the simple right to stay together and continue taking care of each other. Loving someone so much is tough. It hurts.....
Please let us know what can we do to make UAFA pass as soon as possible.

Posted by will shannon on 02/23/2009 @ 03:46PM PT
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It is SO good to hear about something positive like this! It give all of us hope, like Dustin Lance Black said after winning the Academy Award for Best Screenplay, that someday we can all fall in love and get married! It doesn't matter who is involved...

Posted by Glen Edwards on 02/23/2009 @ 06:33PM PT
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Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He is the former Communications Director for the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School, as well as the former Director of Communications for Pax Christi USA, a national Catholic peace and justice organization. Mike is a graduate of Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and he is also a proud sketch comedy writer.