The UN Explodes Over Sexual Orientation

Published December 21, 2008 @ 10:38AM PT

It's not every week that the United Nations turns into an episode of "As the World Turns," but that's what happened this week as the first-ever resolution dealing with sexual orientation and gender identity was read on the floor. France and the Netherlands introduced a resolution calling for worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality, or in other words, calling for the end of criminal punishment (from jail sentences to the death penalty) for LGBT persons. The resolution garnered signatures from 66 countries, which represents almost one-third of the entire UN (overall there are 192 countries).

The fact that one-third of the world signed onto this statement - the first time a statement on sexual orientation was ever read before them - is pretty historic. But this historic step is being clouded by the fact an additional 60 countries, led by Syria, signed a counter-resolution that compared homosexuality to pedophilia, said that any pro-gay resolution would result in more sex crimes against children, and said that the UN shouldn't get involved in domestic issues.

The UN is now practically split on the issue, with a large bloc of Muslim countries signing the Syria resolution. So far, the U.S. (as well as Russia and China) have abstained on the issue, which is a sorry sign of leadership from these world powers.

Despite the split, Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen said that "This is the first time in history that a group of member countries voices its objection to discrimination that is based on sexual identity and orientation. The issue is no longer taboo."

The issue may no longer be taboo on the floor of the United Nations, but the fact that LGBT persons can still be imprisoned or killed because of their identity is deplorable.

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Comments (12)

The United Nations shows clearly that psychosexual orientation is viewed either through the prism of science or literal religion.

Unfortunately, fundamentalist Christianity, Judaism or Islam to name the Abrahamic faith systems, have created ideologues or atheists as they become either fan(atic)s or victims.

I am loathe to blame gays and lesbians worldwide who have lost the faith of their youth as they became the victims of homophobic theological views that find their basis in ignorance and inability to view sacred texts in their historical and contextual text, even when they are declared didactic.

There are, of course, the "usual suspects" in either camp. It falls to those nations whose belief systems, whatever the religion, are tolerant of the pluralistic world, if not their own nation.

The USA will have Ambassador Susan Rice. She will NOT have to report to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, since the Obama administration has returned to the Clinton choice of having Rice in the Cabinet, and not sub-Cabinet as the UN ambassador is now.Since the Rick Warren thread (remember RICK WARREN) suggests that many of us neither respect or trust Obama now, I will reserve judgement and wait to see what the man does about this non-binding resolution. I do not expect him to do the moral and ethical response....until he does it..........or not.

Posted by A B on 12/21/2008 @ 11:48AM PT
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How a such clever guy like you can be christian. Your way is to be atheist. Without that you will stay the shadow of yourself. How can you believe something exists into the sky. Please wash you of all this bullshits...

Posted by Bruno A. on 12/21/2008 @ 12:01PM PT
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http://gayswithoutborders.wordpress.com/

Posted by Bruno A. on 12/21/2008 @ 12:30PM PT
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What I believe, Bruno, begins in my heart, and it speaks to faith, hope and love....and when I love my neighbour, as myself....and especially one whom I have shared thirty two years and share in raising our son, I know that this emotion is greater than the parts of all of us.

What I believe, Bruno is not found within the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church or the sanctuary of men like James Dobson or Rick Warren. What I believe is what my Christian faith teaches....love, love, and above all, love.

It is the love that I see in my 94 year old mother's eyes - and her memory of me from the womb going forward....from my one and only soulmate of 32 years and in the eyes of our son.

I AM a theist, and believe in God, and the Christ who lives within me, and any illusion between he and Warren makes any magician appear amateurish.

Bruno...I must believe that you were raised Christian....and the two most " walking wounded " are Roman Catholics and fundamentalist Protestants like Assemblies of God or Southern Baptists. I do not disrespect your atheistic choice. You have a NEW FAITH, ONE THAT DOES NOT HURT YOU ANYMORE. I GET IT. BRUNO....I REALLY DO.

So, I do not look up " into the sky " since astrological science and NASA tell me that they have mapped out what they can see, but even they do not know the great beyond or the control of time itself.....

I look into the eyes of those whom I love.....and I see God.

Posted by A B on 12/21/2008 @ 12:32PM PT
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Raymond, sorry my question was for Michael.
But it's also a pleasure to have a talk with you.
Unfortunately your belief is a deep error. And maybe you are too old to be able to make a modification of your deep end. You have been conditioned to trust in something never existed. Did you studied Middle Age? Religion were crimes. And it's still crimes. God as you say is nothing. And human don't need that to be able to love. Love doesn't belongs to the Christ. Each human being can feel love without any religion. That's a robbery they did with that.

Where do you place God into the universe ? Is it also for you the
old white daddy?
I don't want to finish stupid, I'd like the same for my friends.
I have no faith (not a new one), only on me.
We assist at the end of the animal reign, that's hurting me!

It's criminal now to be still a believer.
Open your eyes, your cleverness, don't be the apostle of the big lie.

Posted by Bruno A. on 12/21/2008 @ 12:56PM PT
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Bruno, let us agree to disagree, shall we ? In secular terms, we both want our nations, whatever the nation, to respect the rights of all human beings, and that includes their lesbian and gay citizenry.

For my Canadian spouse and dual national son, that means complete and absolute freedom, along with several European and African nations who one would have never believed would have given us complete freedom. In the EU, most nations provide the Jim Crow-style civil union, which in Norway, translated itself to full marriage rights. Sweden should follow this coming year.

So, Bruno, I would say to you....godspeed.....but I want to respect you....;)

Posted by A B on 12/21/2008 @ 01:08PM PT
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TY for the godspeed. Take it too.
Anyway Vatican gave us again a knife in the back.
Bye R.

Posted by Bruno A. on 12/21/2008 @ 01:23PM PT
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Bruno.....

I don't think it was a knife....

It was more like one of those long handled axes wielded by those Swiss Guards..... ROFLMAO

Posted by A B on 12/21/2008 @ 01:40PM PT
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This afternoon, gay bloggers from all spiritual or humanistic perspectives and yes, left or right politically, weighed in on this thread about Warren.

The spiritual violence of our opponents and yes, enemies who despise us, was made worse by the fact that the pain, shortly after Prop H8, was inflicted by President-elect Barack Obama.

Listen, I am a liberal Democrat - a wing with no political gravitas.
The neo-liberals are compromising pragmatists, yet we are told that Obama is Gen X and not a Boomer like Clinton....or me for that matter.

I have been reminded by some that gays and lesbians are Republicans who voted for McCain and Palin. There are those gays and lesbians who actually accept the Warren message that I define as a theologically flawed view of our lives.

I re-read the Andrew Sullivan blog for December 19, where he sees the opportunity to squeeze lemonade out of sour lemons. He even appeals to the basic tenet of Christianity....love and compassion for all.

I then re-read activists like my colleague, Dr. Hosty and others, and my heart and my head overrule my need to heed the essence of my Christian faith....forgiveness and opportunity for us to change hearts and minds of many who might listen to us and not Warren.

The statistician friend who sent me an email today suggested that there are proofs that our percentages have increased, and that for example, Connecticut went from civil unions to marriage last month. Two years ago, when civil unions passed, there was a majority against marriage. The numbers reversed. How ? "Exactly,"said my friend.

Well, I have pondered much, and I still want to follow a political foe who said " Trust but verify." I am justifiably angry at Obama for this calculated political kick to my solar plexus.

He has subsequently lost my respect and my trust.

I will view the inauguration with a group of friends, and when Warren "invokes", we will mute the sound, and pray our own prayer, and then we will hear Obama take the oath and deliver his inaugural address .We will listen to Dr. Lowery, who may deliver a prayer we will be proud of. We will wear black arm bands until 3PM.EST.

If the more positive persons are right, then Obama's so-called triangulating strategy will work for our civil rights. I have no belief in that proposition (pun included), and anything this man does for us will be a surprise to me, and not commented upon until he has actually delivered the goods.

Posted by A B on 12/21/2008 @ 04:26PM PT
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one person will not make the changes needed and it will take time

somethings will not change much but at least in my corner of this world I live and love the way I seem fit

Posted by michael kullik on 12/22/2008 @ 06:01AM PT
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Pray God Michael, that you are same-sex coupled and have children and hope that you do not need any of the 1,100 federal and forget individual state privileges and tax breaks and pension and social security benefits, etc.........

and then talk to me about " taking time and in the interim, living and loving the way you seem fit."

We must all act and we must all march and we must all write and speak to decision makers to obtain our rights. The decision makers believe the gay and lesbian stereotypes and think that we do not really want our rights and will give them no political cover to vote our rights in.

Posted by A B on 12/22/2008 @ 06:13AM PT
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Someone sent an email to ask about the definitions of neo this and that and found this:

http://georgewashington2.blogspot.com/2008/11/neocons-and-neoliberals-two-masks-one.html

Posted by A B on 12/22/2008 @ 06:42AM PT
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Michael is the Communications Director for the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School, and previously was Communications Director for Pax Christi USA, a progressive Catholic human rights organization.