18 December 2008
Sixty-six countries signed a joint statement in support of LGBT human
rights, which was tabled at the United Nations General Assembly today
(18 December 2008).
The statement, which includes a call for the decriminalisation of
homosexuality worldwide. was read by Argentina.
"This was history in the making. Totally ground-breaking. It is the
first time that the UN General Assembly has been presented with a
statement in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)
human rights. Securing this statement at the UN is the result of an
inspiring collective global effort by many LGBT and human rights
organisations. Our collaboration, unity and solidarity have won us
this success," said Peter Tatchell of the British LGBT human rights
movement, OutRage!, which lobbied for countries to support the
statement.
"To decriminalise homosexuality worldwide is a battle for human
rights," added Louis-Georges Tin, the President and founder of the
International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO), which in 2006 initiated
the global campaign to end the criminalisation of same-sex
relationships and secured the support of dozens of international
public figures, ranging from Nobel Prize winners to writers, clergy,
actors, musicans and academics.
"IDAHO has worked hard for two years to promote this issue. For us,
this is a great achievement. I want to thank the many other people and
organisations who have worked with us since the beginning, and more
recently. I also want to remind everyone that ending the
criminalisation of same-sex love will be a long, hard battle. To love
is not a crime".
"IDAHO expresses its particular appreciation to the French Secretary
of State for human rights, Ms Rama Yade, for her role in organising
this statement and bringing it to the UN," said Mr Tin.
Mr Tatchell added:
"The original initiative for the universal decriminalisation of
homosexuality campaign came from the inspiring French black activist
and gay rights campaigner, Louis-Georges Tin, coordinator of the
International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO). He lobbied the French
government, which agreed to take the lead in organising the
presentation of the statement at the UN.
"As well as IDAHO, I pay tribute to the contribution and lobbying of
Amnesty International; ARC International; Center for Women's Global
Leadership; COC Netherlands; Global Rights; Human Rights Watch;
International Committee for IDAHO (the International Day Against
Homophobia); International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
(IGLHRC); International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and
Intersex Association (ILGA); International Service for Human Rights;
Pan Africa ILGA; and Public Services International.
"The UN statement goes much further than seeking the decriminalisation
of same-sex acts. It condemns all human rights violations based on
sexual orientation and gender identity, urges countries to protect the
human rights of LGBT people and to bring to justice those who violate
these rights, and calls for human rights defenders who oppose
homophobic and transphobic victimisation to be allowed to carry out
their advocacy and humanitarian work unimpeded.
"Although not binding on the member states, this UN statement of
principle has immense symbolic value, given the six decades in which
homophobic and transphobic persecution has been ignored by the UN
General Assembly.
"LGBT human rights have, however, been previously raised in other UN
forums and commissions. In the 1994 decision Toonen v Australia, the
UN Human Rights Committee ruled that sexual orientation is a status
protected against discrimination by the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights.
"Even today, not a single international human rights convention
explicitly acknowledges the human rights of LGBT people. The right to
physically love the person of one's choice is nowhere directly
enshrined in any global humanitarian law. No convention specifically
recognises sexual rights as human rights. None offer explicit
protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation or
gender identity.
"Some international human rights instruments have, of course, been
interpreted to include sexual orientation, but this is not the same as
the explicit prohibitions that exist concerning discrimination based
on race, nationality, gender and so on.
"Currently, 86 countries (nearly half the nations on Earth) still have
a total ban on male homosexuality and a smaller number also ban sex
between women. The penalties in these countries range from a few years
jail to life imprisonment. In at least seven countries or regions of
countries (all under Islamist jurisdiction), the sentence is death,
including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Mauritania and parts of
Nigeria and Pakistan," said Mr Tatchell.
Sixty-six countries signed a joint statement in support of LGBT human
rights, which was tabled at the United Nations General Assembly today
(18 December 2008).
The statement, which includes a call for the decriminalisation of
homosexuality worldwide. was read by Argentina.
"This was history in the making. Totally ground-breaking. It is the
first time that the UN General Assembly has been presented with a
statement in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)
human rights. Securing this statement at the UN is the result of an
inspiring collective global effort by many LGBT and human rights
organisations. Our collaboration, unity and solidarity have won us
this success," said Peter Tatchell of the British LGBT human rights
movement, OutRage!, which lobbied for countries to support the
statement.
"To decriminalise homosexuality worldwide is a battle for human
rights," added Louis-Georges Tin, the President and founder of the
International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO), which in 2006 initiated
the global campaign to end the criminalisation of same-sex
relationships and secured the support of dozens of international
public figures, ranging from Nobel Prize winners to writers, clergy,
actors, musicans and academics.
"IDAHO has worked hard for two years to promote this issue. For us,
this is a great achievement. I want to thank the many other people and
organisations who have worked with us since the beginning, and more
recently. I also want to remind everyone that ending the
criminalisation of same-sex love will be a long, hard battle. To love
is not a crime".
"IDAHO expresses its particular appreciation to the French Secretary
of State for human rights, Ms Rama Yade, for her role in organising
this statement and bringing it to the UN," said Mr Tin.
Mr Tatchell added:
"The original initiative for the universal decriminalisation of
homosexuality campaign came from the inspiring French black activist
and gay rights campaigner, Louis-Georges Tin, coordinator of the
International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO). He lobbied the French
government, which agreed to take the lead in organising the
presentation of the statement at the UN.
"As well as IDAHO, I pay tribute to the contribution and lobbying of
Amnesty International; ARC International; Center for Women's Global
Leadership; COC Netherlands; Global Rights; Human Rights Watch;
International Committee for IDAHO (the International Day Against
Homophobia); International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
(IGLHRC); International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and
Intersex Association (ILGA); International Service for Human Rights;
Pan Africa ILGA; and Public Services International.
"The UN statement goes much further than seeking the decriminalisation
of same-sex acts. It condemns all human rights violations based on
sexual orientation and gender identity, urges countries to protect the
human rights of LGBT people and to bring to justice those who violate
these rights, and calls for human rights defenders who oppose
homophobic and transphobic victimisation to be allowed to carry out
their advocacy and humanitarian work unimpeded.
"Although not binding on the member states, this UN statement of
principle has immense symbolic value, given the six decades in which
homophobic and transphobic persecution has been ignored by the UN
General Assembly.
"LGBT human rights have, however, been previously raised in other UN
forums and commissions. In the 1994 decision Toonen v Australia, the
UN Human Rights Committee ruled that sexual orientation is a status
protected against discrimination by the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights.
"Even today, not a single international human rights convention
explicitly acknowledges the human rights of LGBT people. The right to
physically love the person of one's choice is nowhere directly
enshrined in any global humanitarian law. No convention specifically
recognises sexual rights as human rights. None offer explicit
protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation or
gender identity.
"Some international human rights instruments have, of course, been
interpreted to include sexual orientation, but this is not the same as
the explicit prohibitions that exist concerning discrimination based
on race, nationality, gender and so on.
"Currently, 86 countries (nearly half the nations on Earth) still have
a total ban on male homosexuality and a smaller number also ban sex
between women. The penalties in these countries range from a few years
jail to life imprisonment. In at least seven countries or regions of
countries (all under Islamist jurisdiction), the sentence is death,
including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Mauritania and parts of
Nigeria and Pakistan," said Mr Tatchell.
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