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Finally, Some Good News!

Posted by John on March 18th, 2009 at 1:53 pm · 7 Comments

Today, the Obama Administration signed onto the UN call for the decriminalization of homosexuality. In 77 countries, it is a crime to be attracted to members of the same sex, and in seven, merely being gay is punishable by death.

This UN declaration has nothing to do with visiting rights or adoption or insurance for partners or marriage or sex: we’re talking about the criminalization of a fundamental desire. The U.S. under a conservative Evangelical Christian last year and many Islamic states and the Vatican still refuse to sign something that asserts that gays have the basic right to life. Someone want to make the case, in this context, that conservative religion is a force for progress?

Finally, I have to say that I am impressed with the Secretary of State’s strong advocacy:

Human rights is and always will be one of the pillars of our foreign policy. In particular, persecution and discrimination against gays and lesbians is something we take very seriously.

Well spoken, Madame Clinton. This is why I voted for your boss.

Tags: Christianity · Church and State · Gay Rights and Queer Issues · Islam · Religion

7 responses so far ↓

  • 1 xJane // Mar 18, 2009 at 1:57 pm

    right on!

    persecution and discrimination against gays and lesbians is something we take very seriously

    Hopefully, this will extend to laws passed in this country—that although we allow homosexuals to live (aren’t we progressive), this is insufficient to prove that we do not “persecute […or] discriminate”. I’m looking at you Supreme Court of California!

  • 2 John // Mar 18, 2009 at 2:05 pm

    This is a litmus test for just how much most conservative religions dehumanize gays, and how deep their homophobia runs. Like the LDS and Catholic and many Evangelical churches in California, they may present a front of being, say, supportive of gay rights to visitation or adoption, but it’s all a front.

    Incidentally, this is also a case for feminism. Even if someone argues that men and women are equal in the US, no one can argue that women are not an oppressed minority from a global perspective.

  • 3 adamf // Mar 18, 2009 at 2:58 pm

    That is great news, but a little sad that things like this take so long.

  • 4 Craig // Mar 18, 2009 at 4:12 pm

    As happy as I am that Obama has signed this, it makes me very sad and very angry that the US under any president or political party thought affirming a person’s right to life wasn’t a good idea.

  • 5 Ebonmuse // Mar 18, 2009 at 6:18 pm

    Good news indeed. Now, if only our actions at home lived up to our words abroad.

  • 6 Mark // Mar 19, 2009 at 9:31 am

    This is truly a wonderful step in the right direction. This also shows how slowly we as a human race evolve. One would think that in today’s world this would only be an issue found in history books. Thanks for bringing awareness to this fundamental issue.

  • 7 Sean // Mar 19, 2009 at 9:58 am

    It’s sad that the Bush administration got away with this kind of thing… and unfortunately, I think the Obama administration will only be able to get away with so much in the opposite direction for the next little while. It’ll take time to change the tenor of the national discourse on homosexual rights.

    Still, there’s no denying that this is a step in the right direction. Yay!

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