commentary – A crucial UN vote on LGBT lives
On December 20, 2010 the United Nations General Assembly will vote on whether to include protection for LGBT people in a crucial resolution on extrajudicial executions and other unlawful killings. For the past 10 years, this resolution has urged countries to investigate promptly and thoroughly all killings, “including all killings committed for any discriminatory reason, including sexual orientation”. It is the only UN resolution to ever include an explicit reference to sexual orientation.
The resolution passed successfully for the past ten years. However in a UN committee last month, a number of Nation States proposed to remove the reference to sexual orientation. LGBT activists say this is so they can freely murder LGBT people without U.N. censure. Shockingly, this amendment passed. Seventy-nine States voted to remove the reference to sexual orientation, 70 supported its retention, and 43 States abstained or did not vote. This is a horrific defeat for basic human rights by the UN. This means that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and those perceived to be such, can be summarily murdered–because they are LGBT, or perceived as such. There is no redress, no human right to existence. For people of conscience, this vote for genocide cannot stand –we must act now, before it is too late.
Countries will have the opportunity to restore the reference to sexual orientation – and hopefully extend it to also include gender identity – when the resolution comes up before the UN General Assembly on Monday, December 20. That means that we LGBT activists have a few days in which to contact governments and send a clear message that mass killings of those who are LGBT are not acceptable – ever.
What you can do….
Please take action today to urge all governments to support language in the resolution calling on States to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons from unlawful killings.
Add your name to the petition:
http://www.iglhrc.org/cgi-bin/iowa/article/takeaction/globalactionalerts/1285.html
How do I do more? Can I contact these governments?
Yes; the most important contact for a country is the government’s Foreign Ministry, in their capital. For example, it is the Foreign Ministry in your own country which will ultimately instruct your government representatives how to vote.
Contact details for the Foreign Ministry of each country can be found at:http://www.ediplomat.com/dc/foreign_ministries.htm
What should I tell them?
A “Background Page” with the information about the resolution is here, which you can send in an email to each government:
http://www.iglhrc.org/cgi-bin/iowa/article/takeaction/globalactionalerts/1285.html
Feel free to tailor this information to the context of your country or region, while maintaining a constructive approach. It is a good idea to ask for a specific response to your request. If the government abstained on the inclusion of sexual orientation last time, encourage them to support the reference on Monday. If the government opposed the reference, encourage them to support the reference – or at least to abstain or refrain from voting against human rights. If the government supported the reference, encourage them to vote the same way on Monday and ask them to urge other countries to also vote in favor of inclusion.
A coalition of international NGOs is closely monitoring the initiative, and may be reached at: coordination@arc-international.net
PLEASE Act Now: Tell the Member States of the United Nations to condemn the extra judicial, summary, and arbitrary executions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Thank you for your work to oppose unlawful killings based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
commentary – A crucial UN vote on LGBT lives
On December 20, 2010 the United Nations General Assembly will vote on whether to include protection for LGBT people in a crucial resolution on extrajudicial executions and other unlawful killings. For the past 10 years, this resolution has urged countries to investigate promptly and thoroughly all killings, “including all killings committed for any discriminatory reason, including sexual orientation”. It is the only UN resolution to ever include an explicit reference to sexual orientation.
