UN Resolution on Queer Rights as Human Rights

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Wednesday February 11, 2004 14:20

by Paul McAndrew

ardhanishvara at hotmail dot com

In March 2004, 53 nations will sit at the United Nations in Geneva to
discuss, argue, vote and then publicly declare if they believe sexual
orientation and gender identity are human rights or not.

In other words, they will say whether being Lesbian, Gay, Transgender or
Bisexual (or heterosexual for that matter) is a basic right of human beings.
What can you do about it?

Please sign!
http://www.brazilianresolution.com

ILGA (International Lesbian & Gay Association---http://www.ilga.org) has set up a
web petition: http://www.brazilianresolution.com/ .
Please go to this website, sign the petition, leave your email address if
you wish to receive more information, and pass this information on to
everyone you know who would sign it.

ILGA will present the petition to the press and the United Nations. FYI,
the U.S. delegate to the the U.N. Human Rights Commission voted against this
when it was first introduced last year. Our signatures on this petition
will help send a clear message to the UN.

At the last session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR), Brazil proposed a resolution on "human rights and sexual orientation" (E/CN.4/2003/L.92) which claims that sexual diversity is an integral part of Universal Human Rights as reflected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

As a result, 53 nations will sit in Geneva in March to discuss, argue, vote and then publicly declare if they believe sexual orientation is a human right or not.

If the resolution is approved, it will probably not cause direct changes in many countries but it will send a clear signal to the global community that they are NOT right when they discriminate against people on the grounds of their sexual orientation.

The whole thing may seem not to have anything to do with ordinary people but we at ILGA believe there is much each of us can do to have our voice heard next March in Geneva.

The resolution will be voted on by the 53 countries with voting rights but non-voting countries can participate in the debate. It is our common responsibility to get each governement to address the issue and make a public statement on sexual orientation and human rights.

http://www.brazilianresolution.com