Today, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted an LGBT rights resolution on a vote of 25–14, with seven abstentions.
The resolution calls for a report from the U.N. high commissioner for human rights on combatting human rights violations on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. It is one of the few times a U.N. body has adopted a resolution affirming LGBT rights are human rights.
U.S. National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice issued the following statement on the resolution, “The United States applauds today’s adoption by the UN Human Rights Council of a resolution in support of the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons. The second such resolution to be passed by the UN Human Rights Council, today’s resolution reiterates that LGBT persons are entitled to the human rights and fundamental freedoms that are the birthright of all humankind, expresses grave concern regarding acts of violence and discrimination against LGBT persons, and requests the preparation of an important new report on preventing such abuses. We thank sponsors Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Uruguay for their leadership, and commend the Council for taking another historic step to reinforce the unassailable principle that LGBT rights are human rights.”
According to a report on Buzzfeed, the proposal’s opponents — led by Egypt and other members of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation — fought determinedly to defeat the proposal, which they framed as a form of cultural imperialism and an attack on Islam.
“We feel there is an attempt to impose uniculturality” that “runs counter to religious and cultural practices of some countries,” said Saudi Arabia’s representative during debate. The language “In my opinion, this [resolution] is a human rights violation.”
Pakistan’s representative was more explicit: “The wider connotation of the words ‘sexual orientation’ can be destructive and inimical to our Muslim [faith] … and to our youth as a whole,” he said.
