The Associated Press reports today that the United Nation’s main forum on human rights has voted in favor of creating a panel to review anti-LGBT discrimination worldwide.
The forum voted late yesterday on a groundbreaking resolution presented by South Africa to establish the LGBT anti-discrimination panel. Among the 47 Human Rights Council members, 23 voted in favor of the measure while 19 voted against and 3 refrained from casting votes.
Notable backers of the new resolution included the European Union, the United States, Brazil and other Latin American countries.
Pakistan and Nigeria, however, led other African and Islamic countries in violently opposing the measure. Spokesmen for these countries claimed that the resolution to review and protect gay rights has not connection whatsoever to the protection of fundamental human rights.
It is not so much a red banner day as a rainbow flag moment. Gays the world over should not be discriminated against, so says the United Nations in an historic moment, adopting a resolution supporting equal rights for gays. Did you hear that “Faggot” slurring sports stars and, yes, I am talking to you Tracey Morgan for whom this must be a bit of a ‘stab in the heart’. But it is not just the law of the land, it is the understanding of the world. So if the United Nations can understand and facilitate such understanding…what is still wrong with this united nation known as the United States. Just how can we stand by the UN resolution without fully understanding the hypocrisy that still permeates this United…or not so united…States. We still have discrimination in the armed forces. (Sure, sure, committee after committee has to still weigh in on the ridding of DADT. Until then where are we?) Gay Weddings? Good for some in some states…intolerable to others in most states. This is simple discrimination. Let us learn from the resolution and have some truth in advertising for once. If we want to call ourselves the United States…can’t we just be United? Really!?!