UN Human Rights Council Passes LGBT Resolution

The good TBLG rights news just keeps on coming internationally

The United Nations Human Rights Council after an hour of debate, has passed by a 25-14 margin with seven abstentions an LGBT human rights resolution that condemns discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation

The resolution was proposed a month ago by Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay.   There were seven amendments proposed by nations opposed to the LGBT resolution designed to strip mentioning gender identity and sexual orientation that were soundly defeated.

The nations voting for passage of the resolution were Argentina, Austria, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Montenegro, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, South Africa, Macedonia, the U.K., the United States, Venezuela and Vietnam.

The nations opposed were Algeria, Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Indonesia, Kenya, Kuwait, Maldives, Morocco, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The nations abstaining were Burkina Faso, China, Congo, India, Kazakhstan, Namibia and Sierra Leone.

The passage of the amendment was applauded by the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC).

"The Human Rights Council has taken a fundamental step forward by reaffirming one of the United Nations’ key principles — that everyone is equal in dignity and rights.” said Jessica Stern, the executive director of IGLHRC. “This resolution puts the UN on a trajectory to address the discrimination and violence LGBT persons suffer daily across the world.”

"The council is confirming that LGBT people have universal human rights,” Stern said. “We know, of course, that the struggle is long, and that we will need the Council to focus on the violations we suffer for many years to come. But for now, we celebrate that the majority of States stood with us to declare, unequivocally, that human rights are for everyone, everywhere.”

Trans and LGB rights issues are international human rights issues, and this vote by the UN Human Rights Council is more evidence this is not only a statement of fact, but our opponents are on the wrong side of human rights history once again.

- See more at: http://www.sdgln.com/news/2014/09/26/breaking-un-human-rights-council-votes-support-lgbt-rights#sthash.M2wVjq9n.dp

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