Obama Administration To Present First United States Call For Gay Rights At United Nations

The Associated Press reports that the Obama administration will introduce its first statement calling for the United Nations' top human rights body to fight discrimination against gays and lesbians around the world, completing a United States reversal from years of ambiguity on the subject during the presidency of George W. Bush. The U.S. declaration will be made Tuesday at the Geneva-based Human Rights Council and has the support of more than 80 countries, and although not in the form of binding resolution, the American push for U.N. action has helped convert a small number of new countries to the cause. A resolution could be brought to a vote later this year. The issue of gay rights has polarized nations at the U.N. for years, and despite growing acceptance for homosexuality in Western nations and parts of Latin America, attorneys say there is still a gap in human rights treaties for the protection of gays against discrimination and mistreatment. In a statement, Suzanne Nossel, the deputy assistant secretary of state for international organizations, said "We are very concerned that individuals continue to be killed, arrested and harassed around the world because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This statement sends a strong message from across the globe that such abuses should not be tolerated."The U.S. document calls for nations to end any criminal punishments against lesbians, gays and bisexuals, and asks the global body to review how governments treat them in the U.N.'s human rights assessments. It acknowledges that "these are sensitive issues for many," but insists that people must be freed from discrimination because of their sexual orientation. Nossel said the U.S. was proud to be taking a leading role in promoting the idea that gay rights are human rights, a marked difference in foreign policy since President Barack Obama took office. Under the Bush administration, the United States did not support a French resolution at the U.N. General Assembly in 2008 that addressed similar concerns, joining Russia, China, the Vatican and Islamic states in opposition, at the time explained its position at the time in technical terms, saying it was fearful of language that would infringe on the right of American states to legislate matters such as gay marriage. In December, even the Obama administration held back from voting for a U.N. resolution condemning killings of vulnerable people around the world after specifically proposing an amendment to protect people based on their sexual orientation. At issue was a separate, arcane legal dispute over international human rights law. U.N. General Assembly and Human Rights Council resolutions aren't legally binding; they reflect only the view of the majority of the world's nations. However, gay rights advocates say it is important to gather support for statements, resolutions, and other documents such as the one that will be presented Tuesday by the United States, even when their legal effect is null, since gay rights are still being argued in many parts of Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere, therefore creating an ever larger coalition of countries can help create a legal norm such as those that exist for the protection of women, religious minorities, children and other vulnerable or marginalized groups. Among those countries supporting the United States’ statement Tuesday are Thailand, Rwanda, El Salvador, Honduras and the Dominican Republic.