WASHINGTON – The Obama administration will endorse a U.N. declaration calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality that then-President George W. Bush had refused to sign, The Associated Press has learned.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090318/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_gay_rights

I know alot of people may not like this but it's a good thing.

I apologize for the link but I do not know how to provide a clickable link to the page.

Well it's about damn time. It's a ridiculous debate anyways. I'm embarrassed that the country has been talking about it for so long. Maybe we'll finally be making some headway though.

I agree but I also noticed that religion is still trying to avoid it lol

The vatican and the organization of islamis conferences opposed it.

This isn't about gay marriage unless I missed something?

It appears to be only about decriminalizing homosexuality, doesn't mean the world is going to get on board and start respecting peole that are gay.

Wake me up when the world has signed on, this is insignificant considering how much more has to change. I won't get my hopes up that our world will ever NOT need someone to criminalize in some way.

''Some Islamic countries said at the time that protecting sexual orientation could lead to "the social normalization and possibly the legalization of deplorable acts" such as pedophilia and incest. The declaration was also opposed by the Vatican.''

Isn't this the very same mentality of the christian church:

Decriminalization of homosexuality will lead to the legalization of pedophilian and incest.. That ignorance has worked for thousands of years why not a few more.. ugh

Foliel, click quote under this post and you will notice how I made your link clickable and know how to do it next time, it's easy.

oo thanks boo.

It's not about gay marriage but it is about helping the world to decriminalize homosexuality since alot of countries still have laws making homosexuality illegal. I am happy to see that they are making an effort :)

The Obama administration will endorse a U.N. declaration calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality that then-President George W. Bush had refused to sign, The Associated Press has learned.

U.S. officials said Tuesday they had notified the declaration's French sponsors that the administration wants to be added as a supporter. The Bush administration was criticized in December when it was the only western government that refused to sign on.

The move was made after an interagency review of the Bush administration's position on the nonbinding document, which was signed by all 27 European Union members as well as Japan, Australia, Mexico and three dozen other countries, the officials said.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because Congress was still being notified of the decision. They said the administration had decided to sign the declaration to demonstrate that the United States supports human rights for all.

"The United States is an outspoken defender of human rights and critic of human rights abuses around the world," said one official.

"As such, we join with the other supporters of this statement and we will continue to remind countries of the importance of respecting the human rights of all people in all appropriate international fora," the official said.

The official added that the United States was concerned about "violence and human rights abuses against gay, lesbian, transsexual and bisexual individuals" and was also "troubled by the criminalization of sexual orientation in many countries."

"In the words of the United States Supreme Court, the right to be free from criminalization on the basis of sexual orientation 'has been accepted as an integral part of human freedom'," the official said.

Gay rights and other groups had criticized the Bush administration when it refused to sign the declaration when it was presented at the United Nations on Dec. 19. U.S. officials said then that the U.S. opposed discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation but that parts of the declaration raised legal questions that needed further review.

According to negotiators, the Bush team had concerns that those parts could commit the federal government on matters that fall under state jurisdiction. In some states, landlords and private employers are allowed to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation; on the federal level, gays are not allowed to serve openly in the military.

It was not immediately clear on Tuesday how the Obama administration had come to a different conclusion.

When it was voted on in December, 66 of the U.N.'s 192 member countries signed the declaration — which backers called a historic step to push the General Assembly to deal more forthrightly with anti-gay discrimination.

But 70 U.N. members outlaw homosexuality — and in several, homosexual acts can be punished by execution. More than 50 nations, including members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, opposed the declaration.

Some Islamic countries said at the time that protecting sexual orientation could lead to "the social normalization and possibly the legalization of deplorable acts" such as pedophilia and incest. The declaration was also opposed by the Vatican.

(What a crock that is" It isn't the gay population that does these things as a general rule.


It is about time America wakes up.
Kat

I second that statement.

I never realized that you could be arrested in the US, for being gay.

I must have missed something else too, where did you see that Invictus? Or did you mean something else by that?

Oh and to show how lame I am I didn't realize so many countries had laws like that. I thought the world was more civilized than it actually is. I need to get out more..

YAY!!! Way over due!!!

I see now, that it is a non binding resolution, condemning the criminalization of homosexuals. Its another symbolic jesture coming from the inept United Nations. Does it really change anything? The countries that jail homosexuals today will do the same tomorrow.

Ill be impressed when the sanctions start.

I see it as a start, if countries start deqaling with it, maybe we'll see some actual progress.

I am assuming that non binding means no one has to take it seriously right? If my assumption is right, it's not different than any other token given at other times to gays. Let's pretend we care, that way they will shut up and we can go about our business.

I absolutely think our world is not evolved enough to accept gays, and besides there is too much of a vested interest in the church to keep it the way it is.

To be very honest I do not see Obama as all enlightened on the matter, the influence on him is on the church side not ours.

You are right Boo. It means nothing.

Now what kind of attitude is that? Does it mean a whole lot of change is coming immediately? Probably not. Is it a step in the right direction? Hell yes. It's atleast an improvement from our last president who publicly denounced any sort of alternative lifestyle. If all you do is ***** when someone tries to make a nice gesture, then how to you expect anything to change? You seem very ungrateful.

First of all, I am heterosexual. Secondly, you obviously haven't read my earlier posts. Signing a non binding resolution means nothing, because the resolution does nothing.

You can sign all the non binding resolutions you want, but don't go making plans to travel to Iran or Saudi Arabia wearing a "gay pride" tshirt unless you want to end up on one of those youtube videos.

That's the way I see it too, Aria, and I am gay, and have been around for almost 60 years now. Like I said wake me up when something real happens. For young folks that might seem like a step in the right direction but if the step means nothing then hey....what can one say.

It's a step for the younger generation that has more time than I do to see it actually happen, not just suggestions no one has to follow.

remember Apartheid?

the first step in abolishing it was the public conciousness of it

and eventually the whole world was condemning Apartheid

this is one of those small steps

oob/esor/xniw