by Staff, posted Wednesday, March 18, 2009 (15 years ago)
WASHINGTON (BP)--The Obama administration announced March 18 its support for a United Nations declaration urging the global decriminalization of homosexuality three months after the Bush administration refused to endorse it.
"We urge States to ensure that human rights violations based on sexual orientation or gender identity are investigated...."-- U.N. declaration
The news, reported by the Associated Press, marked a reversal in the United States' position on a non-binding measure considered by the U.N. General Assembly Dec. 18. At that time, 66 countries backed the barrier-breaking declaration, while more than 50 opposed it and the remainder of the 192 members abstained, according to The New York Times.
"The United States supports the U.N.'s statement on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity and is pleased to join the other 66 U.N. member states who have declared their support of the statement," State Department spokesman Robert Wood said, according to AP.
"The United States is an outspoken defender of human rights and critic of human rights abuses around the world," Wood said. "As such, we join with 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."
In December, officials of the Bush administration said it opposed the proclamation as too broad, charging it might be seen as an effort to abrogate states' rights on such issues as "same-sex marriage," according to The Times. The declaration says in part, "We urge States to ensure that human rights violations based on sexual orientation or gender identity are investigated and perpetrators held accountable and brought to justice." Read More