This just in from the Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Associated Press has learned that the Obama administration will sign a U.N. declaration calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality that President George W. Bush had refused to endorse.
U.S. officials said Tuesday they had notified the French sponsors of the declaration that the administration wants to be added as a supporter of the declaration. The Bush administration was criticized in December when it was the only Western government that refused to sign.
The officials said the administration had decided to sign the declaration to demonstrate that the United States supports human rights for all around the world.
The President is taking some bold steps in such a short time frame. We all need to have patience and let him work his jelly. Very, Very, Cool!
That’s great the US will sign this declaration and kudos to the current administration for stepping up to do it.
Now, the line about signing because they wanted “to demonstrate that the US supports human rights for all around the world” is, I’m sorry, bullshit. I think that most people nowadays can agree that the US really isn’t terribly concerned with human rights. If human rights of a given people improve because something the US has done, it’s more likely than not to be an inconsequential side effect of political maneuvering.
I’m sure a second grader could draw up a litany of accusations against the US on how we have carried out crimes against humanity. But sense this is all LGBT themed, throwing out the example of marriage segregation will do just fine.
The vast majority of LGBT people living in the US don’t even have marriage segregation as an option. We are plainly denied all the rights that are given to heterosexual couples. The current administration is comfortable signing a non-binding symbolic resolution which does absolutely nothing for Queer folk here in the US while at the same time maintaining marriage apartheid as something that we should strive towards. Well, I’m sorry but that ain’t gonna keep this Mary merry.
So, thanks Obama but you got another thing coming if you think tossing us a few crumbs is going to keep us happy and quiet.
I agree with Blake. While this is a small symbolic step in the right direction, Obama needs to make marriage legal for everyone in the US, across the board on a federal level. Stop this bulls**t of allowing each state to decide for themselves, because most of them will continue to do the wrong thing and descriminate against the LGBT community. Marriage and other equal rights issues must be addressed on the federal level and made so no state has the right to overturn or ignore any law regarding any of this. (and for the record, I am a straight person who believes in equal rights for everyone)
AMEN TAD!