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A
heated debate took place today at the 59th Session of
the United
Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, as member
nations of
the Commission considered an unprecedented proposal to
expand the UN's
definition of discrimination to include discrimination
based upon "sexual
orientation."
The
resolution, introduced by Brazil and co-sponsored by 19
other
nations, including most European nations and Canada, is
the first resolution
in UN history to link homosexuality with human rights
law.
One
advocacy group, the International Gay and Lesbian Human
Rights Commission,
describes the resolution as "a historic opportunity
to advance
LGBT [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender] issues in
international
human rights law."
The
Resolution "Calls upon all states to promote and
protect the human
rights of all persons regardless of their sexual orientation"
and for
the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights "to pay
due attention to the
phenomenon of violations of human rights on the grounds
of sexual orientation."
It also "Expresses deep concern at the occurrence
of violations
of human rights in the world against persons on the grounds
of
their sexual orientation."
In
an effort to defeat this measure, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan,
Egypt,
Libya and Malaysia have introduced amended resolutions
in which all
references to sexual orientation have been deleted. The
United States,
which is a member of the Commission, did not co-sponsor
the original
Brazilian resolution, nor did it introduce an amendment
of its own.
Pro-family
legal scholars are deeply concerned with the Brazilian
proposal. A. Scott Loveless, associate professor of law
at the World
Family Policy Center at Brigham Young University, believes
that "The
remedy proposed may have worse societal implications than
the alleged
disease, which is so-called homophobia. It is highly likely
that gay
rights advocates will use this resolution, if it passes,
to advance their
agenda to legalize gay marriage and to create hate crimes
legislation."
Loveless notes that "in their quest to legitimize
homosexuality,
many of these countries have actually limited some of
our most
fundamental freedoms, including freedom of speech. In
Canada and Great
Britain, people who have spoken out against homosexual
behavior have
been criminally prosecuted for speaking, not for actually
harming anyone."
Jane
Adolphe, assistant professor of law at Ave Maria Law School,
believes that the resolution may be used against the Catholic
Church.
According to Adolphe, "This initiative opens the
door for further
attacks on the Church. With respect to the Commission,
individuals
could presumably use this discrimination language to bring
complaints
against the Church with regard to hiring, employment,
even the
doctrines of the Church, itself."
An
official present at the meeting told the Friday Fax that
it was
"a difficult discussion, a heated discussion, because
of the quite delicate
subject matter, and the fact that this has never been
discussed before."
A vote on the resolution and its amendments will likely
occur tomorrow.
Copyright
- C-FAM (Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute).
Permission granted
for unlimited use. Credit required.
Catholic
Family & Human Rights Institute
866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 427
New York, New York 10017
Phone: (212) 754-5948 Fax: (212) 754-9291
E-mail: c-fam@c-fam.org
• Website: www.c-fam.org
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