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Buoyed
by growing political acceptance of homosexuals worldwide,
a United Nations group promoting "gay" and lesbian
rights met in New York to sharpen a multi-pronged strategy
that includes a "showdown with religion."
The
meeting was sponsored by the U.N. Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual
Employees, known as UNGLOBE, a group officially recognized
by the worldwide body in 1996.
At
a forum Monday, attended briefly by U.N. Secretary General
Kofi Annan, panel members singled out Roman Catholics
and evangelical Protestants as opponents, according to
the New York-based Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute.
Speakers
included U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., who urged Congress
to withhold support for a free trade agreement with Muslim-majority
Egypt because of its treatment of homosexuals.
Paula
Ettelbrick, executive director of the San Francisco-based
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission,
or IGLHRC, announced a coming "showdown with religion"
and vowed Pope John Paul II's "call to arms"
against homosexual marriage would be successfully combated.
Another
panel member, Princeton University professor Anthony Appiah,
wondered whether or not religion should be limited, as
it poses a "challenge" to the homosexual agenda.
To
thunderous applause, Svend Robinson, a member of the Canadian
parliament, told the Catholic Church to "clean up
your own house" before criticizing the morality of
homosexuals.
Robinson
criticized Roman Catholic Bishop Frederick Henry of Calgary,
calling his actions in defense of traditional marriage
"unbelievable."
The
deputy mocked "born again" Christians, asking,
"Did they have to come back again as themselves?"
As
WorldNetDaily reported, Robinson is the sponsor of a bill
that would add sexual orientation as a protected category
in Canada's genocide and hate crimes legislation. Opponents
believe it would criminalize public expression against
homosexual behavior, including making quotations from
the Bible.
The
U.N. group that hosted the event is pressing the United
Nations to recognize same-sex couples and treat their
partnerships as equal to traditional marriages.
Carol
Bellamy, executive director of the U.N. Children's Fund,
or UNICEF, sent a message of support to the conference.
Annan
told panel members the world should become "much
more tolerant and compassionate."
"I
think what is important is that we should stress those
positive aspects in our society, the things that bring
us together, and move away from discrimination and persecution,"
the secretary general said.
At
a news conference last week, the Atlantic Monthly reported,
Annan was asked to comment on the debate over what constitutes
a family.
"I
believe that individuals should be allowed to make their
own choices and that we should be careful not to draw
conclusions or adopt prejudicial attitudes towards people
for their choices and preferences," he said. "That's
not something I think this organization should get involved
in."
Mark
Malloch Brown, administrator of the U.N. Development Program,
sent a statement to the organizers, stating, "Discrimination
based on sexual orientation not only violates basic human
rights but also hinders development by immobilizing human
capital, stifling expression and limiting freedom of choice."
U.N. Human Rights Commission
Meeting
The
panel discussed ways to ensure the success of a resolution
introduced at this year's U.N. Human Rights Commission
to expand the world body's definition of discrimination
to include "sexual orientation."
Robinson
blamed the Vatican for the resolution's failure and promised
a global lobby effort to ensure victory next year.
This
year's resolution was sponsored by Brazil, but Robinson
said a "different champion" will promote it
next time.
Gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgender lawmakers from around
the world will meet in San Diego this fall to coordinate
their efforts, he noted.
IGLHRC,
the international group, distributed fliers at the meeting
that listed laws it wants changed, including "sodomy,
age of consent and other 'sex-act' laws, laws on prostitution,
laws penalizing those wearing clothing of the opposite
sex and laws on obscenity and pornography."
The
group also is lobbying against "denial of marriage
to same sex partners, denial of marriage to transgendered
people and laws on parenting and adoption."
Related
story: Global
'gay' rights measure before U.N.
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