U.N. COMMITTEE MEMBERS FIND USE OF CONVERSION THERAPY 'TROUBLING'

The United Nations Committee Against Torture (CAT) finds the discredited practice of conversion therapy used on LGBT youth in the U.S. cause for concern as reported in a press release today from the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Leaders from the NCLR testified before the committee and the U.S. State Department asking the U.S. government to address the use of the archaic practice.

Notable CAT members Sabtyabhoosun Gupt Domah of Mauritius, Jens Modvig of Denmark and Sapana Pradhan Malla of Nepal repeatedly questioned U.S. Department of State representatives why conversion therapy is still considered a viable treatment for LGBT youth despite receiving condemnation from every major, reputable medical organization and is a treatment that is clearly known to lead to depression and suicide in its "patients." NCLR's Samantha Ames, a campaign coordinator behind NCLR's #BornPerfect campaign who testified before the U.N. Committee yesterday on the issue, praised the committee for addressing the issue.

Said Ames:

"Today, for the first time, a United Nations committee recognized that conversion therapy is an issue of international human rights. We are incredibly grateful to the Committee Against Torture for raising up the voices of conversion therapy survivors, and ensuring their suffering is finally being vindicated. Today was a historic day for LGBT people in the United States and around the world. There is no going back."

NCLR’s #BornPerfect campaign is a national effort aimed at ending conversion therapy within the next five years by introducing and passing laws across the country to protect LGBT youth, fighting in courtrooms to ensure their safety and raising awareness about the serious harms caused by these unsanctioned and dangerous practices. California introduced a bill banning conversion therapy in 2012 that was later challenged this year by therapy practitioners. However, the U.S. Supreme Court later upheld California's bill banning the controversial therapy.

United Nations Human Rights Council Approves LGBT Rights Resolution

Earlier today the United Nations Human Rights Commission approved 25-14 a resolution opposing anti-LGBT violence and discrimination, The Washington Blade reports:

The U.S., along with Argentina, Austria, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Montenegro, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, South Africa, Macedonia, the U.K., Venezuela and Vietnam voted for the proposal. Algeria, Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Indonesia, Kenya, Kuwait, Maldives, Morocco, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates opposed it. 

Burkina Faso, China, Congo, India, Kazakhstan, Namibia and Sierra Leone abstained. 

The U.N. Human Rights Council before the final vote rejected seven proposed amendments put forth by Egypt, Uganda, Pakistan, South Sudan and other countries that sought to strip LGBT-specific language from the proposal

Said U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power:

I am very pleased that the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution today to combat discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons. This is only the second time in its history the Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution on LGBT rights, and the first time it has done so with a majority of its members. This resolution mandates a much-needed UN report that will investigate and bring to the world’s attention the violence and discrimination faced by individuals around the world simply because of their sexual orientation and gender identity.

Buzzfeed adds that much attention was paid to South Africa's vote - due to recent concerns that the country might slowly be turning away from its pro-LGBT status in the region. The country ultimately voted for the resolution, but LGBT activists close to the negotiations said it worked to water down the resolution before the vote.

In remarks delivered following the vote, South African Ambassador Abdul Samad Minty [pictured] made clear he felt squeezed by its historic commitment to LGBT rights — it was the first country in the world to protect LGBT rights in its constitution — and a desire to preserve relationships with other African countries that have recently enacted severe anti-LGBT laws like Uganda and Nigeria. 

“South Africa believes that no person should fear for their safety or be deprived of their dignity because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” Minty said, but blasted “divisive” steps taken by some donor nations to “use development aid to shift policies and laws in some countries,” an apparent reference to adjustments made by the United States and some European countries in contributions to Uganda following enactment of its Anti-Homosexuality Act earlier this year.

United Nations To Recognize Staff Members' Same-Sex Unions

This week, the United Nations announced that it is changing its policy on staff members same-sex unions — it will broaden its terms for which unions it recognizes. Until now, a UN staff member’s relationship recognition was viewed by the organization as dependent on the laws of their home country. Now, even if a member obtained their relationship status abroad, the U.N. will recognize the union. Check out specifics here, including the official phrasing, that status is determined by the “law of the competent authority under which the personal status was established”.

According to Hyung Hak Nam, President of United Nations staff group UN-GLOBE: 

What this means is simple: if you are in a legal union, the UN will recognize it. If you were thinking of entering into one, you can now do so with the full knowledge that the UN will recognize it.

With clashing global attitudes toward LGBT people, this announcement is the latest in the U.N.'s unpredictable maneuvers on LGBT issues.

National Security Advisor Susan Rice Urged Ugandan President Not to Sign Anti-Gay Law

National Security Advisor and and former UN Ambassador Susan Rice tweeted on Sunday evening that she had communicated with Ugandan President Museveni and urged him against signing the anti-gay bill.

Said Rice via Twitter:

"Spoke at length with President Museveni last night to urge him not to sign anti-LGBT bill. #Uganda...Told him it will be huge step backward for Uganda and the world...People everywhere deserve freedom, justice, and equality. No one should be discriminated against for who they are or whom they love....Deeply saddened this decision will put many at risk and stain Uganda's reputation."

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon Denounces Attacks on LGBTI People in Sochi Remarks

UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon gave a speech ahead of the Olympic games in Sochi condemned attacks on LGBTI people worldwide without specifically mentioning Russia's anti-gay law, the Guardian reports:

Ban Ki-moon, addressing the IOC before Friday's opening ceremony, highlighted the fact that the theme of the UN's human rights day last December was "sport comes out against homophobia".

"Many professional athletes, gay and straight, are speaking out against prejudice. We must all raise our voices against attacks on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex people," he said. "We must oppose the arrests, imprisonments and discriminatory restrictions they face."

"The United Nations stands strongly behind our own 'free and equal' campaign, and I look forward to working with the IOC, governments and other partners around the world to build societies of equality and tolerance. Hatred of any kind must have no place in the 21st century."

He offered further remarks at a separate press conference with IOC president Thomas Bach.

Russian deputy prime minister Dmitry Kozak was later asked for his reaction to the UN secretary general's remarks, USA Today reports:

Kozak was also asked for his reaction to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who blasted any "arrests, imprisonments and discriminatory restrictions" carried out against homosexuals during a speech to the IOC on Thursday morning. The comments were pointed toward Russia's so-called "gay propaganda" law, which has inspired various forms of protest and political blowback leading up to the Games.

Kozak essentially repeated Russian president Vladimir Putin, who said the law only bans propaganda aimed at minors and that gay athletes and visitors won't be arrested in Sochi.

"We don't differentiate between people depending on nationality, religion or sexual relations," Kozak said. "We are all grown-ups and any adult has the right to understand their sexual acts. Please don't touch the kids, that's the only thing."

Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Urges Uganda’s President to Refrain from Signing Anti-Gay Bill

Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, based in Geneva, issued the following statement during a daily press conference:

We are deeply concerned by the Anti-Homosexuality Bill passed by the Ugandan Parliament on Friday, 20 December. If the bill becomes law, it would impose sentences of life imprisonment for consensual, same-sex relationships as well as prison sentences on those who “promote” homosexuality.

This law would have a detrimental effect not only on the fundamental rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) members of Ugandan society but also on the work of human rights defenders and efforts to address HIV/AIDS in the country. LGBT individuals in Uganda are a vulnerable and marginalized minority, already facing violence and discrimination. If signed by the President, this new law would reinforce stigma and prejudice, and institutionalise discrimination.

The provisions of this bill stand in clear violation of the rights to liberty, privacy, non-discrimination and freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association protected by the Constitution of Uganda, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that Uganda has ratified, and by the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

The Government has a legal obligation to prevent discrimination and cannot withhold basic rights from certain individuals because the majority disapproves of them. All people, including LGBT individuals, have the same human rights and are entitled to full protection by the State.

We call on the President of Uganda to protect human rights and to refrain from signing this bill into law. Uganda should also repeal colonial-era anachronistic provisions of the Penal Code that criminalise consensual same-sex relationships. Urgent steps must be taken to ensure effective protection of LGBT individuals from violence and discrimination.

According to recent media reports, Museveni has indicated he will not sign the bill, that allows for life imprisonment for persons who have been discovered to be gay, without “carefully checking out the bill”. 

Bangladesh Refuses to Decriminalize Homosexuality

Bangladesh has rejected a UN recommendation to decriminalize homosexuality, angering gay rights activists in the country, The Independent reports: 

The reaction followed a session of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva on Friday, where Bangladesh accepted 164 of a total 196 recommendations made by the body.

Among the measures rejected was a recommendation to abolish Section 377 of the national penal code which criminalizes consensual same-sex relationships.

According to a UN summary of the UPR meeting, Abdul Hannan, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN Office at Geneva, told the council that his country could not accept recommendations that conflicted with “constitutional and legal provisions” or “socio-cultural values of the country”.

India and Nepal, whose laws criminalizing sodomy were also a relic of British colonialism, have both repealed their laws.

Russia Reluctantly Rewords Olympic Truce to Appease UN on Gays

The NYT reports on wrangling over verbiage in a resolution called the Olympic Truce, adopted every two years. The Russians, of course, made no mention of sexual orientation in a submitted draft which promised to include “people of different age, sex, physical capacity, religion, race and social status." 

The NYT reports:

United Nations representatives from around the world spent weeks pushing Russia to amend the language to include gay people, according to interviews with representatives from eight countries. This week, after extensive negotiations behind the scenes, Russia altered the truce’s language to say that it would “promote social inclusion without discrimination of any kind.”

That was enough for all sides to agree that the Olympic Truce was back on track.

Language specifically including sexual orientation or gender identity has never been included, the Times adds:

But this year, with global attention focused on the matter, countries are aiming to set a precedent of inclusion.

“Along with like-minded partners, the United Kingdom is keen to see principles of nondiscrimination included in the Olympic Truce resolution,” said Iona Thomas, a spokeswoman for the United Kingdom Mission to the United Nations.