In June, the United Nations adopted a resolution affirming the human rights of all LGBT people, worldwide - a welcome, but largely symbolic gesture. UN resolutions frequently make good sound-bites, but have no teeth and are routinely ignored by precisely those countries at which they are directed. The UN resolution will have no impact at all on countries like Iran and Sudan, which still impose the death penalty for homosexuality.
The European Parliament however, is a different matter entirely. The very similar resolution on LGBT rights they have just adopted has an importance which is much more than merely symbolic. This adoption will inevitably place increased political pressure on countries such as Poland, which have been notoriously laggard on in applying even basic rights to queer citizens, and also increase the political pressure for family and marriage equality.
I would also expect this declaration will give impetus to the existing movement to greater recognition of LGBT rights in the legal sphere - in the deliberations and verdicts of the European Commission of Human Rights. This is an important development, which will impact directly on real lives in Europe - and possibly beyond.
European Parliament Votes Overwhelmingly on Human Rights for Gays and Transgender People Worldwide
The European Parliament today joined the United Nations’ call for safeguarding the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the world. The text was co-signed by 6 out of 7 political groups, and adopted with a very wide majority.
A total of 586 MEPs voted, with 442 in favour, 104 against and 40 abstentions.
Welcoming the adoption in June of the first-ever resolution on ‘Human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity’ at the United Nations Human Rights Council, the European Parliament confirmed its concern regarding “human rights violations and widespread discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, both in the European Union and [abroad]”.
With today’s text, the European Parliament welcomed the work done by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay for the human rights of LGBT people worldwide.
via UK Gay News
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There are serious homophobic tedences not only in Poland unfortunatly. The situation is similar in all country of Central and Eastern Europe, whiche belonged to communist block previously. I wrote a short article about this topic in kaleidoscope.blog.hu also in English.
Agreed, Kal. I mentioned Poland only as one example - I didn’t list the others because I was less certain of specific details. Thank you for pointing this out, and for a link to your article, which I will read immediately.
Now that I have seen the article, I want to say how useful it is. I will be posting a follow-up to my earlier report on the news story, to promote your post.
I also want to say that when I followed the link as you posted it, it took me not to your specific post on European homophobia, but to the more recent one, on “Who is under God’s Curse?”. This is precisely relevant to the main theme I have been writing about the last few days, and will be continuing, of self-righteous prigs who promote bigotry in the name of religion. I will be promoting this post of yours, as well.
Thanks.