Wednesday is an important day. It is Human Rights Day and the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (It is also the first “Day Without A Gay“.) Surprisingly, not a lot of folks here in the US know this, but the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the most translated document in history. Right now, there are groups attempting to require governments around the world to include it in every passport. Like the ACLU itself, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights exists to preserve rights.Â
Unsurprisingly, there are groups attempting to take away your rights, and to, yes, “formalize the definition of traditional marriage.”
On Wednesday, a “declaration calling for the global decriminalisation of homosexuality will be put before the United Nations General Assembly”. Peter Tatchel in the guardian.co.uk writes,
“It will be the first time in its history that the UN General Assembly has considered the issue of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) human rights.”
“Unsurprisingly, the Vatican and the Organization of Islamic States are leading the fight against the UN declaration. The opposition of the Pope is truly sickening, depraved and shameless.”
While 86 countries, including the entire EU, led by France, are supporting the declaration, which is sponsored by our friends to the north, Canada.Â
But the Bush administration, Russia, Turkey, Australia, the entire Middle East – except for Israel – and several other countries, including most of the nations on the African continent, have refused to support this simple statement that says homosexuality is not a crime.
After eight years of George Bush’s so-called “compassionate conservatism“, I’m looking forward to Susan Rice at the UN.