State Dept. Offers ‘Concern’ Over ‘Kill the Gays’ Law That Punishes Homosexuality by Stoning LGBT People to Death

The U.S. Dept. of State was forced to issue a statement on Brunei’s new law that not only makes sex between two people of the same gender illegal, but inflicts death by stoning as a punishment. It’s yet another “kill the gays” law that violates human rights agreements, including the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Instead of issuing a strong condemnation and working with other governments to deliver a rebuke, or impose sanctions, or threatening tariffs on the nearly $300 million in goods Brunei imports from the U.S., all the Trump administration’s Dept. of State could offer was a milquetoast statement of “concern.”

Brunei’s antediluvian new law goes into effect on Wednesday. As The Daily Beast explains, it “imposes death by stoning or whipping for sodomy, adultery or rape, and amputation of a hand or foot for theft.”

The Daily Beast reports the U.S. State Dept. only offered its statement after the news site published an article noting that State had, in fact, said nothing, while other countries and activists have been raising awareness and warning the country it is violating international law.

“After nearly 24 hours of declining to clarify its position, the State Department finally sent The Daily Beast a statement saying the U.S. was ‘concerned’ about the new law, minutes after we published a story noting Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the department’s silence.”

“The United States is concerned with Brunei’s decision to implement Phases Two and Three of the Sharia Penal Code,” the State Dept. statement reads. “Some of the punishments in the law appear inconsistent with international human rights obligations, including with respect to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”

“We have encouraged Brunei to ratify and implement the United Nations Convention Against Torture, which it signed in 2015, and to sign, ratify, and implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”

In a follow up email a State Dept. representative offered these additional remarks:

“Governments have an obligation to ensure that all people, including LGBTI people, can freely enjoy the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms to which they are entitled. We strongly oppose human rights violations and abuses against LGBTI persons, including violence, the criminalization of LGBTI status or conduct, and serious forms of discrimination.”

Again, the word “condemn” appears nowhere.

The Daily Beast notes Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the State Dept. would not directly address the stoning to death of LGBT people.

An NCRM search of the State Dept.’s website did not turn up that statement online. Nor did a scan of the State Dept.’s recent press releases.

U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell in February claimed the Trump administration would be working to decriminalize homosexuality worldwide.

Days later President Trump was asked about the new program and said he knew nothing about it.

Grenell himself on social media has only mentioned Brunei’s inhuman new horrific law twice, and only in relation to news articles – he has not posted any official State Dept. documents regarding the antediluvian law.

In one post he asked people to “speak up,” and in another he tweeted the new “should be widely condemned.” But he did not say he or the State. Dept. does.