Gay Rights Boosted by UN Resolution

A survey on discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation will be launched in all regions of the world by the UN Human Rights Council after it approved a resolution on Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.

The resolution was passed yesterday by 23 votes for and 19 against with three abstentions.

The countries in favour were Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Hungary, Japan, Mauritius, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Republic of Korea, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine, UK, US, and Uruguay.

The countries against were Angola, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Djibouti, Gabon, Ghana, Jordan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal and Uganda.

China, Zambia and Burkina Faso abstained.

Conservative societies against gay rights

Nigeria objected to the resolution, with its representative Ositanima Aneaedu saying that African countries and more than 90 percent of the African people did not support the resolution. And Saudi Arabia said that it was not appropriate to "impose values without considering them as counter to Sharia in Islam and other religions."

Qatar's objections were along similar lines, with Khalid Fahad Al-Hajri saying that "this issue went against Islam".

But Mexico's representative said that sexual orientation was "a question of non-discrimination.

"Non-discrimination on grounds of race and religion and non-discrimination against women, the elederly and those with disabilities were values that stood fully recognised by all," said Juan Jose Gomez Camacho.

Eileen Chamberlain of the US said that "violence against any person on grounds of sexual orientation was a violation of human rights. The right to choose who to love is "sacred," she said.