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Behind the Aegis

(53,831 posts)
Wed Mar 25, 2015, 04:49 AM Mar 2015

Russia fails to squelch gay equality in the UN

Russia fails in bid to stop U.N. staff benefits for all gay couples

(Reuters) - Russia failed on Tuesday in a bid to stop the United Nations extending staff benefits to all same-sex couples after a U.N. General Assembly budget committee voted 80 to 43 against the proposal.

There were 37 abstentions and 33 countries did not vote.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in July that the United Nations would recognize all same-sex marriages of its staff, allowing them to receive U.N. benefits.

Previously, staff members' personal status was determined by the laws of their country of nationality. But the United Nations now recognizes all same-sex couples married in a country where it is legal, regardless of their nationality.

Russia wanted the 193-member General Assembly Fifth Committee, which deals with the U.N. budget, to overturn Ban's decision and had been threatening to put the measure to a vote since December.

"We must speak plainly about what Russia tried to do today: diminish the authority of the U.N. Secretary-General and export to the U.N. its domestic hostility to LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) rights," the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, said in a statement after the vote.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/24/us-un-gaymarriage-russia-idUSKBN0MK1UW20150324

VOTED FOR THE RUSSIAN RESOLUTION:

Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Botswana, Brunei, Burundi, Cambodia, Chad, China, Comoros, North Korea, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Gambia, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Tanzania, Uzbekistan and Zimbabwe voted for the Russian proposal.

https://www.washingtonblade.com/2015/03/24/bid-to-block-spousal-benefits-for-gay-u-n-employees-fails/

Voting Record on L.9

Published by UN Tribune

Draft resolution sponsored by Russia that would have revoked benefits for same-sex married UN staff

15 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Russia fails to squelch gay equality in the UN (Original Post) Behind the Aegis Mar 2015 OP
Good. sakabatou Mar 2015 #1
Gay men are now ejbr Mar 2015 #2
Russia sounds like Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Mar 2015 #3
RWNJ's <3 Pooty nxylas Mar 2015 #5
I await the Snowden/Greenwald commentary. Hopefully, another, perhaps liberal pundit msanthrope Mar 2015 #4
Hey, this was a vote against imperialism and US hegemony! geek tragedy Mar 2015 #6
Indeed, one can argue that Putin is merely a purveyor of anti-capitalist values. msanthrope Mar 2015 #13
Good. Russia can take its bigotry and cram it. NuclearDem Mar 2015 #7
The Putin boot-lickers aren't going to like that.... SidDithers Mar 2015 #8
Voting to protect LGBT rights. NuclearDem Mar 2015 #9
Russia is HIDEOUS in their treatment of LGBT individuals. stillwaiting Mar 2015 #10
GOOD! Nuclear Unicorn Mar 2015 #11
Ukraine opposed Russia on this. Voted with Europe. Also, since China, India, Syria supported Russia, pampango Mar 2015 #12
Ortega is rightwing on social issues. geek tragedy Mar 2015 #15
Enlightening list. greatauntoftriplets Mar 2015 #14

nxylas

(6,440 posts)
5. RWNJ's <3 Pooty
Wed Mar 25, 2015, 07:19 AM
Mar 2015

The former KGB head is their American Idol. More proof that the difference between Republicans and the Soviet Communists they claim to despise is roughly the same as the difference between the Judean People's Front and the People's Front of Judea.

 

msanthrope

(37,549 posts)
4. I await the Snowden/Greenwald commentary. Hopefully, another, perhaps liberal pundit
Wed Mar 25, 2015, 06:58 AM
Mar 2015

will tell us the RT take on this travesty.

 

geek tragedy

(68,868 posts)
6. Hey, this was a vote against imperialism and US hegemony!
Wed Mar 25, 2015, 07:36 AM
Mar 2015

China, Nicaragua, Russia, North Korea.

Plus of course the usual suspects from the Middle East and South Asia.

Assange's hosts in Ecuador couldn't bring themselves to vote against it, but at least they were cowardly instead of evil.

 

msanthrope

(37,549 posts)
13. Indeed, one can argue that Putin is merely a purveyor of anti-capitalist values.
Wed Mar 25, 2015, 09:39 AM
Mar 2015

Because of course being gay is just Western decadence.

stillwaiting

(3,795 posts)
10. Russia is HIDEOUS in their treatment of LGBT individuals.
Wed Mar 25, 2015, 08:59 AM
Mar 2015

They are causing so many to suffer so needlessly.

Assholes.

pampango

(24,692 posts)
12. Ukraine opposed Russia on this. Voted with Europe. Also, since China, India, Syria supported Russia,
Wed Mar 25, 2015, 09:29 AM
Mar 2015

along with many other large countries, it is safe to say that 1/2 or more of the world's population lives in countries that voted to strip recognition from same-sex couples among UN staff. That is a sad commentary.

One oddity is that the only European, North or South American country that voted against same-sex benefits was Nicaragua. I thought that the government of Daniel Ortega was leftist.

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