Muslim states block 11 LGBT groups from attending UN Aids meeting

[Behind the Aegis]

Source: The Guardian

Tuesday 17 May 2016 15.49 EDT Last modified on Tuesday 17 May 2016 16.06 EDT

A group of 51 Muslim states has blocked 11 gay and transgender organizations from attending a high-level meeting at the United Nations next month on ending Aids, sparking a protest by the US, Canada and the EU.

Egypt wrote to the president of the 193-member general assembly on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to object to the participation of the 11 groups. It did not give a reason in the letter, which Reuters has seen.

Samantha Power, US ambassador to the UN, wrote to the general assembly president, Mogens Lykketoft, and said the groups appeared to have been blocked for involvement in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy.

“Given that transgender people are 49 times more likely to be living with HIV than the general population, their exclusion from the high-level meeting will only impede global progress in combating the HIV/Aids pandemic,” Power wrote.


Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/17/muslim-states-united-nations-lgbt-groups-aids-meeting

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The article also discusses recent "attacks" on LGBT rights at the UN by Russia, China, India, and parts of Africa. Today is "International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia." Shouldn't that start at the fucking UN?!

[Feeling the Bern]

1. More Muslim nutterry.

[Skittles]

7. religious nuttery, I call it

[MariaThinks]

8. yup

[scottie55]

2. The Dark Ages

Will stay dark in both Jeezusland, and Muzzlimland.

[awoke_in_2003]

3. And the UN allows

Islamic countries on the Human Rights Council. Sure, we are not perfect, but we are light years ahead of these barbarians when it comes to matters of LGBT.

[Behind the Aegis]

5. The UN HRC is a joke; sadly, has been for awhile.

Its history is anything but inspiring.

[Democat]

4. Where are the DUers to tell us that hating gay people is okay

As long as it's not Christians doing the hating.

[leftynyc]

10. They're here pretending

that Christian countries are just as bad. Of course they have nothing to back up the bullshit but being so very pc is very important to them - certainly more important than gays, women and minorities.

[Ex Lurker]

11. They'll ignore this thread

and make posts about how happy Muslim women are to wear the hijab.

[Coventina]

12. +1

It's so totally a choice!!!

And they are so fashionable!!!! It's a great way to express their individuality!
I mean, D&G are making them, now, so it must be totally cool!

[herding cats]

6. The usual suspects: Russia, China and the OIC

I have friends who have fled both Russia and Iran due to their stances on LGBT simply existing. They don't hold out much hope for things changing anytime in the near future in either country.

That these nations can block LGBT rights at the UN is an atrocity. That they (the OIC in this case) would block them from from a attending a meeting on ending AIDS, shows some restructuring needs to be done.

There needs to be consequences for their actions, they can't simply keep exploiting the loopholes and getting away with it.

The UN should be able to sanction them within their membership for actions like this.

[uhnope]

9. those 2 countries + 1 organization = fascist/authoritarian/theocratic dictatorship

across a huge part of the planet. That's important to keep in mind