U.N. chides U.S. on gay rights

[Laughing Mirror]

Efforts sought to combat job discrimination, hate crimes

By JOSHUA LYNSEN
Wednesday, August 02, 2006

U.S. officials must do more to protect gay citizens from discrimination and abuse, according to a United Nations report. In the report released July 28, the U.N. Human Rights Committee says the U.S. must undertake efforts to combat anti-gay job discrimination and hate crimes. The report “notes with concern” the absence of such protections.

...

The report says the U.S. “should acknowledge its legal obligation” to ensure all people have “equality before the law and equal protection of the law, without discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.”

...

The U.N. report is the second document in recent weeks to call for enhanced protections of gay Americans....In a report released July 17, Global Rights alleges several “major gaps” in existing protections....“The failure of many states and the federal government to add sexual orientation to the categories of bias motivated hate crimes,” the report says, “creates the impression that those crimes are less serious than other bias motivated crimes.”

...

The U.N. report says the U.S. “should ensure that federal and state law address sexual orientation-related violence in its hate crime legislation,” and “outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in its federal and state employment legislation.”

http://washingtonblade.com/2006/8-2/news/national/rights.cfm

[Deja Q]

1. Sadly, the UN has as much clout as an open bottle of mayonaise...

that's been left out in 90 degree weather for over a week.

Just wait until after the economic collapse; the UN will have volumes to say. That won't change anything either.

[BayCityProgressive]

2. I would say

about 70% of the member nations of the UN are bad on gay rights, not just the US. It is a world problem.

[cboy4]

3. The U.S. is criminal in its violation of human rights (gay & straight)

throughout the world, so this U.N. report is hardly surprising.

[Meeker Morgan]

4. Compared to what?

In most countries it's still a criminal offense.

Some even have a death penalty for it.

That doesn't mean we should be complacent or stop fighting for our rights, but the UN means squat.