Just when we thought we were out…the UN votes to allow baseless executions of LGBT people

I’ve always kinda liked the UN. Yeah, they’re a tool of the west, but every now and then they do decide to take a stand and not back really silly wars of imperialism like Iraq or let something that actually tells the truth about what Israel’s doing in Gaza such as the Goldstone Report get published or embarrass Harper by kicking Canada off the Security Council. Now, though, they’ve gone and royally screwed the pooch.

Surprisingly, the west is not the cause at all this time, but that’s not to say that they didn’t play a part or rather not play enough of a part, to stop what amounts to a license to nations to arbitrarily execute gays and lesbians. Due largely to African, Middle Eastern and Carribean nations, the General Assembly’s Third Committee on Social, Cultural and Humanitarian issues voted to remove the term “sexual orientation” from a resolution addressing extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.

The US did speak out against the measure to remove protection from LGBT people, but it clearly didn’t do enough. Mark Bromley, chair of the Council on Global Equality told The New Civil Rights Movement that US support for capital punishment effectively tied their hands on this issue. While this may be true, I don’t think they cared enough to voice the type of opposition necessary to block it.

After years of flexing its economic and military muscle to get its way on areas of extreme self-interest, the States refused to be the international bully that for once was needed. The rest of the west didn’t help out much, either. It’s sad.

It’s even sadder for countless people who can and unfortunately will now be executed with impunity because of the gender of the person they choose to love. Yes, the dark ages are alive and well in the 21st century and now they’re sanctioned by the UN.

What’s happened has happened, what happens next is crucial. There’s a petition you can sign here directed at the UN which is a good start, but putting pressure on politicians in various countries, especially the states, to do something to get the UN to reverse its decision is probably more important.

To paraphrase the Godfather: “Just when you thought we were out of this black hole of ignorance, the UN pulls us back in!”