IRAN AND THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION, UNITED IN ANTI-GAY BIGOTRY:

[rodeodance]

longer clickable story at website.


http://www.americanprogressaction.org/site/apps/nl/newsletter2.asp?c=klLWJcP7H&b=1331575



HUMAN RIGHTS -- IRAN AND THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION, UNITED IN ANTI-GAY BIGOTRY: "In a reversal of policy, the United States on Monday backed an Iranian initiative to deny United Nations consultative status to organizations working to protect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people," according to a Human Rights Watch release. In May 2005, two international gay rights groups applied for consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council, "the only official means by which non-governmental organizations around the world can influence and participate in discussions among member states at the United Nations. Nearly 3,000 groups enjoy this status. States opposed to the two groups' applications moved to have them summarily dismissed, an almost unprecedented move at the UN, where organizations are ordinarily allowed to state their cases." On Monday, the Bush administration joined Cameroon, China, Cuba, Iran, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, Senegal, Sudan, and Zimbabwe -- nations with some of the worst human rights records in the world -- in voting to reject the groups' applications.

[rodeodance]

1. "aggressive assault by the U.S. government" on minority groups

clickable story from site in IP:

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/01/25/iran12535.htm

" This vote is an aggressive assault by the U.S. government on the right of sexual minorities to be heard. It is astonishing that the Bush administration would align itself with Sudan, China, Iran and Zimbabwe in a coalition of the homophobic. "
Scott Long, director of the LGBT rights program at Human Rights Watch

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3. I am ashamed of our government--as it purports to speak for me!

“This vote is an aggressive assault by the U.S. government on the right of sexual minorities to be heard,” said Scott Long, director of the LGBT rights program at Human Rights Watch. “It is astonishing that the Bush administration would align itself with Sudan, China, Iran and Zimbabwe in a coalition of the homophobic.”

In May 2005, the International Lesbian and Gay Association, which is based in Brussels, and the Danish gay rights group Landsforeningen for Bøsser og Lesbiske (LBL) applied for consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council. Consultative status is the only official means by which non-governmental organizations (NGOs) around the world can influence and participate in discussions among member states at the United Nations. Nearly 3,000 groups enjoy this status.

States opposed to the two groups’ applications moved to have them summarily dismissed, an almost unprecedented move at the UN, where organizations are ordinarily allowed to state their cases. The U.S. abstained on a vote which would have allowed the debate to continue and the groups to be heard. It then voted to reject the applications.

“The United States recklessly ignored its own reporting proving the need for international support for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “The State Department’s ‘Country Reports on Human Rights Practices’ show severe human rights violations based on gender identity and sexual orientation occur around the world.” .......

[sarcasmo]

2. USA, USA, USA.

Hate from the top of the Religious cult. Look at these countries we are now compared with. China, Cuba, Iran, Pakistan, Russian Federation. Unite to destroy the LBT what a bunch of Zealots we have running this country, what a SHAME.

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4. yes, we are amongst the axis of human rights evil countries at this time.

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5. Letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/01/25/iran12536_txt.htm

Letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

January 25, 2006

The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20520

Dear Secretary Rice,

On behalf of forty U.S.-based organizations advocating for human rights, including the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, we write to express deep disappointment at the United States’ actions this week in the Non-Governmental Organization Committee of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
As you may be aware, both the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA), and the Danish national gay and lesbian organization Landsforeningen for Bøsser og Lesbiske had applied for consultative status with the ECOSOC. The United States abstained on a virtually unprecedented motion to deny these organizations a fair hearing on their application. Still more disturbingly, the United States supported a separate motion to summarily dismiss their applications. The motion to dismiss passed by a vote of 10 to 5 with three abstentions.

Monday’s vote represents a reversal of U.S. policy. When the ECOSOC voted on ILGA's previous application for consultative status in 2002, the United States joined sixteen other nations in supporting ILGA’s application for consultative status.

We hope you will provide the reasons for this reversal. Is it now the policy of the U.S. government to oppose consultative status for all organizations working to promote the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people? ......

[bigscott]

6. not sure why this is a surprise

this administration has allied itself with the devil since day 1 to destroy the GLBT community. We have known where this would lead - now we have alito on the SCOTUS (not sure how much faith i have left for a filibuster's chances). Once again the rights of my brothers and sisters to live and love in peace and privacy will be trampled with the blessing, no, the aggressive cooperation, of the goverment I pay taxes to.

Fuck them all