Obama administration supports U.N. gay rights declaration

[BirminghamExaminer]

Excerpt:

Obama administration officials have notified sponsors of a U.N. Declaration that supports the decriminalization of homosexuality that it would like to endorse the Declaration. The U.S. endorsement comes late, as the United States, led by then President Bush, was one of the only western member nations to refuse to sign the statement of Declaration.

The Declaration urges that member states "take all the necessary measures, in particular legislative or administrative, to ensure that sexual orientation or gender identity may under no circumstances be the basis for criminal penalties, in particular executions, arrests or detention."

President Bush refused to sign the declaration though Australia, Japan, all European union nations, Mexico, and 36 other member nations signed, giving the Declaration 66 signatures.

70 member nations consider homosexuality a crime and most Islamic nations opposed the Declaration. Syria created its own statement, opposing human rights for homosexuals, and read the Declaration. The rival Declaration was signed by 60 member nations, including the Vatican.

The rival Declaration statement read by Syria notes that the French-Netherlands Declaration could lead to "the social normalization, and possibly the legitimization, of many deplorable acts including pedophilia."

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[Fearless]

1. Good. Now how about one we'll actually listen to?