US sides with terror nations against gays

Thursday, January 26th, 2006

A row has broken out at the United Nations, after the US sided with countries including Iran and Zimbabwe on a vote about gay inclusion. In the vote as to whether two gay rights advocacy groups should join the UN’s Economic and Social Council, the US joined Iran, Zimbabwe, China, Cameroon and Egypt in blocking the groups.

‘Apparently Iran, which President Bush has deemed part of his Axis of Evil, is a suitable partner when it comes to discriminating against gay people,” Matt Foreman, executive director of America’s National Gay and Lesbian Task Force said. ‘It is an absolute outrage that the United States has chosen to align itself with tyrants, all in a sickening effort to smother the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people around the world,’ he added.

Campaigners and governments across the globe have repeatedly slammed Zimbabwe and its president Robert Mugabe for his tyrannical control of the country, as well as its stance on lesbian and gay people. Egypt has been at the centre of international condemnation after a spate of stings that focussed on entrapping and arresting gay men while in Iran, homosexuality is punishable by death. Last year, two teenage boys were hanged publicly after they were accused of having sex with each other, sparking protests across the globe. ‘It is repugnant that the self-proclaimed leader of the free world will align his country with bigots and tyrants at the drop of a hat to advance the American right-wing’s virulently anti-gay agenda,’ Foreman said.

The countries that voted to dismiss the gay application were Cameroon, China, Cuba, Iran, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Senegal, Sudan, United States of America and Zimbabwe, according to ILGA. Those who backed the application were Chile, France, Germany, Peru and Romania.

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