The intrinsically disordered Papa Ratzi (Photo: Getty Images)
Back on 17 November, Andy at UK Gay News posted an article about an historic declaration against discrimination based on sexual orientation that is to be presented to the General Assembly of the United Nations later this month. All 27 countries of the European Union support and have signed the declaration promoted by Louis-Georges Tin, president of IDAHO (International Day Against Homophobia).
The declaration calls for the universal decriminalization of homosexuality. Countries will be asked to sign the declaration, and, when there is a majority, a UN resolution will be put to a vote, and, if sanity and justice prevail, the resolution will become international law.
There’s little hope of gaining support from Islamic countries like Iran or Saudi Arabia, let alone from the growing number of African nations that are criminalizing their gay citizens. These predominantly Islamic countries also lead the pack of rogue nations that execute gay people under primitive religious laws.
It comes as little surprise that the politicians who run the Vatican have taken their side.
From Yahoo News:
Vatican attacked for opposing gay decriminalization
By Philip PullellaVATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Gay rights groups and newspaper editorials on Tuesday condemned the Vatican for its decision to oppose a proposed U.N. resolution calling on governments worldwide to de-criminalize homosexuality.
The row erupted after the Vatican’s permanent observer to the United Nations told a French Catholic news agency the Holy See would oppose the resolution, which France is due to propose later this month on behalf of the 27-member European Union.
Archbishop Celestino Migliore said the Vatican opposed the resolution because it would “add new categories of those protected from discrimination” and could lead to reverse discrimination against traditional heterosexual marriage.
“If adopted, they would create new and implacable discriminations,” Migliore said. “For example, states which do not recognize same-sex unions as ‘matrimony’ will be pilloried and made an object of pressure,” Migliore said.
A strongly worded editorial in Italy’s mainstream La Stampa newspaper said the Vatican’s reasoning was “grotesque.”
Pointing out that homosexuality was still punishable by death in some Islamic countries, the editorial said what the Vatican really feared was a “chain reaction in favor of legally recognized homosexual unions in countries, like Italy, where there is currently no legislation.”
The declaration has absolutely nothing to do “traditional heterosexual marriage,” as Archbishop Celestino Migliore suggests. It has to do with eliminating state criminalization of homosexuality, usually based on religion, and ending the barbaric executions of human beings for their sexual orientation around the world.
The article continues:
Human rights groups say homosexuality is still punishable by law in more than 85 countries and by death in a number of them, including Afghanistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen.
Vatican spokesman Rev Federico Lombardi said “no-one wants the death penalty or jail or fines for homosexuals” but defended Migliore’s comments, adding that the Vatican was in the majority on the issue.
“It’s not for nothing that fewer than 50 member states of the United Nations have adhered to the proposal in question while more than 150 have not adhered. The Holy See is not alone,” Lombardi said.
An editorial in Rome’s left-leaning La Repubblica newspaper said the Vatican’s position “leaves one dumbstruck.” Margherita Boniver, a leading member of the Italy’s leftist Democratic Party, called it “alarmingly anachronistic.”
Grillini, the gay rights activist, said he feared what he called another “Holy Alliance” between the Vatican and Islamic states at the United Nations to oppose the proposed resolution.
The Holy See may not be alone, but take a look at the company they’re keeping: states that sponsor international terrorism and repress democracy and freedom of thought and action. Nice friends you’ve got there, Papa Ratzi!
Being in the majority doesn’t mean being right.
Let’s hope the United States of America, for a change we can believe in, comes down on the side of the good guys this time, instead of siding with the Ayatollahs.
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sadly i dont see it passing, i just feel the world is so backwards
Don’t despair, my friend. The world does at times seem backwards, but the enemies of our equality are about to experience jihad within their ranks.
The Vatican’s alliance with Islam is severely pissing off their anti-queer, anti-choice comrades among the radical religious reich in America.
While European countries and other sane nations are working for the pro-queer declaration mentioned above, Saudi Arabia is attempting to strong arm a “religious tolerance” bill through the UN. That bill, however, doesn’t extend to tolerating fundamentalist Christians, Jews, Mormons, Catholics, Hindus, Buddhists, etc. In fact it’s not about religious tolerance at all. It’s about silencing the critics of Islam including right-wing Christianists, Danish cartoonists, Salman Rushdie and a whole slew of other fatwa-ees.
Let them waste their resources fighting it out. This will work to our advantage.
Warning: The link is to Donald Wildmon’s make-believe news site.