QUESTION: What do David Bowie, Cornel West, Salman Rushdie, Desmond Tutu, Edward Albee, Noam Chomsky, Meryl Streep, Lilly Tomlin, Pierre et Gilles, Tom Stoppard and Bernardo Bertolucci have in common?
ANSWER: They all support the worldwide call for the universal decriminalisation of homosexuality, which, in the form of a declaration/petition, is to be presented to the United Nations in the next week or so.
And it’s not only these Nobel Prize winners, artists, writers, philosophers and performers that support the petition, the governments of every country in the European Union and dozens of other nations also support what could be, as a friend put it, the most significant piece of queer-positive legislation in our lifetime.
The declaration was initiated by Louis-Georges Tin, President of Comité IDAHO (International Day Against Homophobia which is marked around the world on 17 May). UK Gay News has the background on Louis-Georges Tin and how this remarkable declaration came about.
If you’ve been reading my posts here, you’re aware that the Vatican and the Organization of Islamic States oppose the declaration, and the United States remains, at this point, uncommitted.
You might also be aware that today is Human Rights Day and the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Much of the declaration is predicated on the latter. The document, in part says, “We ask the United Nations to request a a universal abolition of the so-called ‘crime of homosexuality‘, of all ‘sodomy laws‘, and laws against so-called ’unnatural acts‘ in all the countries where they still exist.”
Here, via the IDAHO website, is the full text of the declaration. The full list of supporters can be found at the link.
TO THE UNITED NATIONS :
Petition “For a universal decriminalization of homosexuality”
Considering
The Universal declaration of Human Rights
Article 1.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Article 2.
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
Article 3.
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
Article 12.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
Considering
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (adopted by General Assembly resolution 2200A (XXI) of 16 December 1966, entry into force 23 March 1976)
Article 17
1. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to unlawful attacks on his honour and reputation.
2. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
Considering
The Human Rights Committee’s decision in Toonen v. Australia (04 April 1994)
We ask the United Nations to request a universal abolition of the so-called “crime of homosexuality”, of all “sodomy laws”, and laws against so-called “unnatural acts” in all the countries where they still exist.
Here is some additional background:
