We shouldn't add gay rights to international law.

Human Rights, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity

at the UN

Austin Ruse

Austin Ruse argues that we shouldn't add gay rights to international law.

One of the great achievements of the 20th century is the development of the universal human rights regime. But that regime teeters under the weight of new ideologies, and as it teeters it endangers not just gays and lesbians but everyone.

 

The UN General Assembly voted last week to include "gender identity" in its annual resolution condemning "summary execution and extra-judicial killing." US Ambassador Susan Rice tweeted, "Fitting, on National #Transgender Day of Remembrance, that #UNGA acknowledges protections on the basis of gender identity." And, "We will not allow the remarkable progress the #UN has made on #LGBT issues in the last four years to be rolled back."

 

"Sexual orientation" had been included in the resolution for a few years but only with great controversy and opposition coming from a broad range of governments (and not just Muslims either). What's new this year is the addition of "gender identity" to the formulation. Efforts to remove it lost 86-44, with 31 abstentions.

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