Labour’s Rainbow Caucus Chair Louisa Wall says marriage equality is a step New Zealand can take to meet our obligations under a new report from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. "Born Free and Equal" looks at sexual orientation and gender identity in international human rights law and sets out the source and scope of State obligations to protect the human rights LGBTO people. "This booklet follows on from the adoption by the Human Rights Council last year of the first resolution on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity and draws on almost twenty years of reports documenting widespread violations of human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people,” Wall says. “It clearly signals that the time has come for effect to be given to the opening words of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that ‘All people are born free and equal in dignity and rights’,” she adds. The booklet focuses on five core obligations where national action is urgently needed - from protecting people from homophobic violence, to preventing torture, decriminalising homosexuality, prohibiting discrimination, and safeguarding freedom of expression, association and the peaceful assembly of all LGBT people. "Marriage equality is a step that we, as a nation, can take to meet those obligations" says Wall, whose marriage equality bill has passed its first reading, and is headed to a Select Committee. "As the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has said - extending the same rights to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons as those enjoyed by everyone else will result in the principles of equality and non-discrimination becoming a reality for millions of LGBT people around the world."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 18th September 2012 - 3:09pm