The Obama administration will sign a United Nations declaration calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality - which previous President George W. Bush refused to endorse just a few months ago. Supporting LGBT equality across the world: Barack Obama White House officials have told the Associated Press that they have notified the French sponsors of the declaration to tell them of the United States' support. 66 nations at the UN General Assembly supported the groundbreaking declaration last December, which confirms for the first time that international human rights protections include sexual orientation and gender identity. It also condemns the imprisonment, torture or execution of homosexuals which currently occurs in 77 nations. New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom were among the countries that supported the declaration, which was noisily rejected by several Arab nations, and by The Vatican. China and Russia also did not sign the document. Meanwhile, President Obama's administration is also understood to be in the process of overturning the controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy, thus allowing openly LGBT Americans to serve in the military.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Wednesday, 18th March 2009 - 5:50pm