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Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Homo / News Obama Breaks With Iran, Sudan, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and the Vatican...

Posted by Dan Savage on Wed, Mar 18, 2009 at 8:57 AM

The United States is to announce its intention to sign a UN declaration decriminalizing homosexuality, a move refused by former president George W. Bush. The administration of President Barack Obama is to notify France, which sponsored the declaration, that the United States intends to endorse it, three officials said.

The measure, put forth in December, was backed by dozens of Western countries, but opposed by several Arab countries and the Vatican.

And opposed by the United States under George W. Bush.

Like a free press and fair elections, the rights of gay citizens to live their lives without fear—of imprisonment, of beheadings—is a shared characteristic of all free and open societies.

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Posted by you'd be such a great mayor on March 18, 2009 at 9:03 AM

I can't believe the Vatican is against decriminalizing homosexuality.

Seriously?

Posted by Clearlyhere on March 18, 2009 at 9:04 AM

@2, have you been on Mars your whole life? The church is vehemently against homosexuality - unless, of course, they're the ones doing it. Thus the outrage over their hypocrisy.

Posted by Fifty-Two-Eighty on March 18, 2009 at 9:22 AM

Yay for chocolate Jesus!

Posted by this guy I know in Spokane on March 18, 2009 at 9:23 AM

"It's freedom for EVERYBODY, or freedom for NOBODY!"

Posted by Sir Vic on March 18, 2009 at 9:32 AM

@2 Yes, and if you _are_ gay, you really shouldn't wear a condom because, well, sex is bad unless it's for procreation... or something ;)

Posted by Allyn on March 18, 2009 at 9:36 AM

It should be noted that George W. Bush was never personally against the U.N. declaration - it was only his administration that raised objections.

Posted by raindrop on March 18, 2009 at 9:36 AM

this is very convenient for obama because it is non-binding and he can continue to string us along and make no real changes in american law and policy. mr. "god is in the mix" is a slick bastard. i'll take this as meaningful when he starts pushing real legislation rather than dangling website promise-carrots before us. he has a LOT to prove.

Posted by Loved by Jesus on March 18, 2009 at 9:37 AM

Funniest thing about this, I thought, is where State Department spokesman Wood is quoted as saying, “The United States supports the UN's statements on human rights, sexual orientation, and gender identity.” You know, for all but about half or so of the states wherein gays don’t have equal rights. And then he went on to say, “The United States is an outspoken defender of human rights and critic of human rights abuses around the world.” Except, of course, when it’s us who’s doing the torture and all…

Posted by Allyn on March 18, 2009 at 9:48 AM

@ 9,

Good points.

Posted by kim in portland on March 18, 2009 at 9:56 AM

@1, the pope seems to think talking about gay people is a good thing. so does rick warren. so does pastor hutch. why shouldn't dan? oh, because dan's not homo-hating, i get it. keep on hatin' on, bro!

p.s. you should ask yourself why you can't resist spending time commenting in gay-themed blogs.

Posted by Loved by Jesus on March 18, 2009 at 10:01 AM

Talk is cheap. I gave him a pass on Donnie Mclurken, and he burned his goodwill down to neutrality with Rick Warren. Once he really achieves something beyond a few poetic turns of phrase or signing a toothless document, I'll want to hug him along with the rest of you. But not yet.

Posted by Yeek on March 18, 2009 at 10:18 AM

Great Britain has gay marriage but no freedom of speech, actually.

Posted by Laurel on March 18, 2009 at 10:34 AM

@7

He's gone now, man. Why continue to lie in his defense?

Bush opposed the decriminalization of "sodomy" and of sex toys in Texas when he was governor. Is that supposed to have changed when he moved to DC?

Posted by balderdash on March 18, 2009 at 10:45 AM

Mmmmmmm! Gotta love Obama!

Posted by Vince on March 18, 2009 at 11:00 AM

@7 - First off, please provide proof of what you're saying.

Secondly, if that's true, thanks for proving that his "I'm the decider" bullshit was just that - bullshit.

Posted by Donolectic on March 18, 2009 at 11:02 AM

Also, I don't expect any major changes to gay rights in the US from Obama, but I was confident that he would passively make things better for us than the previous administration. This is a good example of him setting the tone for his administration, and that acceptance will have positive ripples.

If we get DADT and/or DOMA repealed, that's just gravy.

Posted by Donolectic on March 18, 2009 at 11:07 AM

@17 i'm sorry but that's a pathetic attitude to take. if you don't demand "gravy" from obama you will never, ever get more than this crumb. sitting back and waiting passively to see what he'll do for you is no different that putting a "kick me" sign on your back.

Posted by Loved by Jesus on March 18, 2009 at 11:20 AM

8 ftw

Posted by it breaks my heart how naive Seattle gays are on March 18, 2009 at 11:46 AM

@18 - I didn't say that I was passively sitting back, I was just saying that I don't expect anything more than a change in tone. Obama is a politician and like most straight national politicians straddling the middle of the road, his relationship with the gay community is nuanced. Donnie McClurkin and Rick Warren anyone? That's my baseline.

But things like this, little thing that it is, still shows a major change in tone from the previous administration and that's the only thing that I expected Obama to do. But even that is an improvement.

I don't expect him to give us DADT and DOMA repeal without us being noisy about it because I'm realistic about what priority he gives to gay rights as a whole. I'm hoping he proves me wrong and that we do get a major expansion of our rights, but I'm not expecting it. There's still a lot of work to be done.

Posted by Donolectic on March 18, 2009 at 12:11 PM

This is nice and symbolic but as someone on another blog had pointed out, if he opened US embassies for LGBTs fleeing those who would kill them simply for being gay, that would put this declaration in a whole different light.

Posted by Chicago Kev on March 18, 2009 at 12:55 PM

Good decision.

It's so great to have a president who has good sense.

Posted by Glossy on March 18, 2009 at 5:07 PM

@21 I think that's a lovely idea. We should be open and accept people running from the threat of death. Sure, the fundamentalist countries would hate us... well, wait, they do already. No problem there, then. And the "christian" fundies would love this, since the Bible says that we are to open our lands and homes to the foreigners and those who seek shelter and safety. So Christians and "christians" alike would have to agree, as I'm sure would most people who'd like to see the US try to redeem itself for its past.

Posted by Allyn on March 19, 2009 at 6:56 AM

Please help the iranian gays, they are going to be executed and killed only for their sexual orientation.
please help the iranian gays, please help, help, help, help, help, help, help, help, help, help, help.

Posted by trilenium on May 6, 2009 at 8:44 AM