Russia fails in its attack on gay rights at the United Nations

[Melech 9,900]

"Russia failed in a bid to stop the United Nations extending staff benefits to all same-s-x couples. 

A UN General Assembly budget committee voted 80 to 43 against the proposal. There were 37 abstentions and 33 countries did not vote. 

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in July that the UN would recognise all same-s-x marriages of its staff, allowing them to receive benefits. 

Previously, staff members' personal status was determined by the laws of their country of nationality. But the UN now recognises all same-s-x couples married in a country where it is legal, regardless of their nationality. 

Russia wanted the 193-member General Assembly Fifth Committee, which deals with the UN budget, to overturn the decision and had been threatening to put the measure to a vote since December. 

"We must speak plainly about what Russia tried to do today: diminish the authority of the UN Secretary-General and export to the UN. its domestic hostility to LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bis-xual and Transgender) rights," the US ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, said in a statement after the vote. 

Deputy Russian UN Ambassador Petr Iliichev said before the vote that the UN should return to how the issue was previously regulated, citing it as "an example of how the United Nations respects cultural differences, the sovereign right of each and every state to determine its norms". 

He denied that Russia was trying to undermine Ban's authority. 

Russia triggered global criticism in 2013 when it banned spreading "gay propaganda" to children. Critics denounced the law as discriminatory and said it is a curb on rights to free speech and assembly. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin says there is no gay discrimination in Russia, which decriminalised homos-xuality in 1993. 

Saudi Arabia, China, Iran, India, Egypt, Pakistan, and Syria were among the countries that voted in favour of Russia's proposal. 

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not support the expansion of benefits for same-s-x couples because Saudi Arabia believes these relationships are morally unacceptable," a Saudi diplomat told the UN committee."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/11492895/Russia-fails-in-bid-to-stop-UN-staff-benefits-for-all-same-s-x-couples.html

 

[RabbitHeart 795]

 

Deputy Russian UN Ambassador Petr Iliichev said before the vote that the UN should return to how the issue was previously regulated, citing it as "an example of how the United Nations respects cultural differences, the sovereign right of each and every state to determine its norms". 

​This is the worst part of it all, imo. He's rationalizing Russia's discriminatory stance as a "cultural" thing, as if it somehow makes it acceptable.

[Didymus 34,380]

A bit off-topic, but why do married couples need benefits at all?

[Gagamel 3,410]

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not support the expansion of benefits for same-s-x couples because Saudi Arabia believes these relationships are morally unacceptable," a Saudi diplomat told the UN committee."

​And it's morally acceptable to treat women like slaves oh you, saudi arabia

[AlphaMonster 1,806]

I want to see the full list of the countries voted in favor of Russia's bid.

Do you have a un article which gives exact info ???

[hmm 979]

I want to see the full list of the countries voted in favor of Russia's bid.

Do you have a un article which gives exact info ???

​Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Burundi, Cambodia, Chad, China, Comoros, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Gambia, India, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe. 

From the UN website 

[AlphaMonster 1,806]

​Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Burundi, Cambodia, Chad, China, Comoros, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Gambia, India, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe. 

From the UN website 

​Thank you

[User 352]

​Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Burundi, Cambodia, Chad, China, Comoros, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Gambia, India, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe. 

From the UN website 

​Russia and all these countries should not interfere in peoples s-xuality . It's so bold and sad what they have tried to do in such an international organization.

[HANZ 4,380]

​Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Burundi, Cambodia, Chad, China, Comoros, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Gambia, India, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe. 

From the UN website 

​Nothing but irrelevant flops

except China and North Korea (it's not like I feel appreciation for these 2 anyway)

 

 

[Pitch 204]

Bit off topic but does anyone else feel that the discrimination of the LGBT community in Russia is constantly under publicised ? I feel like if it was another community treated like this it would be everywhere, but here in the UK I've seen NOTHING on the news, newspapers etc

[Pop 4,541]

Evil.

[Kayla 7,595]

 Russia and all those countries who agreed with them. They're just so bothered by homos-xual couples getting benefits at their job. How does that even make ****ing sense? "Sorry, you can't have benefits because you're gay. The end." 

[AlphaMonster 1,806]

 Russia and all those countries who agreed with them. They're just so bothered by homos-xual couples getting benefits at their job. How does that even make ****ing sense? "Sorry, you can't have benefits because you're gay. The end." 

​No more like, you're gay, Now we will kill you.

It is even illegal for a gay person to exist, to live in most of these countries, so f*ck the benefits =D Literally, they are not even used to seeing a gay person living a random ass life like everybody else...

[hmm 979]

Bit off topic but does anyone else feel that the discrimination of the LGBT community in Russia is constantly under publicised ? I feel like if it was another community treated like this it would be everywhere, but here in the UK I've seen NOTHING on the news, newspapers etc

​If anything, I think the opposite - so much of the focus is on Russia when there are so many other blatantly homophobic states; (even where sodomy laws don't exist) yet we hear of absolutely zero media coverage and even very little mention by people and in some cases they're the very states where the western powers have the ability to do something about it. (something akin to Sweden's refusal to sell arms to Saudi Arabia for their human rights abuses)

[Luc 4,776]

Bit off topic but does anyone else feel that the discrimination of the LGBT community in Russia is constantly under publicised ? I feel like if it was another community treated like this it would be everywhere, but here in the UK I've seen NOTHING on the news, newspapers etc

I think its somewhat overpublished. Gays don't have it that bad in Russia as people think. You're safe as long as you don't show your love in public. My brother is gay and lives in St. Petersburg, and I visited St. Petersburg last feburary and you have gay bars, gay couples walking the streets, etc. Acceptance of homos-xuality is a slow progress that happens everywhere, and it is also going to happen in Russia. The big cities are already fairly liberal. Now it's time for media to pay more attention to homos-xuality, and eventually only a fee religious freaks will be left. Last years Russia has experienced a gone backwards a lot, which is sad. But in the future it will definitly be better, especially consodering the fact that their homophobia is based on nothing (not even religion), they have silly comparisons with paedophiles and love their 'traditional values' but as soon as more people realize that their homophobia is based on nothing, it'll also be a lot better there.

Unless ofcourse Putin makes Russia even more of an autocracy  

Remember that about 60 years ago in almost every European country you could go to jail for being gay.

 

It's much worse to be gay in Africa and the Middle East. There you actually have to be scared for your life if you're gay.