Tag Archives: United Nations

Radio Free Europe reports: Russia led an effort at the United Nations to strip language from an AIDS resolution that would have called for the decriminalization of homosexuality and drug use. Russia was joined by Iran, Poland, and several Gulf states in blocking the decriminalization language from being included in a resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly on June …

Reuters reports: A group of 51 Muslim states has blocked 11 gay and transgender organizations from attending a high-level meeting at the United Nations next month on ending AIDS, sparking a protest by the United States, Canada and the European Union. Egypt wrote to the president of the 193-member General Assembly on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to …

Reuters reports: The United States turned to cultural diplomacy on Tuesday to push gay rights at the United Nations by taking 15 U.N. ambassadors, including those from Russia, Gabon and Namibia, to see an award-winning lesbian musical on Broadway. Samantha Power, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, said the “Fun Home” coming-of-age production “brings home the challenges that LGBTI …

The Guardian reports: The United Nations Postal Administration has released six new postage stamps promoting equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. The colourful stamps by artist and UNPA art director Sergio Baradat are also meant to celebrate the diversity of the gay community and marks the first time the global body’s post office has issued stamps with an …

As part of Human Rights Day, United Nations delegates will today be shown the below Zachary Quinto-narrated video about the social costs of anti-LGBT discrimination. This is the first such campaign for the UN. Watch below.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu punctuated his denouncement of the “utter silence” over the Iran deal today by glaring wordlessly at members of the United Nation General Assembly for nearly a full minute. Reaction to the ploy has ranged from “chilling” to “creepy” to “intimidating.” Watch below.

The International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission has changed their name. Michael Lavers reports at the Washington Blade: The organization — known by the acronym IGLHRC — will formally announce during its annual gala in Manhattan that it has changed its name to OutRight Action International. The group will also unveil its new logo, website and tagline that reads …

Vox reports: Robert Mugabe, the 91-year-old leader of Zimbabwe, deviated slightly from his prepared remarks, during his Monday evening address to the United Nations General Assembly, to do something that he does frequently: slur against homosexuality. “We are not gays,” he shouted. And it’s worse than it sounds. Mugabe made the comment in the course of a point about “double-standards,” …

ABC News reports: President Obama took on a confrontational tone in his speech this morning to the United Nations General Assembly, specifically calling out Russia, China and Iran for destabilizing activities in various world conflicts. Obama opened his speech directly decrying “strong states that seek to impose their will on weaker ones,” then alluded to Russian support for Syrian President …

UPDATE: Things are about to begin. Pope Francis will arrive at the United Nations within minutes for his address before the General Assembly. His speech is scheduled to begin at 8:30AM and embedded in this post is the Vatican’s official live-stream. One of today’s main topics is expected to be Europe’s continuing refugee crisis, which will surely cause even more …

Clip description: This video from the United Nations Free & Equal campaign celebrates the contributions that millions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people make to families and local communities around the world. The cast features “real people” (not actors), filmed in their workplaces and homes — among them, a firefighter, a police officer, a teacher, an electrician, a …

Reuters reports: Russia failed Tuesday in a bid to stop the United Nations extending staff benefits to all same-sex couples after a U.N. General Assembly budget committee voted 80 to 43 against the proposal. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in July that the United Nations would recognize all same-sex marriages of its staff, allowing them to receive U.N. benefits. Previously, …

Foreign Policy reports: Last June, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a far-reaching administrative ruling that offered marital benefits for the first time to all of the United Nations’ lesbian and gay employees, as well as to other U.N. workers who had entered legally recognized domestic partnerships. On Monday, March 2, Russia gave the plan a resounding nyet. Speaking Monday morning …

Via the Associated Press: U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has joined Austrian cross-dressing pop star Conchita Wurst in calling for an end to bias based on a person’s sexual orientation. Wurst teamed up with Ban on Monday on the sidelines of a U.N. conference to deliver their message of tolerance. Ban told reporters that he will continue his fight “against …

Via press release: The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) today applauded the United Nations’ top human rights body for approving a resolution condemning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, calling it an important step forward toward progress for equality and human rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals. “The Human Rights Council has …

Via USA Today: U.S.-led airstrikes in Syria and Iraq are necessary to stop the terrorist threats of the Islamic State and others, President Obama told world leaders Wednesday. “The only language understood by killers like this is the language of force,” Obama told the United Nations General Assembly in his annual address. The president also called on the world’s nations …

Stereogum recaps: Meat Free Monday is a campaign to convince people who eat meat to skip eating it one day of the week to help reduce their carbon footprint. As any self-respecting Beatles fan knows (or Simpsons fan for that matter), Paul McCartney is a guy who skips eating meat seven days of the week. He once wrote a song …

Via USA Today: More than 300,000 people marched through the streets of New York City on Sunday in what organizers called the largest climate-change demonstration in history. With banners, flags, floats and drums, protesters at the “People’s Climate March” overwhelmed midtown Manhattan in flocks of vivid color, demanding action ahead of the United Nations Climate Summit this week. “I’m totally …

Via press release: Today, Free & Equal, the United Nations Human Rights Office’s global public education campaign for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality, releases “UN Free & Equal: One Billion Rising” a video highlighting the campaign’s impact to date. “In the past year, more than a billion people around the world have been exposed to Free & Equal’s …

“I have been to the United Nations and met with various representatives on the issue of same-sex parenting. I can’t reveal the names of the ambassadors I met, because this is all radioactive. But the bottom line is, whether they were from Europe, Asia, or Africa, they were more than aware that a freakish Nordic alliance of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, …