UN Approves Resolution Condemning Executions Motivated by Anti-LGBT Bias

The United Nations last week approved a resolution condemning executions motivated by anti-LGBT bias, the AP reports:

Delegates in New York approved a resolution that condemned killings based on sexual orientation and, for the first time, gender identity. An amendment by the United Arab Emirates to strip sexual orientation and gender identity from the list was defeated 86-44.

Gay rights advocates said the Vatican, a non-U.N. member with "observer" status, sought to remove all references to protected categories, but its proposal was never brought up for a vote.

The United States voted to retain the language based on sexual orientation and gender identity but abstained from the final vote as is its policy on votes related to the death penalty.

U.N. ambassador, Susan Rice applauded the vote:

"The proposed change would have effectively sent a message to the world that people targeted on account of their sexual orientation or gender identity do not enjoy the same right to life as others. The United States will fight to ensure that the remarkable progress the U.N. has made on LGBT issues in the last four years is not rolled back."

(h/t think progress)

News: Michael Urie, Linda Harvey, RuPaul, Israel

Some bad news for gay actor Michael Urie: CBS decided his latest television venture, Partners, based on Will & Grace creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan's real-life friendship, didn't meet the ratings mark and gave it the ax.

"Who killed the Twinkie?"

The gay conservative group GOProud, in an email called "Unions Killed Twinkies," say they've stocked up and will give one to people who donate at least $50 to their right wing cause. Is it worth it?

David Petraeus' affair is the gays' fault. Because, you know, why not?

Rihanna and Kanye remix "Diamonds".

Baby ducks and kittens make a great match.

University of Michigan professor and author David Halperin discusses his new book, How To Be Gay. Part of the book looks at why gay men often celebrate certain types of celebrities, like Lady Gaga. Says Halperin, "What my analysis implies is that one way to explain gay male culture’s investment in some of these figures is to say that gay culture is responding to certain hierarchies of gender and sexuality that pervade the cultural field."

The sun has been exceptionally gassy this week.

At least 42 Palestinians and 3 Israelis have been killed in the increasingly violent and worrisome conflict between the two sides.

The White House says Israel "has the right to defend itself".

Take a listen to Will.i.am and Britney Spears' new single, "Scream and Shout".

Zac Efron pumping... his gas.

Gay activists in North Carolina are preparing for a fight to pass employment non-discrimination across the Tar Heel State. Said Stuart Campbell, executive director for Equality North Carolina, "We’re going to have to grow the base by creating coalitions and working with folks on the local level with lots of different communities. We’ll be building a movement that will ultimately lead to a statewide effort.”

The Twin Peaks bar in San Francisco's Castro District has been given landmark status.

Happy birthday, RuPaul!

The United Nations have until Tuesday to decide whether or not to come out against state-sponsored discrimination against LGBT people.

Rather than getting with the times and learning to accept the fact that there are gay people in this world, Linda Harvey and her conservative group, Mission: America, are trying to boycott all of the companies that scored well on Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. From their form letter: "You are highly-rated by the [HRC] as a company supportive of many aspects of the homosexual activist agenda. I am hoping you have done this out of ignorance about the true nature of both homosexuality and the goals of aggressive homosexual advocacy."

LGBT Activist Raises Red Flag Over UN Group's 'Traditional Values'

In response to the UN Human Rights Council's September decision to fight for "tradition values of humankind," Graeme Reid, director of LGBT Rights Program at Human Rights Watch, took to CNN's op-ed page to raise a red flag against the Russia-led resolution.

The U.N. Human Rights Council recently passed a resolution on “traditional values of humankind” as a vehicle for “promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms.” It sounds innocuous, but its implications are ominous. Indeed, it is an immediate threat to the rights of many vulnerable groups – including women and lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) people. And it flies in the face of the founding principles of universality and indivisibility enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

This is the third Russian-sponsored traditional values resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council. The second, in 2011, called for a study, and the resulting draft study is highly critical of “traditional values” as a framework, criticizing the concept as “vague, subjective and unclear.” The third, though, adopted on September 27, affirms traditional values as a valid framework for human rights.
Underpinning this is an argument that homosexuality is a moral issue and not a rights issue at all.

A pernicious development is the recent proliferation of laws in Eastern Europe and Central Asia that seek to curtain freedom of speech by clamping down on “homosexual propaganda” under the pretext of “protecting children.” These laws are vaguely defined and have the effect of outlawing any supportive messages or activism around LGBT issues.

French President François Hollande Tells UN to Decriminalize Homosexuality Around the World: VIDEO

French President François Hollande yesterday made an historic speech to the UN General Assembly, calling on the body to reject the criminalization of homosexuality around the world.

Hollande told those assembled that France would lead the way in an honorable fight for universal human freedoms:

Said Hollande: "France will continue to engage in all these struggles: for the abolition of the death penalty, for women's rights to equality and dignity, for the universal decriminalization of homosexuality, which should not be recognised as a crime but, on the contrary, recognized as a [sexual] orientation.

He added:"'All members countries have the obligation to guarantee the security of their citizens, and if one nation adheres to this obligation, it is then imperative that we, the United Nations, facilitate the necessary means to make that guarantee. These are the issues that France will lead and defend in the United Nations. I say this with seriousness. When there is paralysis... and inaction, then injustice and intolerance can find their place."

Watch an excerpt of Hollande's speech, AFTER THE JUMP...

Looking for a longer version, with translation. If I find it, I'll swap out.

Obama Condemns Violence Abroad, References Chris Stevens' Death, Extremist Video in UN Speech: WATCH

President Obama spoke to the 67th UN General Assembly today and opened his speech by recognizing slain Ambassador Chris Stevens and his colleagues, building his speech around the attacks on Stevens and what they mean with regard to freedom around the world, and referencing the video created to stir up anti-American extremists.

Here's part of the speech which you can watch in full, AFTER THE JUMP:

Now, I have made it clear that the United States government had nothing to do with this video, and I believe its message must be rejected by all who respect our common humanity.

It is an insult not only to Muslims, but to America as well — for as the city outside these walls makes clear, we are a country that has welcomed people of every race and every faith. We are home to Muslims who worship across our country. We not only respect the freedom of religion, we have laws that protect individuals from being harmed because of how they look or what they believe. We understand why people take offense to this video because millions of our citizens are among them.

I know there are some who ask why we don’t just ban such a video. And the answer is enshrined in our laws: Our Constitution protects the right to practice free speech.

Here in the United States, countless publications provoke offense. Like me, the majority of Americans are Christian, and yet we do not ban blasphemy against our most sacred beliefs. As President of our country and Commander-in-Chief of our military, I accept that people are going to call me awful things every day — (laughter) — and I will always defend their right to do so. (Applause.)

Americans have fought and died around the globe to protect the right of all people to express their views, even views that we profoundly disagree with. We do not do so because we support hateful speech, but because our founders understood that without such protections, the capacity of each individual to express their own views and practice their own faith may be threatened. We do so because in a diverse society, efforts to restrict speech can quickly become a tool to silence critics and oppress minorities.

We do so because given the power of faith in our lives, and the passion that religious differences can inflame, the strongest weapon against hateful speech is not repression; it is more speech — the voices of tolerance that rally against bigotry and blasphemy, and lift up the values of understanding and mutual respect.

Now, I know that not all countries in this body share this particular understanding of the protection of free speech. We recognize that. But in 2012, at a time when anyone with a cell phone can spread offensive views around the world with the click of a button, the notion that we can control the flow of information is obsolete. The question, then, is how do we respond?

And on this we must agree: There is no speech that justifies mindless violence. (Applause.) There are no words that excuse the killing of innocents. There’s no video that justifies an attack on an embassy. There’s no slander that provides an excuse for people to burn a restaurant in Lebanon, or destroy a school in Tunis, or cause death and destruction in Pakistan.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Beyoncé Promises to Leave Her Mark in 'I Was Here' VIDEO

Beyoncé dropped a new video for United Nations World Humanitarian Day over the weekend encouraging people around the world to make a difference. The video was taped in front of a live audience at the UN on August 10.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...