From Reuters: U.N. panel cuts gay reference from violence measure

(Reuters) - Arab and African nations succeeded Tuesday in getting a U.N. General Assembly panel to delete from a resolution condemning unjustified executions a specific reference to killings due to sexual orientation.

Western delegations expressed disappointment in the human rights committee’s vote to remove the reference to slayings due to sexual orientation from the resolution on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions.

In context:

On November 12, 2010, 54 nations introduced this agenda item, a resolution which condemns extrajudicial, summary, and arbitrary executions on discriminatory grounds. They do that every two years. Paragraph 6(b) reads:

[Urges all states] To ensure the effective protection of the right to life of all persons under
their jurisdiction and to investigate promptly and thoroughly all killings, including
those targeted at specific groups of persons … all killings committed for any discriminatory reason, including sexual orientation, as well as all other cases where a person’s right to life has been violated and to bring those responsible to justice before a competent, independent and impartial judiciary…

Mali and Morocco introduced the following amendment:

In operative paragraph 6 (b), replace any discriminatory reason, including sexual
orientation with discriminatory reasons on any basis

The amendment passed by a vote of 79-70, and the resolution as a whole by 165-0.

My take: Though orientation is no longer explicitly mentioned, “discriminatory reasons on any basis” may still include it depending on which country you ask. This may be a recipe for disaster if all it takes for such subjective language is to convince oneself that homophobia isn’t discrimination. Not a challenging task when you’ve got the likes of Scott Lively and Exodus International holding “curing” workshops in Uganda. Imagine my surprise that Uganda voted for the amendment.