17 June 2011
UN Body Passes Historic Anti-LGBT Discrimination Resolution

http://rodonline.typepad.com/rodonline/2011/06/un-body-passes-historic-anti-lgbt-discrimination-resolution.html

For the first time, the United Nations Human Rights Council has passed a resolution that affirms the universality of human rights, condemns discrimination and violence against LGBT persons and calls for a panel to review such acts, reports the AP.

The 47-member Human Rights Council voted 23 in favor and 19 against Friday, with 3 abstentions, for the resolution put forward by South Africa. It establishes a panel to review discrimination of gays and lesbians around the world. The resolution was backed by the United States, the European Union, Brazil and other Latin American countries. But African and Islamic countries, led by Nigeria and Pakistan, slammed the resolution saying it had "nothing to do with fundamental human rights."