Discrimination in all its forms
Today's Zaman, Nicole Pope
June 20, 2011
Pride week, organized by organizations defending gay, lesbian and transgender people, has just begun in İstanbul. With this latest series of events, which will culminate in a rainbow march against discrimination, these groups aim to break taboos and promote greater tolerance for different gender orientations.
Although homosexuality is not illegal in Turkey, it remains a divisive issue. In many other parts of the world, it continues to provoke heated debates, but a UN resolution adopted last week in Geneva suggests that the global balance is tipping in favor of more tolerance.
The resolution approved on June 17, 2011 by the 47-member UN Human Rights Council is the first UN document that specifically condemns discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and recognizes it as a violation of human rights. But the text, sponsored by South Africa, was adopted by a slim majority of 23 countries, with 19 against and three abstentions. And the debate it has triggered is unlikely to die down.
In spite of the South African input, the nations that voted in favor were mostly Western. Even in Western democracies, conservative segments of the population still express great unease -- if not open hostility -- toward homosexuality. But at official levels and in mainstream society, the trend toward accepting that sexuality is a private matter, and therefore, that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation constitutes a violation of individual rights has gained momentum. It is this approach that has now been given the official UN stamp of approval.
The document voted in by the UN Human Rights Council may not be binding, but it has now enshrined sexual orientation as a personal choice to be respected in international law, strengthening the hand of activists, and it will allow international bodies to monitor the situation worldwide. The council has now commissioned a global report on discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
But even carefully worded to take into account cultural sensitivities in many countries, the text was still fiercely opposed by Muslim nations, as well as by the Vatican and by a few other countries including Russia. In several countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Sudan and Yemen, homosexuality can still incur the death penalty. In more than 70 nations, it is still considered illegal. Aside from official criminalization, many people face discrimination and violence in the societies where they live for their sexual identity and lifestyle choices.
Discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion is already banned in Turkish law. But rights activists have so far failed to get sexual orientation added to the list. Yet surveys by human rights groups suggest abuse and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity is rife. Human Rights Watch published a grim report in 2008 on the situation of homosexuals in Turkey and the German Democratic Turkey Forum counted 15 deaths between Jan. 1 and Oct. 10, 2007 attributed to sexual identity issues. Three years ago, the murder in Turkey of Ahmet Yildiz, killed by his own father after revealing he was gay, hit headlines around the world.
What the UN resolution protects, ultimately, is the basic right of people to live free of abuse and violence. Many people in Turkey may disapprove of homosexuality, but it is hard to argue against a text that protects people's right to live in dignity and without fear. At a time when Turkey is considering a new constitution, providing better protection against discrimination, including on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation, should be part of the discussion.
Original Link of this News Article: Discrimination in all its forms
June 20, 2011
Pride week, organized by organizations defending gay, lesbian and transgender people, has just begun in İstanbul. With this latest series of events, which will culminate in a rainbow march against discrimination, these groups aim to break taboos and promote greater tolerance for different gender orientations.
Although homosexuality is not illegal in Turkey, it remains a divisive issue. In many other parts of the world, it continues to provoke heated debates, but a UN resolution adopted last week in Geneva suggests that the global balance is tipping in favor of more tolerance.
The resolution approved on June 17, 2011 by the 47-member UN Human Rights Council is the first UN document that specifically condemns discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and recognizes it as a violation of human rights. But the text, sponsored by South Africa, was adopted by a slim majority of 23 countries, with 19 against and three abstentions. And the debate it has triggered is unlikely to die down.
In spite of the South African input, the nations that voted in favor were mostly Western. Even in Western democracies, conservative segments of the population still express great unease -- if not open hostility -- toward homosexuality. But at official levels and in mainstream society, the trend toward accepting that sexuality is a private matter, and therefore, that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation constitutes a violation of individual rights has gained momentum. It is this approach that has now been given the official UN stamp of approval.
The document voted in by the UN Human Rights Council may not be binding, but it has now enshrined sexual orientation as a personal choice to be respected in international law, strengthening the hand of activists, and it will allow international bodies to monitor the situation worldwide. The council has now commissioned a global report on discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
But even carefully worded to take into account cultural sensitivities in many countries, the text was still fiercely opposed by Muslim nations, as well as by the Vatican and by a few other countries including Russia. In several countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Sudan and Yemen, homosexuality can still incur the death penalty. In more than 70 nations, it is still considered illegal. Aside from official criminalization, many people face discrimination and violence in the societies where they live for their sexual identity and lifestyle choices.
Discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion is already banned in Turkish law. But rights activists have so far failed to get sexual orientation added to the list. Yet surveys by human rights groups suggest abuse and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity is rife. Human Rights Watch published a grim report in 2008 on the situation of homosexuals in Turkey and the German Democratic Turkey Forum counted 15 deaths between Jan. 1 and Oct. 10, 2007 attributed to sexual identity issues. Three years ago, the murder in Turkey of Ahmet Yildiz, killed by his own father after revealing he was gay, hit headlines around the world.
What the UN resolution protects, ultimately, is the basic right of people to live free of abuse and violence. Many people in Turkey may disapprove of homosexuality, but it is hard to argue against a text that protects people's right to live in dignity and without fear. At a time when Turkey is considering a new constitution, providing better protection against discrimination, including on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation, should be part of the discussion.
Original Link of this News Article: Discrimination in all its forms
