U.S. Diplomats Push Homosexual Issues on Developing World

By | November 29, 2018

Kelley Currie, U.S. Ambassador to the Economic and Social Council

VIENNA, November 30 (C-Fam) There are no obligations in international law on the question of “sexual orientation and gender identity” (SOGI), a catch-all phrase used to denote homo-and-trans-sexuality.

After nearly two decades of trying, homosexual advocates have failed to get the phrase mentioned in any hard law treaty and have gotten it mentioned in only a few non-binding resolutions at the UN. Various human rights committees at the UN have opined that SOGI is a part of international law, but these are non-binding suggestions governments are free to ignore.

The issue is a hot topic at the ongoing Universal Periodic Review, a UN process whereby nations come under scrutiny for violations of existing human rights treaties. In the just-concluded examination of 14 countries, the issue was pressed dozens of times mostly by Western countries on the more traditional countries of the developing world.

Even the United States under the Trump administration has gotten into the act. The Trump administration criticized both Senegal and Belize for failure to protect those with same-sex attractions and behaviors and those who are gender confused.

The U.S. representative specifically criticized Belize for lack of laws regarding violence as well as discrimination in housing, employment, and government services. It should be pointed out that the United States does not have any federal laws concerning homosexuals and employment. In fact, employment nondiscrimination acts have been dead on arrival at the U.S. Congress. Yet, oddly, U.S. negotiators are pushing a foreign country to pass laws the U.S. has never accepted.

The U.S. criticized Senegal for its laws against same-sex sexual activity, even though there is no international right to sodomy in international law [Editor’s note: C-Fam takes no position on anti-sodomy laws, but we recognize under international law, nations are free to decide these questions on their own]. The U.S. allowed the 50 states to outlaw sodomy until a few years ago until this was overturned by a mandate of the Supreme Court.

This is not the only venue where Trump negotiators have promoted homosexual issues. In a recent General Assembly debate, U.S. Ambassador to the Economic and Social Council Kelley Currie got visibly choked up when talking about homosexuals. When the Egyptian delegate attempted to respond to a question, Currie insulted him saying, “I am not really interested in Egypt’s opinion on this.”

Pro-lifers wish Currie would have been as emotional on the life issues. While the U.S. proposed substantial amendments to roll back abortion language, Currie made it clear the issue was not a red line for the U.S. and never pushed for a vote, even though the administration has a new policy of rolling back such language. What’s more, the U.S. did not include this issue in diplomatic cables to foreign nations before the General Assembly.

When Donald Trump spoke to the United Nations, he made it clear that his administration was keenly interested in respecting the national sovereignty of other nations. In recent days, he has called himself a nationalist which implies a preference for national decision-making as opposed to controversial rights being imposed by other countries and by international institutions. But it appears his representatives disagree with this position.

 

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