By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, December 21 -- Lesbians and gays were added Tuesday to a UN resolution against extrajudicial executions from which the US abstained.
In the run up to the vote, not only the United Arab Emirates for the Arab Group and Tajikistan for the Organization of the Islamic Conference but also Benin for the Africa Group urged that the LGBT amendment be opposed.
Zimbabwe went further, openly referring to bestiality and saying “we won't have it foisted on us!” To the surprise of some, both South Africa and Rwanda said they would vote for the LGBT amendment, both based on evidence that gays and lesbians are disproportionately targeted.
Rick Barton of the US Mission to the UN introduced the amendment, and did not mention that the US would in fact abstain from the resolution barring extrajudicial executions, related it's reported to criticism of the US' use of drones in Pakistan and elsewhere.
The vote on the LGBT amendment was 93 for, 55 against and 27 abstaining. With it added, the overall extrajudicial executions resolution passed 122 for, 1 against, 62 abstaining - including the US.
Prior to the vote, Inner City Press asked the acting Deputy Spokesman for Secretary General Ban Ki-moon if he had any guidance for member states on the LGBT amendment. No, spokesman Farhan Haq said.
In other voting, a resolution for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty passed 109 for moratorium, the US and 40 more against it, and 35 abstaining. The Defamation of Religion resolution passed 79 for, 67 against and 40 abstaining.
