South Africa: Condemn Extrajudicial Killings on the Basis of Sexual Orientation

The Issue

The UN General Assembly recently voted on a resolution condemning extrajudicial killings on the basis of national, racial, ethnic, religious or linguistic group status. Sexual orientation was also supposed to be included in this list, but a host of mostly African nations voted to remove sexual orientation from the resolution. They won by nine votes.

Some fiercely anti-gay countries were behind this move. Uganda, Iran, Mali, Zimbabwe, Saudi Arabia, and Somalia all voted to remove sexual orientation from this resolution. But shockingly enough, so did South Africa, a country that supposedly values the participation of LGBT people in its society, and provides legal recognition to same-sex couples.

Send the South Africa Permanent Mission to the United Nations a message that their vote to remove sexual orientation from this resolution was both immoral and outrageous. Giving even tacit approval to countries that murder LGBT people is reprehensible. But to actively vote in partnership with countries that want to execute gay people? That's downright shameful. South Africa failed to live up to its human rights commitments, and they should hear from the global community about it.

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Michael JonesPetition StarterManaging Director of Campaigns @ Change.org. On the side I write some sketch comedy, and enjoy being the proud parent of the best dog on the planet.
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The Issue

The UN General Assembly recently voted on a resolution condemning extrajudicial killings on the basis of national, racial, ethnic, religious or linguistic group status. Sexual orientation was also supposed to be included in this list, but a host of mostly African nations voted to remove sexual orientation from the resolution. They won by nine votes.

Some fiercely anti-gay countries were behind this move. Uganda, Iran, Mali, Zimbabwe, Saudi Arabia, and Somalia all voted to remove sexual orientation from this resolution. But shockingly enough, so did South Africa, a country that supposedly values the participation of LGBT people in its society, and provides legal recognition to same-sex couples.

Send the South Africa Permanent Mission to the United Nations a message that their vote to remove sexual orientation from this resolution was both immoral and outrageous. Giving even tacit approval to countries that murder LGBT people is reprehensible. But to actively vote in partnership with countries that want to execute gay people? That's downright shameful. South Africa failed to live up to its human rights commitments, and they should hear from the global community about it.

avatar of the starter
Michael JonesPetition StarterManaging Director of Campaigns @ Change.org. On the side I write some sketch comedy, and enjoy being the proud parent of the best dog on the planet.

The Decision Makers

Permanent Mission of South Africa to the United Nations
Permanent Mission of South Africa to the United Nations

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