Trump Admin. Votes Against UN Resolution Condemning Death Penalty for Same-Sex Relations

In 13 countries being gay, lesbian or bisexual is currently punishable by death penalty.

Trump speaking in Paris
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In 13 countries being gay, lesbian or bisexual is currently punishable by death penalty. A recent United Nations resolution condemns the use of the death penalty in instances of religious blasphemy, adultery, and same-sex relations. Fortunately (and of no help from the United States), the resolution passed 27-13, with seven nations abstaining. America joined just 12 other countries—including Burundi, China, Egypt, India, Iraq, Japan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia—in voting against the United Nations Human Rights Council’s resolution.

Trump voted that he believes same-sex relations should be punishable by death penalty. Allow the severity of that news to sink in.

The Trump administration has yet to provide an explanation for this vote on the US State Department website.

The UN resolution, which is now in place thanks to the 27 countries who voted it through, used language that does not outright condemn the death penalty, just in certain instances of human rights issues. The resolution requests countries that have yet to ban the death penalty to “ensure that it is not applied on the basis of discriminatory laws or as a result of discriminatory or arbitrary application of the law.”

“Ambassador Haley has failed the LGBTQ community by not standing up against the barbaric use of the death penalty to punish individuals in same-sex relationships,” said Ty Cobb, director of HRC Global in a statement. “While the U.N. Human Rights Council took this crucially important step, the Trump/Pence administration failed to show leadership on the world stage by not championing this critical measure. This administration’s blatant disregard for human rights and LGBTQ lives around the world is beyond disgraceful.”

45 and his administration have continually shown blatant disregard for the LGBTQ community. However, the actions taken by this current administration as of late have been outright violent towards our community at large.


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