In another move to cut ties with the former Bush administration, sources confirmed President Barack Obama is set to sign the United Nation’s Gay Rights Declaration becoming the final western nation to declare its intolerance of discrimination and criminalization of homosexuality.
Former President George W. Bush, “flat out refused to sign the document, though his administration did sign a similar statement issued by the Organization of American States.”
The French sponsored bill declares in no uncertain terms that the undersigned, "condemn the human rights violations based on sexual orientation or gender identity wherever they occur." The U.S. was widely criticized when President Bush refused to sign in December, after all other 27 European Union members had-- in addition to Japan, Mexico, Australia and over 30 more countries.
The anonymous official spoke to MSNBC.com of the importance of the new President Elect’s decision to defend human rights across the board:
"The United States is an outspoken defender of human rights and critic of human rights abuses around the world," said one official. "As such, we join with the other supporters of this statement and we will continue to remind countries of the importance of respecting the human rights of all people in all appropriate international forum," the source continued.
The official added that the United States was concerned about "violence and human rights abuses against gay, lesbian, transsexual and bisexual individuals" and was also "troubled by the criminalization of sexual orientation in many countries."
"In the words of the United States Supreme Court, the right to be free from criminalization on the basis of sexual orientation 'has been accepted as an integral part of human freedom'," the official said.
Unfortunately, the measure is still opposed by over 50 nations.
A shockingly disproportionate 70 countries in the U.N. still criminalize homosexuality; in some even punishable by death.
President Elect Obama promised to battle inequality faced by LGBT Americans in his open letter to the community during his campaigning.
