Decriminalization of Homosexuality in danger at the United Nations; new General Assembly President says Muslim faith makes it illegal

Ali Abdussalam Treki, the former Foreign Minister of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (Libya) assumed office as president of the United Nations General Assembly on September 15, 2009.

One of the first official statements of his office is outrageous and is being condemned by the International Lesbian & Gay Association ("ILGA") who is an advisory member at the United Nations.

It is truly said that the Organization of American States, whose concept predates the United Nations, passed resolutions recognizing LGBTI people last year. (previous story).

Even worse, the head of the United Nations, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (who replaced the longest serving head of the organization, Kofi Annan, who retired after serving 10 years) has made no official statement about General Assembly President Ali Abdussalam Treki's statement.

ILGA Statement:

ILGA is deeply worried and outraged by UN Assembly new President Ali Abdussalam Treki's failure to consider the protection of the life and safety of lesbians, gay men, trans, intersex and bisexual people all over the world a matter of human rights.

In an interview prior to his first address to the UN Assembly in his new role, Mr. Treki declared himself to be "not in favor at all" with reference to the Statement in favor of the decriminalization of homosexuality signed by 66 Countries and read by the Argentinian representative last December at the General Assembly in New York.

Furthermore, Mr. Treki said that the matter referred to by the Statement, i.e. decriminalization, was "not acceptable in the majority of the world" and that "there are some countries that allow that (sic), thinking it is a kind of democracy".

Considering that the Statement called for the Universal Decriminalization of Homosexuality, one cannot but conclude that the new President of the UN Assembly is... in favor of criminalizing lesbians and gay men, bisexual, trans and intersex people. The worrying and serious implications of this attitude, coming from the new head of an institution which is supposed to regard human rights – all human rights – as the most sacred value, cannot be overstated.

We appeal to the representatives of the States which signed the Statement against criminalization of homosexuality, but also voted for the election of Mr. Treki in his new position, to demand an explanation to the UN Assembly President for his words and react consequently.

Gloria Careaga & Renato Sabbadini
Co-Secretaries General, ILGA

Kentucky Equality Federation, an ILGA member added:

Electing a President of the General Assembly is a serious matter; Mr. Treki's statement about homosexuality is outrageous: "It is not acceptable in the majority of the world. And there are some countries that allow that, thinking it is a kind of democracy … I think it is not." He defended his stance by citing his Muslim faith and heritage.

"This is scary for our LGBTI family abroad; people who live in fear of being executed [and hundreds are daily] for being gay saw light at the end of the tunnel with the United Nations Statement; now, that light has been extinguished," stated Kentucky Equality Federation President Jordan Palmer. As president of the United Nations General Assembly, he was elected to office to represent all the people of the Earth, and not his Muslim faith; clearly, he has no understanding of the office he was elected and we echo ILGA's call to action. Kentucky Equality Federation will post an action alert within the next 24 hours so people can contact U.S. State Department Secretary Hilary Clinton to do as ILGA has request."

If the new President of the United Nations General Assembly thinks homosexuality is sick, and even added that "there are some countries that allow that, thinking it is a kind of democracy … I think it is not," he has effectively alienated himself from some powerful United Nations member states such as: Argentine Republic, Federative Republic of Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Commonwealth of Australia, Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Commonwealth of Dominica, Federal Republic of Germany, Kingdom of Belgium, Kingdom of Denmark (which also includes Greenland), Kingdom of Norway, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Kingdom of Spain, Kingdom of Sweden, New Zealand, Oriental Republic of Uruguay, Portuguese Republic, Republic of Finland, Republic of Hungary, Republic of Iceland, Republic of South Africa, State of Israel, Swiss Confederation, United Kingdom, United Mexican States, and the United States of America.

Not accepted by the majority of the world? How does he count? Sure, you have some large countries that oppose it such as the Russian Federation, and most Muslim countries make homosexuality criminal (most of the time punishable by death); but that is NOT the "majority of the world."

Religous Hate in Western Kentucky Borders on the Occult

Click here for the story from Hillbilly Report. Keep this in mind also:

"The plague of mankind is the fear and rejection of diversity: monotheism, monarchy, monogamy and, in our age, monomedicine. The belief that there is only one right way to live, only one right way to regulate religious, political, sexual, medical affairs is the root cause of the greatest threat to man: members of his own species, bent on ensuring his salvation, security, and sanity." - Thomas Szasz

I am a Christian, but separation of church and state MUST be maintained. Also, NEVER forget THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT as stated by Jesus: "Love thy God and thy neighbor with all of your heart and soul."

“If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen (1 John 4:20).” This verse not only speak to your biological brother, but all of mankind, all humans; they same holds true.

People have always twisted religion and religious views to suit their own selfish needs; if you do believe in a higher power, he/she/? is certainly more evolved and intelligent to ever condone hating your neighbor or imposing your will on another.

• Louisville Pastor (New Bethel Church) Urges His Flock to Bring Guns to Church

• Pope angers campaigners with speech seen as attack on homosexuality.

• California begins investigation into Mormon Church

• United Methodist Church: "homosexuality incompatible with Christian teaching."

• Several people shot at gay affirming church in Knoxville, Tennessee.

• KY's largest Methodist Church bars gays from membership.

• The Mormon Church; Roseanne and Lady Bunny protest companies owned by them.

• Against God's law?

• Dr. James Holsinger for anti-gay U.S. Surgeon General.

• Family Foundation wants religion to govern the land (judging from the signs they held).

• Gay marriage debate in Maine turns religious.

• Superstar Rob Thomas details the "The Big Gay Chip on His Shoulder"

• "Rip it from his throat!" a woman yells..... Church Performs Gay Exorcisms

Civil Rights Group Divided Over Gay Marriage - You either believe in liberty and equality for everyone, or no one..... end of story.

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the 50-year-old civil rights organization founded by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others, is seeking to remove the president of its Los Angeles chapter, Rev. Eric P. Lee, in response to his support of same-sex marriage in California.

The effort by the Atlanta-based organization is meeting stiff resistance in Los Angeles from both the board of the local chapter, whose chairman is secretary of the state’s Democratic Party, and the City Council president.

Well, kudos to Rev. Eric P. Lee for realizing that you 'cannot have it both ways.' You either believe in liberty and equality for everyone, or no one..... end of story.

Let us not forget that only 45 years ago black and white people could not marry in most states. In 1967 (42 years ago), the United States Supreme Court struck down all "Racial Integrity Acts," in Loving v. Commonwealth of Virginia, thereby overturning Pace v. State of Alabama (1883*) and ending all race-based legal restrictions on marriage in the United States.

* In 1883 the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that the State of Alabama's "Racial Integrity Act" statute was constitutional and legal; black and white people cannot marry. This ruling would stand until 1964 until McLaughlin v. State of Florida and in 1967 in Loving v. Commonwealth of Virginia.

Worse still, black and white people even living together (without being married) often resulted in them being arrested for living "in a state of adultery or fornication" and being sentenced to prison terms that sometimes reached 10 years or more.

To sum things up, I quote Coretta Scott King, widow of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. After her husband's assassination, she took on the leadership of the struggle for racial equality herself and became active in the Women's Movement, and an advocate for gay rights.

"Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood." - Coretta Scott King

The New York Times Reports More on this story:

While the Mormon Church raised a great deal of the money in support of the proposition, the role of African-American churches, and their voting parishioners, was not insignificant. The Edison/Mitofsky exit poll in California found that 70 percent of black voters backed the ban, which passed with 52 percent of the vote.

Mr. Lee said that his opposition to Proposition 8 had “created tension in my life I had never experienced with black clergy.”

“But it was clear to me,” he added, “that any time you deny one group of people the same right that other groups have, that is a clear violation of civil rights and I have to speak up on that.”

In April, Mr. Lee attended a board meeting of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Kansas City, Mo., and found himself once again in the minority position among his colleagues on the issue of same-sex marriage, but he was told, he said, by the group’s interim president, Byron Clay, that the organization publicly had a neutral position on the issue.

So a month later, Mr. Lee said, he was surprised to receive a call from the National Board of Directors summoning him immediately to Atlanta to explain why he had taken a position on same-sex marriage without the authority of the national board.

“The black church played a significant role in Proposition 8 passing,” Mr. Lee said. “The failure of the campaign was to presume that African-Americans would see this as a civil rights issue.”

"Rip it from his throat!" a woman yells..... Church Performs Gay Exorcisms

The video shows the 16-year-old boy lying on the floor, his body convulsing, as elders of a small Connecticut church cast a "homosexual demon" from his body.

"Rip it from his throat!" a woman yells. "Come on, you homosexual demon! You homosexual spirit, we call you out right now! Loose your grip, Lucifer!"

America was built on the concept of freedom of religion. I believe that people are free to choose and practice their own religious and spiritual beliefs in whatever way they choose — within certain limits. The state can, and has, interfered with religious freedom when it identifies the need to protect a child from harm. The question is: Does that apply in the case of a so-called gay exorcism?



Associated Press News Article

Manifested Glory Ministries

Louisville Pastor (New Bethel Church) Urges His Flock to Bring Guns to Church

Ken Pagano (pictured), the pastor of the New Bethel Church in Louisville, is passionate about gun rights. He shoots regularly at the local firing range, and his sermon two weeks ago was on “God, Guns, Gospel and Geometry.”

Saturday night, he is inviting his congregation of 150 and others to wear or carry their firearms into the sanctuary to “celebrate our rights as Americans!” as a promotional flier for the “open carry celebration” puts it.

With gay hate killings the highest in more than 10 years because of gay marriage, and an increasing number of gay pride events nationwide..... this puts the icing on the cake...... a religious leader with a gun; this particular minister may not be 'dangerous with a gun,' encouraging others could be disastrous.

More from the New York Times:

“God and guns were part of the foundation of this country,” Mr. Pagano, 49, said Wednesday in the small brick Assembly of God church, where a large wooden cross hung over the altar and two American flags jutted from side walls. “I don’t see any contradiction in this. Not every Christian denomination is pacifist.”

The bring-your-gun-to-church day, which will include a $1 raffle of a handgun, firearms safety lessons and a picnic, is another sign that the gun culture in the United States is thriving despite, or perhaps because of, President Obama’s election in November.

......

The National Rifle Association says its membership is up 30 percent since November. And several states have recently passed laws allowing gun owners to carry firearms in more places — bars, restaurants, cars and parks.

Of the 40 states with right-to-carry laws, 20 allow guns in churches.

Public attitudes also seem to be turning more sympathetic to gun owners. In April, the Pew Research Center found for the first time that almost as many people said it was more important to protect the rights of gun owners (45 percent) than to control gun ownership (49 percent). Just a year ago, Pew said, 58 percent said gun control was more important than the rights of gun owners (37 percent).

Gun-control advocates say they feel increasingly ineffective, especially after a recent spate of high-profile shootings, including last month’s murder, inside a church in Kansas, of a doctor who performed late-term abortions.

“We’ve definitely been marginalized,” said Pam Gersh, a public relations consultant here who helped organize a rally in Louisville in 2000, to coincide with the Million Mom March against guns in Washington.

“The Brady Campaign and other similar organizations who advocate sensible gun responsibility laws don’t have the money and the political power — not even close,” she said. “This pastor is obviously crossing a line here and saying ‘I can even take my guns to church, and there is nothing you can do about it.’ ”

Mr. Pagano said the church’s insurance company, which he would not identify, had canceled the church’s policy for the day on Saturday and told him that it would cancel the policy for good at the end of the year. If he cannot find insurance for Saturday, people will not be allowed in openly carrying their guns.

Arkansas and Georgia recently rejected efforts to allow people to carry concealed weapons in church. Watching the debate in Arkansas was John Phillips, pastor of the Central Church of Christ in Little Rock. In 1986, Mr. Phillips was preaching in a different church there when a gunman shot him and a parishioner. Both survived, but Mr. Phillips, 51, still has a bullet lodged in his spine.

In a telephone interview, he said he found the idea of “packing in the pew” abhorrent.

“There is a movement afoot across the nation, with the gun lobby pushing the envelope, trying to allow concealed weapons to be carried in places where they used to be prohibited — churches, schools, bars,” Mr. Phillips said.

“I don’t understand how any minister who is familiar with the teachings of the Bible can do this,” he added. “Jesus didn’t say, ‘Go ahead, make my day.’ ”

Mr. Pagano takes such comments as a challenge to his faith and says they make him more determined.

“When someone from within the church tells me that being a Christian and having firearms are contradictions, that they’re incompatible with the Gospel — baloney,” he said. “As soon as you start saying that it’s not something that Christians do, well, guns are just the foil. The issue now is the Gospel. So in a sense, it does become a crusade. Now the Gospel is at stake.”