GENERAL BAN KI-MOON'S HISTORIC SPEECH
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U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon gives historic speech
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U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon gives historic speech
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U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon delivered a historic speech at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, asking countries around the world to decriminalize same sex relationships, and end discrimination of LGBT people. The speech itself attracted some coverage, but what dominated the news that day was the response by the audience. Several members of the council, in an obviously pre-arranged move, staged a coordinated walk-out before the speech even began, a major breach of diplomatic protocol.
The message came through loud and clear: In 2012 there are still many governments around the world who take the firm stance that human rights are for some, but not for all. The walkout was a stark reminder that in many places around the world LGBT people are still demonized, criminalized, attacked and even killed for who they are. Seventy-six countries still criminalize being gay, and 10 countries make being gay punishable by death or life imprisonment. And the enemies of equality are on the move. Russia's second largest city, St. Petersburg, just passed a bill that would make it illegal to "say gay," and parliaments across Africa are entertaining laws that would further penalize, and even execute, gay people.
To make sure that Ban Ki-moon's powerful speech isn't drowned out by the haters, AllOut.org, an LGBT equality movement with close to a million members in every country of the world, decided to give it a new life, and give it a remix. "When someone like Ban Ki-moon speaks out, it makes a difference," said Andre Banks, Executive Director of AllOut.org. "But only if people hear what he has to say."
LINK TO THE PETITION
ABOUT ALLOUT.ORG
AllOut.org is a global campaign organization of over 800,000 people from 190 countries around the world dedicated to LGBT equality. A movement working online and on the ground to build a world in which everyone can live freely and be embraced for who they are, All Out is adding global people power to the historic fight for LGBT equality.
The message came through loud and clear: In 2012 there are still many governments around the world who take the firm stance that human rights are for some, but not for all. The walkout was a stark reminder that in many places around the world LGBT people are still demonized, criminalized, attacked and even killed for who they are. Seventy-six countries still criminalize being gay, and 10 countries make being gay punishable by death or life imprisonment. And the enemies of equality are on the move. Russia's second largest city, St. Petersburg, just passed a bill that would make it illegal to "say gay," and parliaments across Africa are entertaining laws that would further penalize, and even execute, gay people.
To make sure that Ban Ki-moon's powerful speech isn't drowned out by the haters, AllOut.org, an LGBT equality movement with close to a million members in every country of the world, decided to give it a new life, and give it a remix. "When someone like Ban Ki-moon speaks out, it makes a difference," said Andre Banks, Executive Director of AllOut.org. "But only if people hear what he has to say."
LINK TO THE PETITION
ABOUT ALLOUT.ORG
AllOut.org is a global campaign organization of over 800,000 people from 190 countries around the world dedicated to LGBT equality. A movement working online and on the ground to build a world in which everyone can live freely and be embraced for who they are, All Out is adding global people power to the historic fight for LGBT equality.
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