David Cameron is going to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) this weekend with a personal aim of raising LGBT issues.
The UK prime minister will be armed with a new report highlighting the damage criminalization of LGBT people does to Commonwealth countries.
Homosexuality is criminalized in 40 out of 53 members of the Commonwealth Nations, with the laws dating from the time of British colonial rule.
Cameron personally asked for the report from the Human Dignity Trust and it has been welcomed as excellent by the UK’s Foreign Office. The report describes the criminalization of LGBT people:
- Leads to murder, assault, corrective rape and suicide.
- Increases police corruption, blackmail, torture and abuse by state officials.
- Hold back economic and business development.
- Make young LGBTIs the victim of violence, forced marriage, family rejection and damage their education and health.
- Is a key reason it’s impossible to bring HIV and AIDS under control.
- Violates international human rights laws.
- Make LGBTI people into second-class citizens, even when they are not enforced.
Commonwealth has 53 state members
The Conservative (Tory) Party in the U.K. is the party of gay liberation under David Cameron. Same-sex marriage was made legal under his Prime Ministership, and the U.K. has emerged as a leading force in the world in trying to convince countries not tolerant of LGBT rights -- including India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Nigeria and other nations to change their positions. However, this is the Commonwealth, and it is a voluntary association of former British Colonies who value their heritage and the head of the Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth 2, who herself has indicated her desire for gay equality in 2013, when she made a point of showing up in person (unusual) to sign the Commonwealth Charter which calls for "gender equality" and, as her televised speech before the signing said " “Our shared values of peace, democracy, development, justice and human rights–which are found in our new Commonwealth Charter–mean that we place special emphasis on including everyone in this goal, especially those who are vulnerable.”. The emphasis on those who are vulnerable was clearly seen as a message to include LGBT people in the charter for rights - which her staff at Buckingham Palace was clear to confirm when asked. Whatever the case, I am proud to be an LGBT British Conservative voter - and support my MP, Zac Goldsmith, who is currently running for Mayor of London and who will ensure that LGBT people will find all of London a safe place to live and socialize in all parts of the city.
ReplyDeletewow thanks Eddi for your masterclass about this issue, always interesting always informative, so good!
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