---

United States Backs UN NGO Status for Homosexual Activist Groups Once Associated with Pedophiles

By John-Henry Westen

NEW YORK, May 19, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In a move that has pro-family groups shaking their heads, the United States has backed the application of homosexual activist groups to acquire special status at the United Nations.  A coalition of largely Asian and African countries sought to dismiss the applications for NGO status of two homosexual activist groups which they felt had not yet sufficiently distanced themselves from pedophilia, and were moreover doubtful of the contributions that the groups would make to the UN's work.

At a meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council Committee on NGO's Tuesday, Iran, with the backing of eight countries, proposed the rejection of the application of 'Lesbian and Gay Federation in Germany'.  In submitting her proposal, the representative of Iran, supported by the representative of the Sudan, said concerns about paedophilia had in earlier sessions lead to the rejection of the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) application. It seemed that now, she contended, that NGOs affiliated with ILGA were applying.  It was not clear whether ILGA and affiliated organizations had taken sufficient measures to prevent or fight paedophilia, she stated.

Immediately, Germany attempted to quash the measure by tactics rather than a simple vote on the issue.  Germany submitted a motion of 'no action'.  The tactical manoeuvre to scuttle the proposal to reject the homosexual activist group,was supported by the United States, as well as Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Peru and Romania.   The US was represented at the meeting by Mariano Ceinos-Cox.

However the motion to take no action was defeated by the block of nine countries.

The vote on Iran's proposal ensued and again the United States voted against the measure.  In the end, the Committee rejected NGO status for the homosexual activist group  in a recorded vote of 9 in favour (Cameroon, China, Côte d'Ivoire, Iran, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Senegal, Sudan and Zimbabwe), 7 against (Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Peru, Romania and the United States), and 2 abstentions (India and Turkey).

The exact same scenario played out Wednesday with another homosexual activist group ILGA-Europe.  Again the nine countries backed the proposal with Germany unsuccessfully attempting the delay tactic with its contingent of support which included the US.  And again the measure passed with the votes the same as the day previous.

The countries which lost the vote on the issue were bitter.  Germany and France especially complained of a "discriminatory trend" and an unfair process, however other countries noted that due process was followed.

The Vatican representative, who has only observer status in the committee, took issue with the notion that the demands of homosexual activist organizations had anything to do with human rights.  Msgr. Ruben Dimaculangan said sexual orientation was not comparable to race or ethnic origin and homosexuality was not a positive source of human rights.  He suggested such groups were in fact not asking for equal rights, but for special rights.

LifeSiteNews.com contacted the US State Department to inquire about its support of NGO status at the United Nations for homosexual activist groups.  Calls were not returned by press time.

The International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) obtained NGO status with the United Nations in 1993, but thereafter many countries complained of its formal association with pedophile groups including the notorious North American Man-Boy Love Association (NAMBLA).  Opposition from the US was particularly intense.  In 1994, former President Bill Clinton signed into law a bill proposed by Republican Senator Jesse Helms to withhold $119 million in U.N. contributions until it could be shown that "no UN agency grants any official status, accreditation, or recognition to any organization which promotes, condones, or seeks the legalization of pedophilia, that is, the sexual abuse of children".

ILGA scrambled to expel NAMBLA and similar groups but the UN revoked its NGO status.  ILGA still has resolutions which are inline with NAMBLA, namely those against age of consent for sexual activity laws.

 Back to Top

---

MORE NEWS: LifeSiteNews.com Home Page  Last 10 Days   Archives   Special Reports

Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.