Ban Ki-Moon: Africa Leaders Should Respect Gay Rights

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says African nations should stop treating gays as "second-class citizens, or even criminals".

Ban told African leaders that gathered in Ethiopia's capital on Sunday for an African Union summit that discrimination based on sexual orientation "had been ignored or even sanctioned by many states for far too long".

Ban said it would be challenging for Africa to "confront this discrimination". There was no immediate response from African heads of states to Ban's speech. Many African countries outlaw homosexuality and many African churches preach against it.

Comments

[relentless63]

06:05 PM on 02/01/2012

Standing and long, long ovation!!!!

[compajuan049]

02:06 PM on 01/30/2012

(By the way., Atheism would be considered under my analogy, an "absence of hair altogether ")

[compajuan049]

02:04 PM on 01/30/2012

Christianity is just a slightly different shade of hair color in the religious realm., being that hair is still hair and and religion is still religion ., no matter what banner it stands for.

[Korz53]

02:26 AM on 01/31/2012

Human nature is sinfull , and needs not even religion as to sin. Atheist sin, as well as agnostics. That is why one should seek God and be as God in righteousness.

Sin is the willingness to do and or do unjust evil, harm.

[mitGooner]

12:40 PM on 01/31/2012

The debate as to whether human nature is sinful or not hasn't been settled one way or the other. Just because religious dogma teaches that humans are sinful by nature doesn't mean we actually are.

As for seeking God, it necessarily relies on your first premise being true, which it hasn't been shown to be.

To use a very crude analogy: Imagine a doctor telling you that you have condition X, and that you must take medication Y to cure X. You accept the advice and follow through with it without questioning whether the doctor has any proof that you have X. Did he actually conduct any tests? Does he have evidence to warrant his conclusion that you have X? Furthermore, does medication Y actually cure X? Is the doctor just a shill for the drug company that produces medication Y?

[WheelsOnFire]

09:46 PM on 01/31/2012

There are so many differing gods that people worship that it's obvious they god shop until they find, like Goldilocks says, one that is just right.

And the concept of sin is not part of many religions. See sin everywhere if you want or need to, but most of the worlds does not subscribe to that notion.

[TarzanaGirl]

12:59 PM on 01/30/2012

If only members of the GOP were as HUMAN as Ban Ki-Moon???

[supreme7]

10:47 AM on 01/30/2012

okay mr.un,,,,you forgot about 100% of all arab nations in your gay rights speach,,,lets see how that goes over,,,,if you condemn 1 then you must condemn all,,,heck you cant even speak about these right in most caribbean nations in the western hemisphere,,jamaica,barbados and so on,,,i see gay rights is in the south african laws but is only practiced openly in the white communities,,,nothing against gays but you have christians of all nationalities being discriminated against in all muslim nations,,,and within the muslim nations you have sunni vs shia,,,so if your a black,white and gay and christian in any muslim country you are discriminated against,,,if you are from the countryside in china you cannot live in the city,,,if you are white or black in america you cannot live on native american reservations,,reservations means reserved,,so is the reservation of living styles in africa being challenged only in africa,,palestinians cannot live in certain israelie neighborhoods is this also being challenged by you mr. un chief,,,,if the justice is about equality then serve justice,,,,

[joemondo]

11:24 AM on 01/30/2012

Arab nations have been addressed similarly.

Try to be informed before you post. It will make you less ignorant.

[supreme7]

11:54 AM on 01/30/2012

yeah right...post this arab address...

[supreme7]

11:57 AM on 01/30/2012

this would have been major major newsnews....the muslim world would does it behind closed doors....lets see who is ignorant....

[LilaGrace]

12:13 PM on 01/30/2012

Who did you think he was talking to? He was addressing a gathering of African heads-of-state. He has already addressed those of Arab nations. Your indignation is misplaced. Also, if you are suggesting that whites or blacks are discriminated against because they are "kept off native american reservations", you must be smoking something. The US government put Native Americans on reservations so that they could steal their land. Native Americans are the ones who were discriminated against, stolen from, and slaughtered. Now you are saying we should be allowed to come and go as we please on the small amount of land they were allowed to keep? And no offense, but I am heartily sick of hearing Christians complain about being discriminated against, when they have been doing it to everyone else for over 2000 years. You cry about justice, but your idea of justice is lopsided and skewed.

[RockyMissouri]

11:41 AM on 01/31/2012

And calling that THEFT by a special name, as if god had ordained it...'manifest destiny' ...giving them permission to take what was NOT THEIRS....

[MartiniVirtuoso]

10:46 AM on 01/30/2012

He should say these things to the United States as well. If you think gay U.S. citizens live in a free society and aren't targeted, harrassed and their private lives made criminal by biased laws, you haven't been reading the news.

[Zork4]

11:15 AM on 01/30/2012

In several countries in Africa there are campaigns to make death the penalty for being Gay.

[Contact1972]

11:50 AM on 01/30/2012

In several countries in Africa there are campaigns to make death the penalty for being Gay.
**************************************************
You are correct but do not forget that it is American Evangelicals who wrote and pushed the 'kill the gays bill' in those countries.

[Contact1972]

11:52 AM on 01/30/2012

BTW-nice micro bio.

[joemondo]

11:25 AM on 01/30/2012

Gays are 2nd class citizens in the US, unarguably. But what he's addressing are laws in African nations that criminalize being gay, and some have come close to include capital punishment for it.

So there's some perspective.

[MartiniVirtuoso]

02:13 PM on 01/30/2012

I get the difference and I agree. But remember that many states still have sodomy laws (which are essentially making being gay illegal in how they are enforced) which they have refused to repeal even after the Supreme Court decision with the state of Texas. And remember that Rick Perry and Rick Santorum and presumably other GOP candidates say they think it SHOULD be on the books as illegal to be gay (these sodomy laws.) They support those laws. Less clear is what penalty they would impose. It may not be death, but they are basically advocating jail for gay people in THIS country. We shouldn't be too confident that we are SO different from the countries you reference. We may not be.

[RemarkingMark]

10:39 AM on 01/30/2012

If you truly believe in God, and that God is the Supreme Being, who created heaven and earth and all it encompasses, then why are you doubting him by crucifying the gay community? I am a straight male married 33 years to the same woman, and know a small number of gay people from both sexes, including some relatives. In my 57 years on this planet, not once did any of them try to force their sexuality on me. To those that believe that they chose to be gay, let me just set you straight. They are born that way. I don't have any idea how or what it is that causes this to be. I do know that from a very young age, everyone in our family knew my cousin was gay. There was no choice for him, he was who he was from the time he was born. We as a people need to just be accepting that God made us all different, for whatever reason. Would allowing gays to marry each other really make your life unbearable? Marriage is just a lawful joining of two people, hopefully in love with each other. If those are two men or two women, who cares? Lawful marriage gives certain rights to that couple. Why can't any two people have those rights? I am not going to question God in this matter. Who am I to question his reasoning. I will just accept them as God made them. You should too.

[Jennifer Mead]

11:26 AM on 01/30/2012

good post.

[WheelsOnFire]

09:49 PM on 01/31/2012

Brilliantly said, Mark.

If only more truly understood this matter as well as you do -- what an amazing country this would be.

[romano70]

10:34 AM on 01/30/2012

To other people commenting on these news, please do not quote the Bible. I don't care about your religion (and I have the right not to care also). So please realize that when you preach your truth, you are not making a convert of anyone. If anything, becuase your arguments are not logical, only faith-based, you are diminishing your position. Yes, diminishing it because last time I checked there was separation of church and state in this country. This means that religion-inspired laws are unconstitutional. So the only people in this country who are un-American are those who want to impose religious beliefs (anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage) are the religious right.

[Jennifer Mead]

11:28 AM on 01/30/2012

agreed, no religion should supersede our civil rights or beliefs in this country.

[WheelsOnFire]

09:49 PM on 01/31/2012

We need a banner: Keep Your Theocracy Out Of Our Democracy!

[fobesq]

10:27 AM on 01/30/2012

Intellifran thinks food and water are more important than human suffering and death caused at the hands of other human beings. In my opinion, not too "intell".

[Jennifer Mead]

11:42 AM on 01/30/2012

Agreed.

[sarapy]

10:08 AM on 01/30/2012

the irrelevant preaching to the criminals... that should go over well.

[brianopnmndd]

09:38 AM on 01/30/2012

Religious organizations made a bee-line to 3rd world Country's to teach them to detest homosexuality. They can no longer influence the "informed" modern populations, so they prey on the uninformed to help spread their hatred.

[Zork4]

11:16 AM on 01/30/2012

"The largest population of homosexuals are African American"

Where did you get this 'fact'?

[Jennifer Mead]

11:29 AM on 01/30/2012

lame. Homosexuality is about 10% of population, color of skin HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.

[WheelsOnFire]

09:54 PM on 01/31/2012

And a new long-term study just out by psychologists at Brock University in Ontario has found links between low intelligence and racism, prejudice and homophobia.

So, you're quite right about religious leaders preying upon the uninformed.

In addition, Pew surveys have found that those with lower intelligence cling to their bible and religion, and as intelligence rises people have less need for religion.

I'm still reading through the Brock research study and will post a link to it shortly. What I've read so far, though, is quite impressive.

[grimreaperhd]

09:38 AM on 01/30/2012

We could house a lot of homeless people in this building, time to evict the UN scum that don't even like us and put that building to good use for our own people.....

[felliott]

10:41 AM on 01/30/2012

Good idea. I'm hoping you'll be one of them.

[Zork4]

11:18 AM on 01/30/2012

UN is "scum" because the Secretary General opposes discrimination against Gay people?

[Apov]

09:36 AM on 01/30/2012

To my way of thinking, the abomination is "Christians" teaching hate against any group or individual.

"Christians" do have the right to explain their values to their flock and anyone interested in learning about their values.

Would "Christians" allow other religions to impose their values on "Christians"?

I think not.

Non-Christians certainly are not subject to "Christian" beliefs and therefore should not be judged by "Christians" for not living a "Christian" life style.

Unfortunately "Christians" have infected our nation with hate by insisting their values are the only values our nation should support.

I am unable to support or condone these "Christian" values.

[romano70]

10:30 AM on 01/30/2012

Thank you!

[Casey90293]

10:46 AM on 01/30/2012

The Muslim population outnumbers the Christian population in Africa. But those Muslims are much more tolerant right? I am sure you support and condone Muslim values then? Or are you just crying about Christians here?

Funny how you say, "Non-Christ­ians certainly are not subject to "Christian­" beliefs and therefore should not be judged by "Christian­s" for not living a "Christian­" life style" - meanwhile you are judging Christians. I hope the irony isn't wasted on you. You don't seem any better than the "Christians" you profess to hate.

[Zork4]

11:19 AM on 01/30/2012

The problem is religion. It doesn't really matter which one. They all have intolerant fundamentalists.

[Apov]

01:24 PM on 01/30/2012

Please don't use Republican tactics by putting words in my mouth.

I have not professed hatred against anyone.

I have merely professed that I can not support nor condone "Christian" values.

[Reggie Licious]

09:35 AM on 01/30/2012

Thank you!

[hlma-1]

09:33 AM on 01/30/2012

Well, this is a step forward, no matter whether the UN has legal power or not. The hatred of gayness is purely irrational, based on a repulsion felt by the majority toward sexual relations with someone of the same gender. There is nothing wrong with the repulsion per se until someone tries to say it's the voice of God. Gay people hurt no one, and they should be left alone.

[Erin84]

06:03 PM on 01/30/2012

You're right about their not being anything wrong with the repulsion toward the act, if it's not your thing. I am repulsed by the thought of sleeping with a man, and I'm a woman. Other women are repulsed by the thought of sleeping with women. It's when people translate that into repulsion toward people who have different preferences from them and pretend their preference is superior and the other is worthy of condemnation and ill-treatment that is wrong.

[RockyMissouri]

12:01 PM on 01/31/2012

Well said!