India Among a Cabal of Homophobes to Oppose UN Bill For Gay Rights

NEW DELHI: India, in an attempt to go international with its deep-seated homophobia, sided with the likes of Russia and Iran, among others, to ban the policy championing equal rights to same-sex couples among UN staffers.

The resolution brought by Russia was explained as an attempt to challenge the unilateral decision taken earlier by UN Security General, Ban-Ki-Moon, who had drafted a policy last summer which extended the equal entitlements to UN staffers with same-sex marriage status as those with a heterosexual marriage status.

The Security General is a spirited supporter of gay rights, and had even showed concerns over the pernicious comments made by a Goa minister against the LGBT community earlier this year, when latter called them “not normal”.

The move at General Assembly, however, was thwarted by a majority of 80 to 43. Among the nations, who backed the bill were the usual suspects, like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Kuwait, China, and Jordan.

Indian diplomats explained their stance as being in consonance with the legal status of homosexuality in India, since the Supreme Court had subverted the decision of a lower court in 2013 while subsequently criminalising the act of same-sex.

Also, hiding behind the cloak of propriety diplomats called this as a “serious matter” that Security general arrived at the decision without having consulted other nations and not taking the multilateral route.

"It was that unilateral decision that was the main reason for our vote," external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said in an interview with Telegraph. "This is not a simple matter."

United Status helmed the other end of the aisle, and denounced the resolution brought by Russia as an extension of its domestic policy to the UN.

US Permanent Representative to UN, Samantha Power, criticised the resolution completely uncalled for as it sets a dangerous precedent of challenging the Secretary General’s authority.

"We must speak plainly about what Russia tried to do today: diminish the authority of the UN Secretary-General and export to the UN its domestic hostility to LGBT rights," Power said, according to First Post.

However, the entitlements given to the same-sex couples among UN staffers has put Indian diplomats in fix over how should they be treated when they are posted in India, and if they can be treated as equal as per new policy, then why can’t the same rights be extended to the rest of the citizens of the country.

"What do we do when they come to India - recognise them or treat them as freaks ... "Will they, in India, be allowed to treat each other as legal heirs or dependents, just as an example? We don't know. We'll have to figure this out." An Indian official said to Telegraph.