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Wayne Besen
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At a state department briefing, Secretary of State Condi Rice was asked an interesting question. Her answer was welcome. However, maybe her recent trip to Europe fooled her into thinking that she represents a more open-minded nation. She seems unaware of the mounting persecution against gay people in America. Does Rice's rhetoric match the Bush Administration's dismal record? If you believe it does, I have a mushroom cloud to sell you. While I'm glad she is concerned with China, maybe she should take a trip to the American south to see how gay people are mistreated.
QUESTION: Moving on from Iraq, let's talk about human rights a bit. We are here in San Francisco and there's a question, what are you doing to ensure that countries like China and Egypt uphold the civil rights of its gay citizens, of their gay citizens?
SECRETARY RICE: Well, obviously, from our point of view, a democratic and tolerant society is exactly that. It is a society in which all people are included. It does not matter what race, what gender, it does not matter what sexual orientation -- all that matters is that you are a citizen of that country. And indeed, we note that in countries that are democratic, in countries where there can be pressure on government, in countries where there can be checks and balances on government, then the rights and -- the rights of the most vulnerable in society tend to be more protected.
And so we are concentrating in places like China and in Egypt and in other places on human rights. Whenever we have discussions with these countries, we talk about human rights. And the United States issues something called a Human Rights Report every year that talks about the human rights conditions in each country and so -- very much in line with the notion that every citizen needs to be represented and rights protected. We believe that this is the way to handle this situation.
5 Comments:
Rice should be applauded for what she said. I'm gay and from the deep south and I have faced no discrimination. Anti-gay bias is a fantasy from gay activists who like to stir up the tea pot. If we would all just tone it down, people might accept us. It is our own fault we don't have our rights.
Marty, I suggest you take a look at the websites of the following organizations and educate yourself on anti-gay bias: - Focus on the Family - Family Research Council - Traditional Values Coalition - Lifesite - Concerned Women for America - GodHatesFags.com This is no fantasy, it is reality. Wake Up! Anti-gay bias is more than just bias, it is an outright assault. These organizations see you as a non-person and will do whatever it takes to keep you there. Don't take this for granted. You may not have faced discrimination and that's great, but millions have. In many places in the world, we are executed for even being suspected of being homosexual, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Figi, Maldives to name a few. In the US and Canada, the organizations mentioned above are winning their assault on gays, do not be complacent about this because it affects all of us. Those of us who are not facing discrimination need to speak up and stop it for those who are. Oh, and Rice should be booed not applauded, she has no idea of how serious this problem in her own country is while she chides other nations for human rights abuses, it is occuring right under her smug nose and she fails to acknowledge this because she condones it. As well, it is not our fault that we don't have rights, it falls on those who see as as non-human. Get educated man! Tim W.
posted by Anonymous, at
5/31/2005 9:07 AM
Marty.... SELMA, ALABAMA???!!! Is this a joke post or are you a troll? Or maybe, you are gay and not out. Walk downtown, meet 10 people you don't know and proudly tell them that you are gay. After you come back from the hospital, if you come back from the hospital, email us again. You will be singing a different tune.
