Reinfeldt and Obama have stood side by side and affirmed their
joint commitment to protect the human rights of LGBT people globally,
writes the US ambassador to Sweden as he explains why he is "anti
anti-gay".
Many of you may know the
story of Matthew Shepard a 21-year-old American university student who
was beaten, tortured and left to die for one reason -- he was gay. Tied
to a fence in a rural area, he was found eighteen hours after the
attack, mistaken as a scarecrow. Unable to recover from massive head
trauma, Matthew died six days later. This senseless crime, motivated by
hate and intolerance, was a tragedy that reminds us of the horror of
hate crimes.
Matthew’s
tragic fate is shared by too many people around the world simply
because of whom they love. One of the most poignant and personally
moving experiences I have had as ambassador to Sweden occurred this past
December, when Matthew’s parents, Dennis and Judy, came to Sweden and
shared an inspiring vision of hope through the non-profit foundation
they established in Matthew’s name. Their courageous 11-year fight to
pass anti-hate crime legislation in the US was recognized in 2009 when
President Obama signed the “Matthew Shepard Act.”
Saturday
marks International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT). It
marks the occasion in 1990 when the World Health Organization removed
homosexuality from its International Classification of Diseases. As we
stand in solidarity with LGBT family members, co-workers and friends,
it’s imperative that we stand up to the incredible ideological
regression occurring in parts of the world where governments are using
state sponsored media to breed hate and invoke fear.
No
country is immune to hate and the evil ideology that provokes violent
attacks. Discrimination against lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and
transgendered (LGBT) individuals is a shared struggle that still plagues
much of the world.
I
recently met with the International Rainbow Leaders, participants in a
program organized by RFSL that provides training and support for LGBT
advocates who put their lives at risk to promote equality in some of the
world’s most restrictive countries. Places where government
arbitrariness and rhetoric not only deny fundamentals human rights, but
silences, sometimes forcibly, any opposition. These courageous men and
women are fighting intolerance so no one has to face a fate like Matthew
Shepard.
Last
September, President Obama and Prime Minister Reinfeldt stood side by
side and affirmed their joint commitment to protect the human rights of
LGBT persons globally through support of the Global Equality Fund. As
but one example of that cooperation, the US and Sweden are funding the
Rainbow Leaders program. The Fund assists civil society organizations in
over 25 countries worldwide. The United States and Sweden are each
preparing a $6 million contribution of new resources to support its
efforts over the next three years.
Change
is not easy and doesn’t happen overnight. But policy reforms and the
supremacy of law over power eventually occur in societies that respect
an open exchange of ideas, promote rule of law, and protect individuals
who are willing to stand up for equality. America and Sweden were built
on these shared values. During his visit, President Obama said, “We
share a belief in the dignity and equality of every human being; that
our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters must be treated equally under
the law; that our societies are strengthened by diversity.” I’m proud
that the US is moving in the right direction.
Last
year, the US federal government recognized same-sex unions by opening
up thousands of government programs and offering benefits to same-sex
couples—a change that directly benefited several American diplomats
working here in Stockholm. To be clear: At US Embassy Stockholm, we are
anti-anti-gay. We’ve come a long way, but there is still more that must
be done.
In
closing, we can’t forget the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. that a
“threat to justice anywhere, is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Attacks
against the LGBT community, whether they happen in a small town in the
US, or as they’re happening now on a regular basis in Russia, are
affront to the fundamental values that define our societies in United
States and Europe.
The
fall of the Berlin Wall 25 years ago marked the end of the Cold War. It
was a triumph for universal human rights and it demonstrated the power
of people coming together and voicing opposition to moral and social
injustice. Recent events in Europe, including the Russian government’s
abhorrent treatment of the country’s LGBT community, as well as its
illegal annexation in Crimea and the restrictions it is placing on
freedom of expression, show we must remain vigilant. We cannot stand
silent as fundamental freedoms are whittled away and people are singled
out simply because of who they love. It is up to each of us to speak up,
act, and be “anti anti-gay.”
Mark Brzezinski, US ambassador to Sweden
1 comMENTS:
Leviticus 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
An Unholy Alliance
There was no Cold War
There was no Freedom
There was no War of Independence
Only the Illusion of Freedom
The Greatest Slave is the One Who thinks Himself Free
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