United States Ambassador to the United
Nations Susan E. Rice on Friday called for an end to homophobia in a
video message commemorating the International Day Against Homophobia
and Transphobia (IDAHO).
“Today, as we commemorate
International Day Against Homophobia, we rededicate ourselves to a
basic but essential truth – that human rights are universal and
must be protected for all,” Rice says in the nearly 2-minute video.
“Homophobia, sadly, is present in every corner of our world. And,
it is a problem we continue to face here in the United States.”
“At the United Nations, the United
States is standing up for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender individuals and fighting to ensure that their voices are
heard and protected. The United States was proud to co-sponsor and
adopt an historic resolution at the UN Human Rights Council
condemning human rights abuses and violations based on sexual
orientation and gender identity.”
“We will continue to work in every
possible arena to protect communities and promote societies in which
everyone – especially LGBT youth – can live safely and without
fear regardless of who they are or whom they love. We call on all
nations and all peoples to join us in ensuring that human rights are
universally protected everywhere every day.” (The video is
embedded on this page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)
The annual May 17th event is
the brainchild of Louis-Georges Tin, a professor and author of a
number of books, including the Dictionary of Homophobia.
IDAHO celebrates the 1990 date homosexuality was removed from the
World Health Organization's (WHO) International Classifications of
Diseases.