US Accused of Falsely Stating Vatican Position to Win Votes for Resolution on 'Sexual Orientation'

US State Department held meetings with Latin American delegations telling them the Vatican now supports the declaration calling for "sexual orientation and gender identity" to be new categories of non-discrimination in international law?

P>NEW YORK,NY (C-FAM) - The US Department of State is telling Latin American delegations to the United Nations that the Vatican has changed its position on a sexual orientation declaration that was just released at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, according to diplomatic sources in New York.

According to these sources, an official in Western Hemisphere Affairs at the US State Department has held a series of meetings with Latin American delegations telling them the Vatican now supports the declaration calling for "sexual orientation and gender identity" to be new categories of non-discrimination in international law. However, a high ranking source at the Holy See says these assertions are false and that the Holy See opposes the declaration being considered in Geneva.

When contacted, the official at the State Department confirmed the meetings took place but denied that any of the Latin American diplomats were told that the Holy See backed the declaration. Instead they were only told that the Holy See was against violence against all individuals including those based on their sexual orientation.

One source told the Friday Fax, "Several Latin American delegations have now thrown their support behind the declaration after incorrectly believing the Holy See supports it."

The declaration on "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" was introduced Tuesday at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.  The declaration, which was not voted on, draws upon similar declarations issued by EU-led coalitions at the UN General Assembly in 2008 and the Human Rights Council in 2006.  However, the most recent declaration takes the principles further by calling for these principles to be taken up by all human rights mechanisms, as well as calling for an end to "stigmatization" on any grounds.

"Human sexuality, like any voluntary activity, possesses a moral dimension," said Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, on behalf of the Holy See. "It is an activity which puts the individual will at the service of a finality; it is not an "identity". In other words, it comes from the action and not from the being, even though some tendencies or "sexual orientations" may have deep roots in the personality. Denying the moral dimension of sexuality leads to denying the freedom of the person in this matter, and undermines ultimately his/her ontological dignity," said Tomasi.

The declaration was signed by 85 countries, almost twenty more than the number who signed onto the 2008 General Assembly joint statement.  Three counter statements were made at the Human Rights Council, one by Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Countries, one by Nigeria on behalf of the African Group, and one by the Russian Federation.

In their statement in support of the "sexual orientation" declaration, the US stated that it was proud to join in support of "LGBT rights", which the delegate likened to the struggle for democracy in parts of the world, including the Middle East.  In a press release issued today, the US touted its role in securing 20 additional countries to sign onto this year's declaration, who had not signed onto the 2008 or 2006 statements.

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'This author writes for C-FAM. This article first appeared in the Friday Fax, an internet report published weekly by C-FAM (Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute), a New York and Washington DC-based research institute (www.c-fam.org). This article appears with permission."