U.S. diplomatic fashion statement: gay is the new black

I guess it's a good sign of the times that very little open discrimination is permissible or even tolerated today in the United States. Treating someone differently based on race or sex or religion or ethnicity by and large is disappearing, although of course some stubborn folks hang onto their outdated and generally castigated viewpoints.

However, there's still one group that it's okay to hate, to treat differently, to ostracize: the GLBT community. Yes, those nasty, dirty gays keep trying to get the same rights as normal people, but thank the baby Jeeeeeeeeezus that the Bush crime syndicate is in charge long enough to state what America's position ought to be on gay rights in the civilized world.

Alone among Western nations, the good ol' God-fearin', straight-shootin' U.S. of A. was the only one to vote against a United Nations measure urging the condemnation of criminal sanctions for homosexuality.

“How can we tolerate the fact that people are stoned, hanged, decapitated and tortured only because of their sexual orientation?” said Rama Yade, the French state secretary for human rights, noting that homosexuality is banned in nearly 80 countries and subject to the death penalty in at least six.

France decided to use the format of a declaration because it did not have the support for an official resolution. Read out by Ambassador Jorge Argüello of Argentina, the declaration was the first on gay rights read in the 192-member General Assembly itself.

Although laws against homosexuality are concentrated in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, more than one speaker addressing a separate conference on the declaration noted that the laws stemmed as much from the British colonial past as from religion or tradition.

Navanethem Pillay, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, speaking by video telephone, said that just like apartheid laws that criminalized sexual relations between different races, laws against homosexuality “are increasingly becoming recognized as anachronistic and as inconsistent both with international law and with traditional values of dignity, inclusion and respect for all.”

No, no, Commissioner Pillay, you don't understand: the baby Jeeeeeeeeezus hates the gays! Everyone knows that! Just ask Rick Warren! Therefore, they don't deserve the rights of normal people! After all , that's the official American position:

The official American position was based on highly technical legal grounds. The text, by using terminology like “without distinction of any kind,” was too broad because it might be interpreted as an attempt by the federal government to override states’ rights on issues like gay marriage, American diplomats and legal experts said.

“We are opposed to any discrimination, legally or politically, but the nature of our federal system prevents us from undertaking commitments and engagements where federal authorities don’t have jurisdiction,” said Alejandro D. Wolff, the deputy permanent representative.

In a word: bullshit. We all know the "official" U.S. position, and it has nothing to do with technicalities. In a country where opinions are diverging as fast as we can express them -- Connecticut says marriage for all is okay and New York will recognize out-of-state gay marriages, while California and Florida re-made it illegal (unnecessary from a legal standpoint, but politically quite powerful) --I think public opinion overall is shifting towards an acceptance of legal rights for GLBTs. But whatever your position on gay marriage, civil unions, and such, how can you justify a vote against basic human rights for other human beings who have done nothing worse than love someone with the same equipment? It's a travesty that this happens in America ... but it's still Drunky McStagger's America.

If only for 31 more days ...