Restitutor Orbis

President Obama was a beacon of hope to the gay-lesbian community. Naturally, there was disappointment in his selection of Rick Warren to deliver the benediction at his inauguration, given Warren's belief that gay marriage is akin to pedophilia. I shared the outrage. I thought it was a mistake, and a wasted gesture as well. The Religious Right is not interested in compromise. Warren was castigated by the Right for endorsing a "pro-abortion" President. Nothing was accomplished. And Obama walked away with his image tarnished to a degree. He had said he would stand up for the gay-lesbian community, but if so, this was an awkward first step to say the least.

Now he has taken a step in the right direction by stating that the United States will reverse the stance of the Bush Administration on gay rights. According to the Chicago Tribune

The Obama administration will endorse a U.N. declaration calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality that then-President George W. Bush had refused to sign, The Associated Press has learned.

U.S. officials said Tuesday they had notified the declaration's French sponsors that the administration wants to be added as a supporter. The Bush administration was criticized in December when it was the only western government that refused to sign on.

The move is largely symbolic. The declaration has no force. We have no right to force other countries to adopt our point of view. But refusing to sign the declaration sent a message. Obama's reversal of Bush's position also sends a message; a positive one. "When it was voted on in December, 66 of the U.N.'s 192 member countries signed the declaration — which backers called a historic step to push the General Assembly to deal more forthrightly with anti-gay discrimination."

Of course, there is opposition, most of it from where we would expect it to originate:

But 70 U.N. members outlaw homosexuality — and in several, homosexual acts can be punished by execution. More than 50 nations, including members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, opposed the declaration.

Some Islamic countries said at the time that protecting sexual orientation could lead to "the social normalization and possibly the legalization of deplorable acts" such as pedophilia and incest. The declaration was also opposed by the Vatican.

Of course, we have to take into account the fact that the Catholic Church has opposed any human rights for anyone for approaching twenty centuries. They have a 2,000 year record of intolerance and bigotry. They're not about to change now. Their opinion might have more value, however, if they'd seriously address the issue of pedophilia among their clerical ranks. Apparently it's permissible to bugger children for god but not permissible for adults to bugger each other. And Islam? They have sex with little girls already. How will civil rights for homosexuals lead to pedophilia? They're already engaged in it.