WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Wednesday formally endorsed a U.N. statement calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality, a measure that former President George W. Bush had refused to sign.
The move was the administration’s latest in reversing Bush-era decisions that have been heavily criticized by human- rights groups and others. The U.S. was the only Western nation not to sign onto the declaration when it came up at the U.N. General Assembly in December.
“The United States supports the U.N.’s statement on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity and is pleased to join the other 66 U.N. member states who have declared their support of the statement,” said State Department spokesman Robert Wood.
Gay-rights groups hailed the move.
“The administration’s leadership on this issue will be a powerful rebuke of an earlier Bush administration position that sought to deny the universal application of human-rights protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals,” said Mark Bromley of the Council for Global Equality, which promotes equal rights for homosexuals.
Seventy 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.
