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GOP Congresswoman Blasts Anti-Gay Bias at the United Nations

United Nations Selects General Assembly President Who Advocates Criminalization of Homosexual Behavior

September 23, 2009

(Washington, DC) – Log Cabin Republicans Board Chairman Terry W. Hamilton commended the Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Illeana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), for her support of gay rights at the United Nations.

"Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen's comments continue to show extraordinary leadership concerning gay rights at home and abroad. We are heartened to know we can count on Rep. Ros-Lehtinen to challenge the United Nations on principles of freedom and equality while others stand idly by," commented Hamilton.

The newly elected president of the 64th General Assembly of the United Nations, Ali Abdussalam Treki, formerly the foreign minister of Libya, Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations from Libya and a chief-lieutenant in the government of Muammar Qaddafi, has been a vocal advocate for the criminalization of homosexual behavior.

President Barack Obama will make his first speech at the United Nations as President of the United States and will be followed immediately by Libyan President Muammar Qaddafi.

The statements made by Rep. Ros-Lehtinen are as follows:

"The anti-gay bigotry spewed by this Qaddafi shill demonstrates once again that the UN has been hijacked by advocates of hate and intolerance.

"Likewise, the leadership of the UN Development Program is held by the Iranian regime, which denies the presence of gays in Iran even as it murders them and other innocent citizens.

"We must ensure that billions annually in U.S. taxpayer dollars no longer foot the bill for the UN's anti-freedom agenda without significant reform.

"Congress must demand better by enacting pending legislation that would leverage our contributions to the UN to produce sweeping, meaningful reform of that body."

Ros-Lehtinen is the author of the United Nations Transparency, Accountability and Reform Act (H.R. 557), which seeks to combat anti-freedom bias within the UN. This bill enjoys the support of almost 100 cosponsors.