Diplomatic Disconnect

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Advocate columnist James Kirchick says the United Nations is the wrong venue to air grievances that America is anti-gay, and that "classifying the 'human rights' situation for American gays alongside the plight of those in most other countries is stunning in its myopia, minimizing the grievous situations faced by gays in unfree societies." (Link to the Advocate column)

8 Comments for “Diplomatic Disconnect”

  1. posted by Jorge on

    I cannot agree with this article, although I appreciate its fairness. As Americans, we do not need to answer to anybody but 1) ourselves as the pioneers of human rights and 2) to universal standards of human decency. The only tragedy is that other countries will interpret this not as self reflection but the politics of a backward nation, but that’s our fault for poor PR. Having high aspirations, or confilcts at high levels of aspiration, strengthens our case for holding other countries to basic standards.

  2. posted by McNeish on

    “ourselves as the pioneers of human rights” – Don’t make me laugh Jorge.

  3. posted by Jorge on

    OK. Who are the pioneers of human rights, then?

  4. posted by Reader on

    The phrase “we do not need to answer to anybody but ourselves” is precisely what ails the United States at this point in time. As far as gays are concerned, the U.S. is pioneering jack-squat human rights-wise and a significant portion of one of the two political parties is vocally hostile. Argentina, of all places, legalizes same-sex marriage in its legislature at the same time that the platform of Texas GOP pushes the recriminalization of “sodomy”. Pioneers indeed. It’s tragic that we are Patting ourselves on the back for something that happened 200 years before most of us were born while the rest of the civilized world actually continues building new freedoms.

    As for the “universal standards of human decency”, please. According to Mr Kirchick, the only happiness U.S. gays should have is entirely one of omission. We can’t live securely or have the same tools to take care of our families as the other 97% has, but praise the Lord, this isn’t Cameroon!

  5. posted by BobN on

    What an odd article. It is precisely the expectation of full equality, even in places as “advanced” as the U.S., that allows UN Secretary Generals to go to gay-rights backwaters and fight for freedom. Malawi can’t claim, “you’re just going after us cuz we’re African” when the UN chastises the U.S. as well.

  6. posted by Jorge on

    It’s tragic that we are Patting ourselves on the back for something that happened 200 years before most of us were born while the rest of the civilized world actually continues building new freedoms.

    Well, I appreciate that. I really do.

    But if the United States isn’t the paragon of human rights, and if there’s no such thing as a universal standard, then what is the standard? Who knows human rights the best? Since you know human rights better than the US does, I want to know where you picked that up from.

    It is very nice to to be on the same side of an issue with you for once, BobN.

  7. posted by Throbert McGee on

    According to Mr Kirchick, the only happiness U.S. gays should have is entirely one of omission.

    No, princess, it’s like this: the only “happiness” that gays (or anyone else) in America should have with a government guarantee is the happiness of being left alone.

  8. posted by Mario on

    I wonder how many Manhattan cocktail party lists James Kirchick was knocked off of because of that op-ed.

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