Muslim Countries Block LGBT Groups From Attending High-Level UN Meeting

The exclusion of LGBT groups "is becoming epidemic and severely damages the credibility of the UN," said UN Ambassador Samantha Powers.
From: NewNowNext

 A group of 51 Muslim countries has blocked LGBT organizations from participating in a high-level meeting at the United Nations focused on ending AIDS, leading to vocal protests across the U.S., Canada and Europe.

A representative from Egypt wrote a letter on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to Mogens Lykketoft, the president of the 193-member General Assembly, objecting to the participation of 11 groups in the meeting next month.

 Samantha Power, U.S. ambassador to the UN, blasted the letter—claiming the groups were only singled out because of their involvement in gay and trans issues.

“Given that transgender people are 49 times more likely to be living with HIV than the general population, their exclusion from the high-level meeting will only impede global progress in combating the HIV/Aids pandemic,” Power wrote in a letter to Lykketoft. “We are deeply concerned that at every negotiation on a new General Assembly gathering, the matter of NGO [non-governmental organization] participation is questioned and scrutinized.”

Along with Egypt, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation includes countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Indonesia, Sudan and Uganda.

The UN has long had difficulty in including LGBT groups in conversations that directly impact their communities: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has consistently faced opposition from Russia and China, as well as nations in Africa and the Arab world.

In her letter, Powers said the move to block LGBT-specific NGOs is “becoming epidemic” and “severely damages the credibility of the UN.”