Gay rights activists at UN: No more bullying

UNITED NATIONS - Activists called on governments around the world to end homophobic bullying and violence, saying Thursday that gay rights are human rights that must be respected by all.

Judy Shepard, the mother of a young man murdered in an anti-gay crime in the US in 1998, told the United Nations gathering that people with different sexual identities and orientations are all human beings with similar aspirations.

Anti-gay violence “is hate, it’s ignorance to single out a group of people,” said Shepard, who with her husband founded the Matthew Shepard Foundation after their son was killed.

UN members, with their diverse religious and cultural sensibilities, are often deeply divided over the issue of gay rights.

The UN undersecretary-general for human rights, Ivan Simonovic, told the gathering that education and information are needed to end anti-gay violence.

Simonovic said a new UN study on violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, to be released in the coming weeks, should help.

“The fact that a report of this kind is being published is in itself a sign of progress at the United Nations,” he said. “I hope it will provide a basis for constructive dialogue.”

Simonovic read a statement by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who said he continues to be “dismayed” by homophobic bullying, noting that some young victims of the practice can become depressed, drop out of school or even commit suicide.