UN LGBT Stamps Generate Major Pushback from Pro-Family Member Countries

Feb 8, 2016 by Jill

By Sharon Slater, Family Watch International

Friday, February 5th, 2016 the United Nations Postal Administration issued a series of stamps promoting homosexuality and transgenderism. While the UN periodically issues stamps to promote various positions or to commemorate events, such stamps are usually non-controversial. However, these provocative stamps depict same-sex couples embracing, a homosexual couple with a child, and a butterfly that symbolizes transgenderism.

The stamp launch was part of the UN Human Rights Office “Free and Equal” campaign that is promoting LGBT rights worldwide, much to the consternation of many UN Member States that oppose this campaign. The launch ceremony featured the New York Gay Men’s Choir.

However, the launch of these LGBT stamps has sparked a major pushback against the radical sexual rights agenda at the United Nations from two major sources. First, on Monday, February 1, 2016, Ambassador Usman Sarki of Nigeria, issued a formal statement at the UN Commission on Social Development calling upon the United Nations to cease promoting LGBT rights under the banner of the UN. He warned that such actions do not have the support of the majority of UN member countries, and he criticized UN officials and entities for acting outside of their mandates.

This is just the latest of Ambassador Sarki’s eloquent and courageous actions in defense of the family and family values at the UN. Indeed, Ambassador Sarki s is one of the most recent recipients of Family Watch International’s “Stand for the Family” Award as he has truly been a valiant leader at the UN in standing up for the family. (See his full statement below).

The second major pushback was a strongly worded letter issued by the “Group of Friends of the Family” coalition of UN Member States. This letter, signed by three UN Ambassadors representing Belarus, Egypt and Qatar and additionally representing Bangladesh, Comoros, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Yemen, Uganda, and Zimbabwe pointedly noted that,

“The decision to issue these stamps effectively seeks to promote priorities and agenda on matters of sexual orientation and gender identity that are supported by a distinct minority of the UN Member States yet are vehemently and as a matter of strongly held principle opposed by the rest of the Organization’s membership.”

The letter also notes that such actions by UN bureaucracies “thwarts in a most unfortunate manner” the need to foster “unity, dialogue and mutual respect” among UN Member States. We have also attached their excellent letter.

These and similar actions by UN bureaucrats to promote the sexual rights agenda, going far beyond what has been agreed to by UN Member States, have been slowly undermining the family and family values in recent decades. In the past these bureaucrats have been successful, largely because there has been no organized pushback to rein them in and force them to keep within internationally agreed upon policy boundaries.

While we have certainly not yet won the fight for the family and family values at the UN, we are pleased to see that more and more nations are standing up to the developed countries and UN agencies that are increasingly pressuring them to change their religious and cultural values and their sexual and gender norms.

We applaud once again Ambassador Usman Sarki and the “Group of Friends of the Family” states for their firm and unwavering position in support of the family.

Read letter here