U.S. votes against ban on death penalty for gay people

A United Nations resolution banning the death penalty for homosexuality was opposed by a total of 13 countries in the U.N. Human Rights Council. The United States surprisingly voted against the measure! Fortunately the resolution passed anyway, with 27 countries voting for the measure.

via NewNowNext

It was brought forward by eight nations – Belgium, Benin, Costa Rica, France, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, and Switzerland — which have made global LGBT rights a priority.

Along with the U.S., countries that voted against the resolution include Bangladesh, Botswana, Burundi, China, Japan, Qatar, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia (which currently has the death penalty for sodomy).

Previous efforts by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Russia to block or water down the resolution failed.