11 Dec 2012

UN / HOMOPHOBIA

Ahead of a special event at UN headquarters on the role of leadership in the fight against homophobia – featuring Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and singers Ricky Martin and Yvonne Chaka Chaka – the South African singer said “hiding behind culture” was not a valid excuse for discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. UNTV

Posted at: December 11, 2012 5:51 pm

Duration: 02:45

Available in: SD

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STORY: UN / HOMOPHOBIA
TRT: 2.44
SOURCE: UNTV 
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 11 DECEMBER 2011, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1.	Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

11 DECEMBER 2011, NEW YORK CITY

2.	Wide shot, Chaka Chaka, Ricky Martin and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the dais
3.	Pan right, audience
4.	SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
"LGBT people suffer discrimination because of their sexual orientation and gender identity at work, at clinics and hospitals, and in schools, the very places that should protect them. More than 76 countries still criminalize homosexuality. I am pained by this injustice. I am here to again denounce violence and demand action for true equality. Let me say this loud and clear: lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are entitled to the same rights as everyone else."
5.	Wide shot, audience applause
6.	SOUNDBITE (English) Ricky Martin, Singer and Activist:
"For many years I lived in fear. I thought that music had given me a lot of power. I was going around the world singing to stadiums full of people, and all I have to say is that I was living in fear. Because I was hating myself, because I grew up listening to a very crooked concept; you are gay, you belong in hell. It took me a minute to come out, but when I did, it felt incredible. That's what I mean, I wish I could do it again, and I wish I could stand in front of the cameras and talk to people that are struggling with their identity and just let them know that it is just beautiful." 
7.	Wide shot, audience applause
8.	Wide shot, dais
9.	SOUNDBITE (English) Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Singer and Activist:
"I respect culture very much but we should not be hiding behind culture. People are fighting today because of religion. People are fighting because all sorts of things. I think we need to stand as human beings and say, you can just discriminate, people should be what they want to be."	
10.	Med shot, journalists
11.	SOUNDBITE (English) Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Singer and Activist:
"I could not care less if my child brings an Indian girl home, or brings an albino, or brings Peter home. That is OK. If my sons just say to me, this is who I want to be with, I have to respect that and say that's OK."		
12.	Wide shot, journalists
13.	Wide shot, end of press conference

STORYLINE:

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today (11 December) denounced violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT) and demanded "action for true equality."

Speaking at a special event at UN headquarters celebrating Human Rights Day, the Secretary-General said "LGBT people suffer discrimination because of their sexual orientation and gender identity at work, at clinics and hospitals, and in schools, the very places that should protect them."

Noting that more than 76 countries still criminalize homosexuality, Ban said he was "pained by this injustice" and stressed that LGBT people "are entitled to the same rights as everyone else."

At the same event, internationally renowned actor and singer Ricky Martin, who came out publicly in 2010 after years of hiding his sexual orientation, said that he had been "living in fear" of people finding out he was gay.

Martin said he had grown up "listening to a very crooked concept; you are gay, you belong in hell."

He said he now wants to encourage "people that are struggling with their identity and just let them know that it is just beautiful."

At an earlier press conference, South African singer and activist Yvonne Chaka Chaka said "hiding behind culture" was not a valid excuse for discrimination against LGBT people.

Chaka Chaka told reporters "people should be what they want to be" and said that if one of her sons "brings an Indian girl home, or brings an albino, or brings Peter home, that is OK."

Chaka Chaka is known as the "Princess of Africa" and has been active for many years as a Goodwill Ambassador for the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, and, at the regional level in Southern Africa, for UNICEF.

The Secretary-General first launched an international appeal for action to violence and discrimination against LGBT people two years ago.

In June 2011, the Human Rights Council adopted the first UN resolution on violence and discrimination against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.

In December last year, the High Commissioner for Human Rights published the first official UN report documenting appalling abuse.