Watch: LGBT Rights are Human Rights

In commemoration of Human Rights Day this Saturday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a breakthrough policy speech today focused on the protection of LGBT Rights. Secretary Clinton’s speech is preceded by President Obama’s announcement of a new directive to protect LGBT rights across U.S. government agencies. Currently, over 70 countries continue to criminalize LGBT’s and same sex relationships. For several years, the U.S. State Department’s annual human rights report has documented a growing crisis in how LGBT people are treated around the world. With today’s speech, Secretary Clinton puts the United States unambiguously behind efforts to end the criminalization of same-sex relations and relationships. Earlier this year, the U.N. Human Rights Council passed its first-ever formal resolution that calls on all countries to combat violence and discrimination committed against individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This breakthrough resolution was spearheaded by South Africa and Brazil with strong diplomatic support from the United States. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay will present a study on LGBT human rights to U.N. member states in March 2012. This report will continue the discussion on how to best ensure that the protection of universal human rights include LGBT peoples. Follow the conversation on Twitter under the hashtag: #Dignity4All and follow @HumanRights1st for updates.