Topic: Rights of Lesbian and Gay Individuals
Country: Belarus
Delegate Name: Nora Sullivan
School: Ann Arbor Community High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Belarus position papers GLIMUN 2009 committees
Homosexual acts have been legal in the Republic of Belarus since 1994, earlier than the United States. The Republic of Belarus believes that gay individuals should be allowed freedom of expression. Though our laws are limited, we respect the rights of the individual. More than half of member states in Africa have made it illegal to be homosexual. We believe that forcing citizens to conform to the laws of marriage set forth by the government is inhumane. We, the Republic of Belarus believe that it is our duty to recognize homosexual citizens and not prosecuted them.
The Republic of Belarus believes that gay and lesbian individuals have the right to openly express themselves. However we recommend individuals to marry the opposite sex. In our country legal benefits are given to opposite sex couples not same sex couples. We believe that everyone has a right to their own sexual orientation, and that though it is recommended that opposite sex couples marry, homosexual acts are not forbidden or illegal in our country.
One of the United Nation’s Millennium Development goals was to “eliminate gender disparity…preferably by 2005.” The world has not reached this goal. We believe that all countries should have same sex marriage laws and gay and lesbian civil rights should be encouraged. People have the human right to be openly gay or lesbian, and we stand by our same sex marriage laws.
