In the United States, proponents of the death penalty have the
luxury of justifying executions on the basis that the death
penalty is the ultimate punishment for the ultimate crime:
murder. A more global perspective reveals, however, that in some
nations, the death penalty is being used not only against
convicted murderers, but also against members of the LGBT
community. According to the Lesbian and Gay Association, over
half a dozen countries put individuals to death for engaging in
same-sex actions. Considering the global persecution of
homosexuals, the United Nation's recent vote to remove sexual
orientation from a resolution condemning unjustified executions
against certain vulnerable groups, is shocking to say the least.
The resolution in question, asserts the responsibility of member
nations to defend the right to life, with a particular focus on
members of historically persecuted groups. The vulnerable groups
mentioned in the resolution include ethnic, religious, and
linguistic minorities, and for the