On Monday, the Queen was set to sign the new Commonwealth Charter, which was agreed to back in December by all 54 of the commonwealth countries. There is one major point in this charter that is causing gay rights activists to cheer for the royal declaration. The charter includes a clause that reads, "we are implacably opposed to all forms of discrimination, whether rooted in gender, race, colour, creed, political belief or other grounds." While discrimination against homosexual and other members of the LGBT community is never directly addressed, it is implicitly contained within the 'other grounds' aspect. This implication regarding discrimination based on sexual orientation is pivotal for many countries in the commonwealth. While it is thought that sexual orientation is not explicitly mentioned to avoid alienating those commonwealth countries that have draconian anti-gay laws, it does show a definite disapproval toward 80% of the commonwealth that consider homosexuality a capital offense. Still some gay rights activists are skeptical, claiming that not once in her 61 year reign has the Queen acknowledged the presence of the LGBT community in the UK.
These are big changes for not only the UK, but also for many of the commonwealth nations, and for other countries who follow the example set by Great Britain. Among the other obvious firsts here, the Queen is appearing to be voicing a political opinion, which is unusual for a figurehead in a position that has traditionally been seen as apolitical by nature. What are your thoughts on the new charter? Is it appropriate coming from the Queen? Is it strong enough to make any kind of real difference? Is the Queen trying to avoid major political problems by not addressing sexual orientation directly? Please leave your thoughts in the comments!
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