The U.S. Department of State announced today it was reversing an earlier decision by the Bush administration and will support the United Nations statement on “Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.” 

The State Department’s spokesperson Robert Wood issued this statement:

The United States supports the UN Statement on “Human Rights, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity,” and is pleased to join the other 66 UN member states who have declared their support of this Statement that condemns human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity wherever they occur.
The United States is an outspoken defender of human rights and critic of human rights abuses around the world. As such, we join with the other supporters of this Statement and we will continue to remind countries of the importance of respecting the human rights of all people in all appropriate international fora.

Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBT political group based in Washington D.C. applauds the reversal.

In a press release, HRC President Joe Solomonese said:

“This is a welcome step forward as it signals to the world that, after years of a hostile administration, the United States recognizes the humanity of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people at home and abroad. (snip) We applaud the Obama administration for joining the other 66 member nations that have officially recognized that basic human rights include the equality of LGBT people.”

The U.S. joins 60 other countries in signing the statement which calls for an end to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and the decriminalization of homosexuality.

Most of the supporting nations are western industralized nations.