But unlike many other topics, sexual orientation and gender identity issues still are not taken into consideration with the same priority when it comes to dealing with other social problems.  The apathy of the government for dealing with these issues, often motivated by religious believes or simply by the fear to “open Pandora’s box” and possibly upsetting the status-quo, is simply no longer acceptable.

Today, the BBC reports that Pope Benedict XVI has had the audacity to say that saving humanity from homosexual or transsexual behaviour is just as important as saving the rainforest from destruction.

In a statement released to the media, the man-elected person to represent the words of a Lord who loves everyone explained that defending God's creation was not limited to saving the environment, but also protecting man from self-destruction.  And he progressed to warn that gender theory blurs the distinction between male and female and could thus lead to the "self-destruction" of the human race.

How could the government allow such an abuse of people’s rights be tolerated and not dealt with is beyond belief.  In the 20th century, Nazi Germany's persecution of homosexual people was based on the proposition that they posed a threat to "normal" masculinity as well as a risk of contamination to the "Aryan race".  Are the statements from the Pope that different from these? Are we in front of another dictator that hides himself behind a religious mask?

Of course the Pope will argue that the Catholic Church will never promote any harm to gay and transgender people nor commit any act of cruelty, but it has not be noted that Hitler himself never killed anyone either.

Homosexual acts are still punishable by death in some countries including Iran, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. 

By tolerating homophobia and transphobia, especially from world leaders in whatever areas of life, is allowing the promotion of hate crime and the abuse of human rights.  Is the government really going to allow a modern-day “holocaust” against gay and transgender people to happen?

Government, with the authority to make laws, to adjudicate disputes, and to issue administrative decisions, is an indispensable to the peace of communal life.  It is time that the government took responsibility to give a long-coming solution to an ever-lasting unfair and degrading disadvantage for gay and transgender people.