In the final committee decision, the countries voting to reject ILGA were Russia, Senegal, Sudan, Tunisia, China, Ethiopia, Lebanon, and Pakistan. Sudan was not convinced that ILGA fully opposed pedophilia, while Senegal and Pakistan stated that it was unlikely that they would support any homosexual groups at the United Nations.

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The countries voting in favor of ILGA's application were the United States, Romania, Bolivia, Chile, France, and Germany. The United States delegate argued that he saw no evidence that ILGA continued to condone pedophilia and that ILGA had been helpful in the worldwide fight against HIV and AIDS.

In May, 2002, the vote on ILGA's status went before the entire U.N. Economic and Social Council. The Council voted to uphold the committee's rejection of ILGA as a nongovernmental organization on the grounds that the group had not documented that it had purged pedophile organizations from its member groups.

Kursad Kahramanoglu, the ILGA's co-secretary-general, stated that his group had refused to divulge its member affiliates because of around the world. "One of ILGA's aims is to help these people, not to jeopardize their security. We have not been able to beat homophobia around the world," he stated.

The Council's vote prevents ILGA from reapplying to the U.N. until 2005.

The treatment of same-sex relationships in African literatures has been influenced by the traditional belief systems of various African societies, the imported views of Christianity and Islam, and the political and legal legacies of European colonialism.

In addition to having many legal protections for glbtq people, Belgium became the second country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage.

A notably diverse country, Brazil is also home to one of the world's most dynamic glbtq political movements.

Modern Greece is a conservative society in which there is little tolerance for openly queer lifestyles, but activists have worked since the 1970s to improve the status of gay men and lesbians.

Those countries that allow the immigration of glbtq persons based on persecution in their home countries often raise difficulties or apply the existing laws inequitably, especially in the case of glbtq couples who apply for entry as domestic partners.

Given the dominance of the Roman Catholic church on its culture, Ireland was a country in the closet until relatively recent times.

The European Commission on Human Rights was the first international human rights organization to condemn homophobia; the European Court of Human Rights, which replaced the Commission, has also helped enforce glbtq rights.

Simon Nkoli was both the founder of South Africa's black gay movement and a prominent participant in the campaign for black freedom.

The Persian Gay and Lesbian Organization (PGLO) advocates for civil and human rights for Iranian glbtq people around the world.