Western nations are advocating for the UN to define new "gender crimes" in international criminal law, potentially including opposition to abortion and LGBT issues. The proposed treaty aims to leave the term "gender" undefined, allowing it to encompass social constructs and sexual/gender identity issues. The Holy See and traditional countries (primarily from Asia and Africa) are opposing this, insisting on a clear definition of gender to prevent the weaponization of international law against conservative views. Traditional nations argue that an undefined gender could criminalize support for traditional family structures, opposition to expanded LGBT rights, and policies limiting gender quotas. A coalition of Islamic nations, led by Iraq, formally stated that gender should refer only to the two biological sexes (male and female) to uphold the internationally recognized definition of the nuclear family.
27 days ago
The UN General Assembly's preparatory committee met in late January 2026 to discuss a draft treaty on crimes against humanity.1 Western nations advocate leaving "gender" undefined to encompass social constructs, sexual orientation, and gender identity.1
They propose adding new crimes like "gender apartheid" and "reproductive violence."1 This could criminalize opposition to abortion, LGBT rights, and policies protecting traditional marriage and family.1
The Holy See and countries from Asia, Africa, and the Islamic world pushed back strongly.1 They demand "gender" be defined as the two biological sexes—male and female—to prevent politicized misuse.1
Burundi criticized the draft's omission of a gender definition, calling it a source of "legal uncertainty."1 It opposed vague new crimes, arguing not all gender inequalities qualify as crimes against humanity.1
Namibia rejected reliance on non-binding UN mechanisms for redefining gender.1 It urged retaining the Rome Statute's precise definition of gender as male and female.1
Iraq spoke for Islamic nations including Algeria, Egypt, Iran, and others, defending the nuclear family as a universal norm.1 It insisted gender refers only to biological sexes.1
Mexico attempted but failed to remove Iraq's pro-family statement from the record.1 Other opponents include Argentina, Hungary, Russia, and Türkiye.1
Proponents of dropping the definition: European/Nordic countries, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Colombia.1
Delegations must submit written amendments by April 30, 2026.1 The committee will set rules and dates for a 2029 diplomatic conference by April 15, 2027.1
Discussions were mostly closed-door, but key interventions are public on the UN website.1
Assess Catholic doctrine on gender identity and legal protection
Catholic doctrine affirms the intrinsic unity of body and soul in human sexuality, rooted in the biological reality of sexual difference between male and female, which is ordered toward marital love and procreation. This teaching rejects ideologies that detach "gender identity" from biological sex, viewing them as threats to the family and human anthropology. While upholding the inviolable dignity of every person—regardless of circumstances—and opposing unjust discrimination in areas like employment, the Church critiques laws such as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) for conflating sexual inclinations with immoral conduct, promoting a fluid notion of gender detached from biology, and potentially infringing on religious freedom, privacy, and the natural law. Surgical interventions for gender dysphoria are widely seen by Catholic moralists as unjustifiable mutilations, though the Church has not issued a definitive pronouncement. The Holy See insists that "gender" in international contexts refers to biological male and female identities.
At the heart of Catholic anthropology is the recognition that every human person possesses an inviolable dignity derived from being created in God's image, a truth that transcends circumstances, productivity, or personal limitations. This dignity demands respect for all, including in social and economic spheres like work, which is essential to human flourishing. Sexuality is not merely biological but integral to the person's body-soul unity, affecting affectivity, the capacity to love, procreate, and form communion. It finds its proper expression only in the total self-gift of spouses in marriage, exclusive to man and woman, until death.
Sexual acts outside this context, such as fornication, gravely offend human dignity and the natural order toward spouses and children. The Church distinguishes between unjust discrimination—which she opposes—and legitimate moral disapproval of acts contrary to natural law. For instance, same-sex attraction itself is not sinful, but same-sex sexual conduct is intrinsically disordered, closed to life and lacking complementarity. This distinction is crucial: protecting persons from unjust bias does not extend to shielding immoral behaviors under law.
Catholic tradition upholds the binary reality of sexual difference—male and female—as foundational to human identity, family, and society. Pope Francis, echoing predecessors, critiques gender ideology for "den[ying] the difference and reciprocity in nature of a man and woman," promoting a society without sexual differences and separating personal identity from biological sex. While socio-cultural roles (gender) can be distinguished from biological sex, they cannot be separated; attempts to do so undermine the anthropological basis of the family. Vocations like fatherhood (for men) and motherhood (for women) concretize this difference, whether physical, spiritual, or both.
The Holy See applies this in diplomacy, interpreting "gender" in treaties as the "ordinary, generally accepted usage... based on the biological identity that is male and female." Reinterpretations ignoring biology risk diverting aid from real needs, such as those of women and girls affected by radiation.
Persons experiencing gender dysphoria (GD) deserve compassionate care, as many manage it through therapy or limited cross-dressing without transitioning. However, "transitioning"—cosmetic surgeries, hormone treatments, or genital reconstructions to align the body with perceived gender identity—is opposed by most Catholic moralists as mutilation violating bodily integrity. The principle of totality (allowing limited harm for greater health) does not justify altering healthy sexual characteristics for psychological conditions, akin to rejecting sterilization or abortion for similar reasons. A 1995 Vatican Charter explicitly barred "transsexual medicine and surgery" for psychic origins, though the 2016 edition omits it amid ongoing discernment; no definitive Church statement exists, but consensus leans against.
The Church champions workers' rights and opposes unjust discrimination based on same-sex attraction. Yet ENDA, by defining "sexual orientation" without distinguishing inclination from conduct, would protect immoral acts as if equivalent to marital love, treating moral opposition as discrimination. Its "gender identity" definition—encompassing self-perceived traits regardless of birth sex—legitimizes viewing gender as a social construct, enabling privacy violations (e.g., biological males in women's facilities) and burdening religious employers. Courts have used similar laws to redefine marriage, a strategy ENDA would fuel. Exemptions for religious entities are uncertain, heightening risks to Catholic institutions.
True justice protects dignity without compelling assent to anthropological errors or overriding natural rights.
Catholic doctrine integrates human dignity with the immutable truth of sexual dimorphism, rejecting gender ideologies and transitioning that fracture body from personhood. Legal protections must safeguard persons without endorsing conduct or identities contrary to nature, lest they erode family, privacy, and faith freedoms. Amid cultural shifts, the Church calls for fraternity rooted in truth: loving others as brothers and sisters in their God-given reality. This balanced witness upholds compassion without compromise.