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The losses piled on after that: the death of more than 1.7 million people worldwide from COVID-19, record unemployment and ongoing business closures, incidents of police brutality throughout the country, and the death of women’s rights champion and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
But amid all our struggles, there were glimmers of hope in the form of actual good news. (We know, it’s hard to believe.) Below, we rounded up 18 positive things that happened in 2020.
Bong Joon Ho made history as the first Korean to win the Best Director Oscar
In February, South Korean Bong Joon Ho won the Best Director Oscar for his film “Parasite,” becoming the first person from the Asian nation to take home the award. The film went on to take home the top prize at the Academy Awards the first time any foreign-language film ever won Best Picture.
The faith leaders also sought for countries to seek justice on behalf of the victims.
The declaration was presented at the launch of the Global Interfaith Commission on LGBT+ Lives during a virtual conference hosted in the U.K. December 16.
Jayne Ozanne, director of the commission, called the declaration a landmark. We ve never had such a powerful, clear, and supportive statement from so many leaders, she told CNN.
Nearly 400 religious leaders representing 10 religions from 35 countries signed on to the initial declaration that recognized religious institutions history and role harming LGBTQ people.
Some of the prominent initial signatories included Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and his lesbian daughter the Reverend Canon Mpho Tutu van Furth of South Africa; former Irish president Mary McAleese; the Reverend John C. Dorhauer, the general minister and president of the United Church of Christ; the Reverend Michael-Ray Mathews, president of the Allian
Christina Morales, The New York Times Published: 17 Dec 2020 02:27 PM BdST Updated: 17 Dec 2020 03:05 PM BdST A man attends an LGBT event held at a club at Shibuya, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Tokyo, Japan Nov 22, 2020. REUTERS/FILE
In a show of unity aimed at fighting for the rights of LGBTQ people, more than 370 international spiritual leaders have signed a declaration demanding a global ban on disputed conversion therapy. ); }
The declaration also asked that nations find a way to end the criminalisation of people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. It also called for an end to violence against LGBTQ people.