Hollywood actor Zachary Quinto teams up with UN to talk LGBTI discrimination

FOR the first time ever the UN has addressed the wider social and economic impact of LGBTI exclusion in a video narrated by Hollywood A-lister Zachary Quinto.

Quinto, an openly gay actor, is best known for his roles in the Star Trek films, Heroes and American Horror Story.

[showads ad=MREC] Released through the UN’s Free & Equal campaign, The Price of Exclusion video highlights the violence and discrimination against LGBTI people and was first screened this morning at the UN’s New York headquarters.

Charles Radcliffe, Head of Global Issues at the UN Human Rights Office and UN Free & Equal campaign director said: “In study after study, rates of poverty, homelessness, depression & suicide are found to be far higher in the LGBT community than among the general population.

“But it’s not only LGBT people who pay the price; we all do. Every trans kid thrown out of home or forced out of school is a loss for society. Every gay or lesbian worker denied work or driven to emigrate is a lost opportunity to build a more productive economy.

“The economic damage caused by discrimination is substantial – and entirely unnecessary. With different laws and policies in place and – importantly – a different mind-set, we could and would achieve a different result.”

The Price of Exclusion video was launched as Australia’s UN delegation hosted an event this morning on the importance of LGBTI inclusion, despite marriage equality still not being legislated by the Federal Government in Canberra.

Australia a proud member of #UN LGBT Core Group hosting today’s event on importance of LGBTI inclusion #freeandequal pic.twitter.com/0bOdLqunRo

— Gillian Bird (@AustraliaUN) December 10, 2015