ABSTRACT
Normative ethics includes duty-based theory, within which is found rights theory. Rights theory is reflected in the U.S. Declaration of Independence, the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, the “Vindication of the Rights of Women,” the 1948 United Nations “Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” the 1954 European Convention on Human Rights, and the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Economic Rights. Increasingly, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals are being seen as people to whom these rights apply. When one takes a look at selected sections of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and applies them to the actions of a number of nations, it is clear that the rights of LGBT people are being seriously abridged with the consequence that not only ethical principles are being violated, but that economic development is significantly suffering in those countries that continue to violate people's rights.
