U.N. Appoints First Expert on LGBT Violence

The United Nations’ Human Rights Council has appointed the organization’s first expert on LGBT violence, naming international human rights expert Vitit Muntarbhorn of Thailand as the first person to hold the post on Friday. The move drew praise from Human Rights Watch, whose Geneva director John Fisher said the appointment had “made history.” The new position "will bring much-needed attention to human rights violations against LGBT people in all regions of the world,” Fisher said Friday. Muntarbhorn previously served as a U.N. special investigator on North Korea and on child prostitution and child pornography.