With campaigning already under way in the 2012 presidential contest, Mr. Obama’s announcement could bolster support among gay voters and donors, who have questioned the depth of his commitment. He chose the Rev. Rick Warren , a pastor who opposes same-sex marriage , to deliver the invocation at his inauguration . Mr. Obama himself has not come out officially in favor of same-sex marriage. But he successfully pushed for repeal of the “ don’t ask, don’t tell ” policy that prevented gays from serving openly in the military. And the Justice Department has said it will no longer defend in court the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman. 
 
 The initiative also invites attacks from Republicans trying to appeal to a conservative base in the primary and caucus states. 
 
 One Republican candidate, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas , said: “President Obama has again mistaken America’s tolerance for different lifestyles with an endorsement of those lifestyles. I will not make that mistake.” 
 
 It could also irritate some American allies, including countries like Turkey , where there have been reports of harassment, and Saudi Arabia , where homosexuality is banned and sex between people of the same sex is punishable by death or flogging. 
 
 Mrs. Clinton anticipated the sensitivity of the issue for some more conservative countries, saying that “the obstacles standing in the way of protecting the human rights” of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgendered people “rest on deeply held personal, political, cultural and religious beliefs.” 
 
 She argued that gay rights transcended national, political and even culture boundaries, casting them as universal rights like those adopted by 48 nations in the aftermath of World War II in what was called the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 
 
 Mrs. Clinton’s aides so worried about the reaction of some countries at the Human Rights Council that they did not advertise the theme of her remarks before she delivered them. In the end, no representatives from the council’s 47 member nations walked out, and the audience gave her a standing ovation. 
 
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 The administration’s announcement formalizes several steps that Mrs. Clinton has already ordered. She has asked American diplomats to raise the issue wherever harassment or abuse arises and required a record of them in the State Department’s annual report on human rights. On Tuesday, she also announced a $3 million program to finance gay-rights organizations to combat discrimination, violence and other abuses. 
 
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 A senior administration official said that the money could be used, for example, to finance a lawyers’ group that is defending gays or to pay for the training of journalists who cover the persecution of gays. It could also provide relocation aid to refugees fleeing violence or persecution. 
 
 “I am deeply concerned by the violence and discrimination targeting L.G.B.T. persons around the world,” Mr. Obama said in the memorandum, referring to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, “whether it is passing laws that criminalize L.G.B.T. status, beating citizens simply for joining peaceful L.G.B.T. pride celebrations, or killing men, women and children for their perceived sexual orientation.” 
 
 He said in the memorandum that the State Department would lead other federal agencies to help ensure that the government provided a “swift and meaningful response to serious incidents that threaten the human rights” of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people abroad. 
 
 The administration’s directive, months in the planning, came after a series of legal steps taken against gay men and lesbians in countries like Uganda , where the Parliament reopened debate on legislation that would outlaw homosexuality and possibly make it punishable by death. 
 
 The State Department’s latest human rights report, released in April, catalogued cases in dozens of countries. 
 
 In Afghanistan , where the United States overthrew the Taliban in 2001 and installed a nominally democratic government, the law “criminalizes homosexual activity.” In Pakistan , too, it is a crime, though rarely prosecuted, the report said. 
 
 Homosexuality is accepted in most of Europe , and an increasing number of countries have taken steps to end legal prohibitions. In China , the government decriminalized homosexuality in 1997 and removed it from an official list of psychological disorders in 2001. Mrs. Clinton credited South Africa , Colombia , Argentina , Nepal and Mongolia for taking steps to liberalize their laws. 
 
 She also noted that, until 2003, sodomy was a crime in parts of the United States and that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people Americans “have endured violence and harassment in their lives.” 
 
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 As was the case with the initial declaration on human rights, which did not immediately abolish racist laws or social and political barriers for women or religious minorities, she said, the notion of human rights has gradually expanded to include all people. She dismissed the assertion of some that homosexuality is “a Western phenomenon.” 
 
 “In reality, gay people are born into — and belong to — every society in the world,” she said. 
 
 In countries “where people are jailed, beaten or executed for being gay,” she called on leaders to leap ahead of their constituents cultural or social mores, if necessary. “I’m not saying that gay people can’t or don’t commit crimes,” she said. “They can and do, just like straight people. And when they do, they should be held accountable. But it should never be a crime to be gay.” ||||| The Obama administration is announcing a wide-ranging effort to use U.S. foreign aid to promote rights for gays and lesbians abroad, including combating attempts by foreign governments to criminalize homosexuality. 
 
 In a memorandum issued Tuesday, President Barack Obama directed U.S. agencies working abroad, including the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, to use foreign aid to help gays and lesbians who face human rights violations. He also ordered U.S. agencies to protect vulnerable gay and lesbian refugees and asylum seekers. 
 
 "The struggle to end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons is a global challenge, and one that is central to the United States' commitment to promoting human rights," Obama said in a statement. 
 
 Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton also is expected to speak about the announcements in Geneva later Tuesday. 
 
 The White House said Tuesday's announcement marked the first U.S. government strategy to combat human rights abuses against gays and lesbians abroad. 
 
 The order also directs U.S. government agencies to use foreign assistance to protect human rights and advance nondiscrimination, and to work with international organizations to fight discrimination against gays and lesbians. 
 
 Obama's announcement is part of the White House's outreach to gays and lesbians, a core Democratic constituency. Since taking office, Obama has advocated for the repeal of the military's ban on openly gay service members and ordered the administration to stop enforcing a law defining marriage as between one man and one woman. 
 
 However, Obama has stopped short of openly supporting gay marriage, saying only that his personal views on the matter are evolving. 
 
 Gay rights groups praised the order as a significant step for ensuring that gays and lesbians are treated equally around the world. 
 
 "Today's actions by President Obama make clear that the United States will not turn a blind eye when governments commit or allow abuses to the human rights of LGBT people," said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, a gay advocacy organization. 
 
 The presidential directive applies to all U.S. agencies involved in foreign aid, assistance and development, including the Departments of State, the Treasury, Defense and Homeland Security.
– President Obama has ordered US agencies abroad to use foreign aid to fight for gay rights. "I am deeply concerned by the violence and discrimination targeting LGBT persons around the world," Obama wrote in a memorandum, calling the effort "central to the United States' commitment to promoting human rights," the AP reports. It's the first time the US government has taken steps to promote gay rights abroad, the White House says. It's unclear, however, whether it means that nations which discriminate will see their aid cut off, notes the New York Times. Hillary Clinton discussed the issue in a speech in Geneva ahead of International Human Rights Day this week, noting that while gay people may commit crimes "just like straight people," "it should never be a crime to be gay." Rick Perry was quick to jump on the decision, which follows renewed parliamentary debate in Uganda over a ban on homosexuality. "This administration’s war on traditional American values must stop," the GOP candidate said.