NYC Protests Murders of Gay Men in Iraq

Update: 17-August-2009: CNN reports that Gays continue to be killed and tortured in Iraq. A new Human Rights Watch report catalogues the systematic assault on Iraqs gay community. CNN's Arwa Damon reported that the number of gays, who have been recently killed in Iraq "number in the hundreds."

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/report-gays-killed-tortured/3453580541

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On April 7, 2009, the NYTimes reported that, over a 2 month period, as many as 25 gays had been killed in the huge Shiite enclave of Sadr City.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/world/middleeast/08gay.html

At noon on April 10, 2009, the LGBTS community in New York came together for a vigil to demonstrate support for their brothers and sisters in Iraq in response to the epidemic murder of gay men in Iraq.

http://mpetrelis.blogspot.com/2009/04/gays-rally-at-iraqs-un-mission-over.html

http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2009/04/nyc-protest-at-iraq-mission-over.html

http://iraqilgbtuk.blogspot.com/

http://gayswithoutborders.wordpress.com/2009/04/09/iraqi-murder-campaign-of-g...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtUHm821K4g

And it was more than ironic (almost even tragic) that in the United States, where we enjoy the promise of a freedom of expression and assembly, that NYPD would pounce on the peaceful and respectful demonstration against the violence against Iraqi LGBT.

Initially, police refused to allow the protestors to deliver a letter of their complaints to the Iraqi Mission, resulting in a flash of raging exasperation to spread among the otherwise peaceful demonstrators. After emotions settled on both sides, the vigil resumed its focus on increasing awareness of the human rights abuses in Iraq.

As early as 2006 or 2007, the UN had begun to warn that violence against Iraqi LGBT was on the rise. Armed Islamic groups and militias have been known to be particularly hostile towards homosexuals, frequently and openly engaging in violent campaigns against them.

http://iraqilgbtuk.blogspot.com/2007/02/un-confirms-anti-gay-death-squads-in....

And in 2005, Iraq's most revered Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, called for gay men and lesbians to be killed in the worst, most severe way, the NYTimes reported.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/18/world/middleeast/18baghdad.html

Meanwhile, new statistics from Iraq's health ministry say that since 2005 when violence worsened more than 87,000 Iraqis have been killed.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8016241.stm

From a broader point of view, some statistics show that following the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, at least 100,000 Iraqis have been killed and as many as 1,000,000 Iraqis (or more) either became displaced or refugees. As outrageous as it was for the U.S. to wrongly invade Iraq based on deliberately false intelligence, likewise it is wrong for Iraqis to kill innocent people solely based on their sexual orientation, gender identification, or other form of self-expression.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Iraq
• Gays
• Lesbians
• Bi-Sexuals
• Transgenders
• Murder
• Persecution
• Executions
• Violence
• Clerics
• Gay
• Rights
• Freedom
• Democracy
• Human
• Report
• Record
• Arwa
• Damon
• CNN

[miregrc]

Who do you think you are protesting you stupids? Protest your country. It is all happening because of the chaos during the occupation. What is Iraq gonna do? 1.2milllion people died since the occupation. If you want to do something take your soldiers back.

[astoria25]

We are protesting senseless murder of LGBTQS people. Killing gays is not happening because of Bush's misguided invasion. Iraq is killing gays because there is widespread intolerance and hate. Meanwhile, you are right: the answer is no murder: to that end, I protested against Bush's war. I don't support the occupation. I even made another video in opposition to the war. Our new président says he is going to try to end the war; let's hope he does so, soon.

[boneyfreak2004]

Funny how gays are getting more despised because of their "in you face" tactics...alot of people I know that never gave gays a second thought detest them now like myself. No more than how people detest "in you face" panhandlers.

[astoria25]

How are gays being "in your face?" It seems like the killers are the ones who are in "our face." When you use words like "in your face," you are generalising, and that is a form of stereotyping and prejudice. It's because you are a hater that you are all in "my face" with your hateful comments.

[nwhwy]

Iraq, keep up the good work!

[astoria25]

It's sad that you have to be so quick to be nasty. If I wanted to be nasty, I would reply, "George W. Bush, keep up the good work." But see the difference ? The USA got rid of GWB/Cheney/Palin. We took the side of love and acceptance and elected Obama. There's a difference when a nation moves in the direction of peace -- instead of hate.

[bullent71]

They are killing everything in iraq , but the EVIL

[fishoutofagua21]

BrownSugar your ignorance is astounding.

[mtssvnsn]

Homophobes = scum of the earth.

There is only one proper place to stick garbage like that.

[smurfboywv]

@astoria25 Doesn't God have a commandment "Thou shalt not kill" or was I just dreaming it?

[SUPERIRAQIII]

@pencilsharpener15  who doesnt!

[pencilsharpener15]

GOD I FUCKING HATE PEOPLE THAT ARE PROUD TO BE GAY

[MrHARDSTON]

hahahaha what is goinan here (stop killing gays) ?????? what this

[miregrc]

@astoria25

During Saddam Hussein, gays weren't targeted like this. Those people are getting killed because of chaos. Bad conditions create bad people. Your country can take back its soldiers right now but they are not tdoing it because they want to take the full control and they want this puppet government will work for the USA. You are asking Iraq to treat their people equally but what is Iraq? Iraq doesn't have any powerful authority right now.

[miregrc]

@astoria25

During Saddam Hussein, gays weren't targeted like this. Those people are getting killed because of chaos. Bad conditions create bad people. Your country can take back its soldiers right now but they are not tdoing it because they want to take the full control and they want this puppet government will work for the USA. You are asking Iraq to treat their people equally but what is Iraq? Iraq doesn't have any powerful authority right now.

[djcesare]

u fucking idiot where do you think gay men come from?? straight families?? they are born like that like you were born a nigger go kill yourself