Subscribe to Breaking NewsState Dept. condemns Iraq anti-gay violence
The United States officially condemned anti-gay violence in Iraq yesterday (read the great post by Waymon Hudson over at Bilerico).
U.S. State Dept. spokesperson Ian Kelly, when questioned by reporters about anti-gay violence in Iraq, said:
Human rights training is also a very important part of our and other international donors’ civilian capacity-building efforts in Iraq. And the US embassy in Baghdad has raised, and will continue to raise, the issue with senior officials from the government of Iraq, and has urged them to respond appropriately to all credible reports of violence against gay and lesbian Iraqis.”
Amnesty International says that said that “as many as 25 boys and men have been killed in Baghdad alone because they were either gay or believed to be amid concerns that religious leaders may be inciting violence against Iraq’s gay community,” The Times of India reports.
25? I assume that’s this month? Or since Obama took office? Hundreds, if not thousands, of “honor” killings have occured in Iraq. Thanks, ex-pres Bush II!
How nice. Maybe we should all move to Iraq since the Obama administration seems to be more concerned with Iraq’s gays then those in our military or equality in marriage in this country. Oh, I forgot, the poor chap’s plate is so full that he has not the time to worry about the fags and dykes in the U.S. Poor baby. We must have patience when it comes to the U.S.
I would suggest that they might be interested to know that the government in Iraq has the same problem that our government has: Islam controls their government; the Christian Taliban controls our government.
Well, I am sure that they will just jump to it and take their cues from that great purveyor of gay rights and equality for all and exporter of democracy; the United States of America.
Our government doesn’t kill gays, but we deny them rights and deem them not worthy to serve in the military. Either way it sends the same wrong message: gay people are ‘inferior’ and discrimination against them is justified.
Hey guys, your posts make me sick to my stomach and frankly I worry about the future of the gay rights movement in the US. Gays and lesbians in Iraq are getting KILLED. That is a world away from not having marriage rights. The Obama Administration has pledged its support for same-sex civil unions and that, too, is a world away from the former presidents’ refusal to acknowledge our existence.
Hillary Clinton at the State Dep’t has much capacity to effect change like this in the future and I can only believe she will. Kudos to the State Dep’t to condemn violence on the basis of perceived sexual orientation in Iraq.
Austin, lay off of the cool aid!
Jeeeez…there are homos in Iraq?!? Oh I forgot, it’s IRAN that doesn’t have any.
I’m not on any kool-aid. I wasn’t a rabid fan of Obama (still am not). I believe Clinton would’ve done a better job, but I would’ve preferred a different candidate altogether.
I just think it’s disgusting to be belly-aching about not having civil rights *in an article* talking about people being murdered just for being gay or lesbian. There are places and times to pursue marriage equality – the comments section of this article is NOT it.
The torture and murder of LGBT Iraqis has been happening (more than 600 documented murders) for three to four years. It is escalating now and it has been no easy challenge to get world media coverage and attention from the US government.
Everyone has the option to be cynical, ignorant, self-centered, non-caring … or choose other options.
A few of us in San Francisco chose to take action, raise funds ($7500 to date), educate, mobilize. Our next benefit is Fri., June 19, 9pm-1am at Cafe Flore, 2298 Market St at Noe. We could use help.
Tax deductible donations can be made through http://www.rainbowfund.org.
This Iraqi LGBT cleansing is a holocaust in our time.
Make dismissive comments, bitch about lesser issues that are not life-threatening or involving gross torture, criticize the US gov’t, shift blame or responsibility.
It is better to light one candle than curse the darkness. I prefer to ACT as one person.
Gary with Gays Without Borders/San Francisco
I completely agree with Austin, and frankly am pleased that the Administration is willing to condemn the killings. I sent message to President Obama at Whitehouse.gov questioning whether he would speak out about the honor killing months ago when 365GAY.com first reported about them.
We need to continue to vocalize our support for positive change in our government. We can complain and whine all we want on this site, but if we aren’t concurrently complaining directly to the people in charge, our internal babble will be ineffectual. And while I recognize that conceptually denigration of our kind in the US is similar to the denigration in other countries, Austin is correct that DEATH is far more impacting on a REAL level.
Austin, I can’t think of a BETTER place to drive home the message of equality.
Until we deny people, churches and governments the safety to dehumanize, demonize and victimize us, we will not be able to live our lives as anything but walking targets for hatred, abuse, torture and/or eradication.
Austin said it right.
You can’t get married vs. You will be murdered.
Yeah, that’s a fair comaparison.
I agree with Austin on this one. You Americans might not have full equality yet, but you have a darn sight more than Iraqi gays have. At least your government IS speaking out now, unlike your previous administration.
oh? so it ok to bash and kill lgbt`s in america and they just get let off the hook most of the time but its not ok over there now? im speaking from experiance since im a gay transgender women that lives in redneck kentucky that got bashed and close to killed last year by two rednecks and they didnt so much as charge them with anything and i had to pay for all the medical bills so i dont want to hear anything about all we have to worry about is gay marrage bs here austin because you are full of it or just dont know any better! lgbt`s get killed here all the time and nobody cares, dont you read? Its been almost a year and i still have pain in my chest and shoulder so bad that i cant even move sometimes although i am glad to still me alive but that not the point! the point is we do not have right in most states! come to think of it there are only 11 states atm that have any hate crime laws protecting trannies btw, unless gay trannies dont count? i didnt sign up to get bashed, you make me sick austin. have a nice day!