A Systematic Campaign of Murder Against Iraq's LGBT Population

by Michael Jones · 2009-04-18 09:55:00 +0200
Topics:

Iraq flag

How much more proof is needed before the world wakes up to the sustained campaign of violence being committed toward Iraq's LGBT community?  The Los Angeles Times is reporting that threatening fliers have now been posted around Sadr City in eastern Baghdad targeting gays and lesbians.  The fliers say that ""If you don't cease your perverted acts, you will get your fair punishment."

"Fair punishment" in Iraq these days for LGBT people is murder.  Around 25 gay men have been murdered in or around Baghdad in the past two months.  These fliers indicate that the pattern of violence toward the Iraqi LGBT population will continue.

It's time for the Obama administration and Congress to respond.  Earlier this week, Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colorado) spoke with reporters after a visit to Iraq where he looked into violence committed against LGBT people.  Rep. Polis told the Washington Blade that he heard reports that businesses frequented by gay men were burned to the ground and destroyed, and that gay men were being thrown in jail, beaten, and forced to admit their sexual orientation to Iraqi justice officials.

But right now, Rep. Polis is one of the only voices speaking out about this in our government.  For the past two weeks, we've had an action here on change.org, urging folks to contact their members of Congress to join the call for investigations into the systematic and purposeful campaign of violence targeted toward Iraq's LGBT population.  If you haven't sent a letter to your Congress members yet, please consider doing so now.

The U.S. government continues to send billions of dollars into Iraq.  Iraq is using that money in part to wage a campaign of murder against gays and lesbians.  Enough is enough.

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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