U.S. Finally Condemns Anti-LGBT Violence in Iraq

by Michael Jones · 2009-06-11 12:31:00 UTC
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H/T to Waymon Hudson at Bilerico on this one.  We've written a couple of pieces before on escalating violence and human rights violations facing LGBT people in Iraq.  The situation has grown so dire, that an underground railroad has formed to help get LGBT Iraqis out of the country, and into other safe areas of the world.

Finally, after several months (and at least one Congress person - Rep. Jared Polis - speaking out about this), the U.S. State Department has acknowledged the grave situation facing LGBT people in Iraq, and has condemned the ongoing violence and murder being waged against Iraqi LGBT folks.

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad has apparently raised the issue with folks in the Iraqi government, and a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department had this to say:

In general, we absolutely condemn acts of violence and human rights violations committed against individuals in Iraq because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.  This is an issue that we've been following very closely since we have been made aware of these allegations, and we are aware of the allegations....

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.

Dozens of LGBT people, particularly gay men, have been murdered in Iraq over the past six months, some allegedly by Iraq's own police officers.  Radical cleric Maqtada al-Sadr said last week that homosexuality is evil (a "disaster," technically), and while he said that people should refrain from killing LGBT people, his comments hardly made it safer for LGBT people in Iraq to live each day without the constant threat of fear.

Iraq is a toxic place right now for LGBT people - perhaps the most dangerous place on the globe.  Though it's annoying that it took the U.S. State Department this long to recognize it, it's a welcome sign that the U.S., which is heavily invested in Iraq, has pledged to pay attention to anti-LGBT violence in the country.

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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