Solidarity!

Amid wedding and civil unions in the States, calls for throwing out Don't Ask Don't Tell, along with the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and ending job discrimination in the workplace for LGBTQ people, there is this news, that made me catch my breath:

The hanging of a young gay man in Iran because he is gay.

From the Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees:

On October 6, 2009, Rahim Mohammadi was executed in Tabriz, a city in northwest Iran, after being convicted of sexual abuse and rape during sexual relations between males (a homosexual act called Lavat).
According to Rahim’s lawyer (here), Mr. Mohammad Mostafayi, there was not enough evidence presented to the court to prove such accusations; the court nevertheless decided that once a person is convicted of Lavat, he must be executed. Mostafayi, who had not been informed of the court’s decision once it was handed down - and was only contacted after his client Rahim had been executed - wrote a letter of further explanation to the authorities.

I caught this first on towleroad, and then through mpetrelis.blogspot.com. And we know that LGBT people are intimidated in Iraq as well.

As a matter of justice, we need to tell the world these stories, for they won't be telecast via CNN, MSNBC, let alone ABC, NBC, or CBS news. We must raise an uproar of this gross injustice.

Click here for more.

Pace!

B