Posts tagged gay rights
Equality. Everywhere.
Monday, May 21st:
This morning, Ukraine attempted its very first gay pride in the capital of Kiev. Minutes after canceling due to safety concerns, this was the scene. Svyatoslav Sheremet, head of Гей-Форум Украины | Gay-Forum of Ukraine NGO, brutally beaten for who he is.
Share widely and imagine what they’d have done if Ukraine Pride had gone ahead as planned…
(Source: Daily Mail)
Look what you did! Thanks to worldwide support for our campaign to defend Barack Obama and his courageous stance for marriage equality, we delivered 75,000 signatures to the Executive Office this week.
Joe Hockey, Australia’s shadow Treasurer, said that he believed that all Australians are equal but the best thing for all children is to be raised by a mother and a father. Penny Wong, on the same panel, had this to say in response…
Share it around - today is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO)!
(Source: allout.org)
Last week, All Out’s Equality Moms truly hit the streets of Rio de Janeiro - opening a massive photo exhibition in Praça XV.
The portraits, highlighting dozens of strong mothers standing up against homophobia and transphobia in Rio, will travel to different communities within the city limits. While Brazil remains the most dangerous place in the world to be LGBT, their message resonates: “equality is a family value”
To learn more, check out our ongoing campaign at allout.org/maespelaigualdade and more photos on Facebook
Have you seen this cover? What do you think?
We’re just under 200 away from 75,000 thanking Barack Obama for his bold statement on marriage equality.
Sign and share!
Operation Relocation, the urgent removal of 30 young Iraqis who had been marked for death just for looking “gay”, has already begun with the first seven Iraqis now on their way.
Here’s one testimonial from someone yet to be transported to safety. It’s hard to hear, but important to share:
“I am in hiding in Baghdad because people found out I am gay, and I fear being beaten badly and killed. There are many of us now. We are sick of the unbelievable and continual hardships in our lives. We can’t get work. Our community rejects us all. People just don’t want us and have no mercy upon us.”
- Nasser
To learn more, go to http://www.allout.org/en/actions/operation_relocation
What if this were your son?
30 in Iraq are “marked for death” because of who they are and who they love.
Will you consider making a small contribution to help dozens of gay Iraqis get to safe houses and start a new life where they can live openly?
Dear friend,
Yousif* is one of 30 Iraqis currently marked for death because he’s perceived to be gay. He just had his skull smashed with a pipe, but he’s one of the lucky ones; he survived. Yousif and the others must now leave their homes and families in order to escape certain death.
Our partners at the Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) want to put an experienced team on the ground to quickly smuggle Yousif to safety. They need $65,000 USD this week to do it, but governments and foundations are moving too slow. That’s where we come in. If you and other All Out members chip in, we can charter transport vans and open up safe houses to protect Yousif and the others THIS WEEK.
IRAP is ready to move. If we pull together right now, we will make sure Yousif and the 30 others get to a safe place and have a chance at a new life. Will you chip in a small amount - whatever you can - to support this life saving mission? We will get your contribution directly to those at risk, then report back in a few days to keep you updated:
www.allout.org/operation_relocation
All Out does not usually ask for money. But this situation was so serious, we knew we had to find a way to help. Here are the testimonials that convinced us to share this unique and heartbreaking story with you. It was just impossible to look away:
Naseer* is being blackmailed for his sexual orientation in the wake of having been assaulted and raped by the Iraqi police in Baghdad. Naseer’s blackmailer has threatened to send a picture of Naseer with another man to Naseer’s family and friends - causing Naseer to fear that he wil be killed either by his family or milita groups. Naseer needs to leave Baghdad immediately. Will you help IRAP support Naseer’s relocation to a safe house on the road to permanent resettlement?
Rasul* lives in Dora, a Sunni neighborhood in Baghdad that is only slightly safer than other neighborhoods in the city. Rasul lives at his boyfriend’s house, which he is too scared to leave because of the violent threats against gay men in Iraq - and his brothers’ threats to kill him for being gay. Rasul says he can’t live in Iraq because it isn’t safe for him. He is gay, his brothers know it, and they are threatening to kill him if they find him. Will you help IRAP support Rasul’s relocation to a safe house on the road to permanent resettlement?
www.allout.org/operation_relocation
We started All Out last year to ensure that everyone can live openly without sacrificing their safety or dignity. We know we can’t save every person at risk in Iraq, but right now we know how we can help and your support is critical. If we deliver Yousif, Naseer, Rasul and others to a safe place, we can save their lives and move the international community to take broader action. They will finally have a chance to tell the story of what’s happening to gays, lesbians and others who are labeled as “different” inside Iraq.
Right now Yousif*, the man who narrowly escaped death in an anti-gay attack, tells us that staying in Iraq is a death sentence. If the All Out community can raise $65,000 USD in the next few hours, our partners at IRAP can swiftly relocate him and dozens of other gay and lesbian Iraqis. But only if we act now:
www.allout.org/operation_relocation
All Out,
Alberto, Andre, Erika, Flavia, Guillaume, Jasmin, Jeremy, Joseph, Oli, Tile, Wesley
P.S. The names we’ve used in this email are fake, to protect people’s lives, but the stories are real.
SOURCES:
Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP)
www.refugeerights.org
Threats and Killings Striking Fear Among Young Iraqis, Including Gays
www.nytimes.com/2012/03/12/world/middleeast/killings-strike-fear-in-iraqi-gay-and-emo-youth.html
Iraq: Investigate ‘Emo’ Attacks
www.hrw.org/news/2012/03/16/iraq-investigate-emo-attacks
Ahmed, Gay Iraqi Man, Describes Escaping Death Sentence, Prison Rape In Emotional Video
www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/11/gay-iraqi-man-death-sentence-prison-rape-_n_1417936.html
“Kill lists” for “looking gay” in Iraq?
www.allout.org/en/actions/stopthekillings
Little Monsters, here’s a post just for you! Ask Mother Monster to #StandWithSergey, a straight man arrested for “gay propaganda” in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
New push for our friend Sergey, on trial in Saint Petersburg next week for “gay propaganda”. We’re asking celebrities and world leaders like Madonna, Ban Ki-Moon, Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin and Hillary Clinton to stand with Sergey too. Will you take a moment and share?
Have you followers seen this? A progressive stance for Ray-Ban Italy..
(Source: ray-ban.com)
