tukkersterror
31-03-06, 10:45
Message from the Persian Gay and Lesbian Organization to 23rd world conference ILGA
ILGA is holding it’s twenty third World Conference while Persian Gay and Lesbian Organization (PGLO) as the only working organization towards defending Iranian homosexuals, bisexuals and transgender people, has begun it’s third year of activity and has a difficult and hard road ahead of it. The group that started it’s work in Iran four years ago with the formation of an internet group called “Rainbow”, in the length of two years and having been through many difficulties was able to form an organization and register it and expand its activities. But sadly because of the unique state inside of Iran where homosexuality and homosexual relationships are considered illegal we have to say that any kind of activity in this field is also punishable, therefore we were forced to establish the organization outside of Iran and the best way to communicate is through internet and e-mail.
In the past two year the sexual minorities of Iran (LGBT) have had many eye opening activities. The formation of a social organization that’s only goal is social and sexual freedom and equality was a very big step, also other electronic resanes that have started working in this period helped in educating and opening the eyes of the public. To this date Iranian sexual minorities have three e-magazines called: Cheragh, Delkadeh, and Maha and one internet radio called: Raha and also a news magazine named Bidari, and all of these are active in the social, cultural and news giving aspects.
In the year that passed we were able to be present at the United Nations and succeeded at becoming a formal member of the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA); Held continued relations with the organization of Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the international Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC). We also became honorary member of the International commission against execution and stoning and tried to fight these social problems that affect us too.
In the last year in Iran we were faced with many executions, convictions and punishments based on homosexual relations. To name a few: the execution of two men in Mashhad, one of them being underage, for the crime of being homosexual and the sexual relationship of the men, the execution of two homosexual people in Gorgan, two men being convicted for execution in Tehran for having homosexual relations, this was also printed in Etemad newspaper, and the escaping of many homosexual and transsexual Iranians because of their sexual orientation.
Iran is one of the countries that have hard punishment laws against homosexuals and these laws became part of the Islamic punishment laws under the Islamic regime of Iran. Some sources have reported 4000 executions of homosexuals’ form 1979 to 2000. And we have numerous reports about threats and chasing of homosexuals inside of Iran, arresting and trapping them with the internet, physical and mental torture and rape, wiping, cash fines, etc.
Iranian homosexuals not only have enormous problems within family, society and the law but also when they leave the country and apply for alyssum their problems become even more. Governments, who accept refugees, refuse to grant them refugee status. They believe that the Islamic laws for punishing homosexuals is only written in law books and they say that the laws are not upheld and that Iran is a safe place for homosexuals. This is while we see Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Mr. Ali Khamenieye in a statement addressing a conference in Hajj and also Mr. Janati secretary of council of defense in a sermon of Friday Prayers in February of this year strongly condemning homosexuality and calling it a sign of deep moral decay and lust and calling homosexuality American and European societies shame, with the existence of such beliefs how can we imagine the safety of homosexuals.
The Persian Gay and Lesbian Organization wants the discontinuous of all forms of torture, fear, and the elimination of all punishments based on sexual orientation in Iran, PGLO will work hard and do all in its power to achieve this goal. We invite all organization that defend the rights of sexual minorities (LGBT) to lend a helping hand to the Iranian homosexuals and with by doing so support and help us in this very difficult task. For more information please contact the organization’s public relations section via the e-mail address [email protected] .
Shad bashed va Sarboland
Persian Gay & Lesbian Organization
http://www.pglo.org
Email: [email protected]
ILGA is holding it’s twenty third World Conference while Persian Gay and Lesbian Organization (PGLO) as the only working organization towards defending Iranian homosexuals, bisexuals and transgender people, has begun it’s third year of activity and has a difficult and hard road ahead of it. The group that started it’s work in Iran four years ago with the formation of an internet group called “Rainbow”, in the length of two years and having been through many difficulties was able to form an organization and register it and expand its activities. But sadly because of the unique state inside of Iran where homosexuality and homosexual relationships are considered illegal we have to say that any kind of activity in this field is also punishable, therefore we were forced to establish the organization outside of Iran and the best way to communicate is through internet and e-mail.
In the past two year the sexual minorities of Iran (LGBT) have had many eye opening activities. The formation of a social organization that’s only goal is social and sexual freedom and equality was a very big step, also other electronic resanes that have started working in this period helped in educating and opening the eyes of the public. To this date Iranian sexual minorities have three e-magazines called: Cheragh, Delkadeh, and Maha and one internet radio called: Raha and also a news magazine named Bidari, and all of these are active in the social, cultural and news giving aspects.
In the year that passed we were able to be present at the United Nations and succeeded at becoming a formal member of the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA); Held continued relations with the organization of Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the international Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC). We also became honorary member of the International commission against execution and stoning and tried to fight these social problems that affect us too.
In the last year in Iran we were faced with many executions, convictions and punishments based on homosexual relations. To name a few: the execution of two men in Mashhad, one of them being underage, for the crime of being homosexual and the sexual relationship of the men, the execution of two homosexual people in Gorgan, two men being convicted for execution in Tehran for having homosexual relations, this was also printed in Etemad newspaper, and the escaping of many homosexual and transsexual Iranians because of their sexual orientation.
Iran is one of the countries that have hard punishment laws against homosexuals and these laws became part of the Islamic punishment laws under the Islamic regime of Iran. Some sources have reported 4000 executions of homosexuals’ form 1979 to 2000. And we have numerous reports about threats and chasing of homosexuals inside of Iran, arresting and trapping them with the internet, physical and mental torture and rape, wiping, cash fines, etc.
Iranian homosexuals not only have enormous problems within family, society and the law but also when they leave the country and apply for alyssum their problems become even more. Governments, who accept refugees, refuse to grant them refugee status. They believe that the Islamic laws for punishing homosexuals is only written in law books and they say that the laws are not upheld and that Iran is a safe place for homosexuals. This is while we see Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Mr. Ali Khamenieye in a statement addressing a conference in Hajj and also Mr. Janati secretary of council of defense in a sermon of Friday Prayers in February of this year strongly condemning homosexuality and calling it a sign of deep moral decay and lust and calling homosexuality American and European societies shame, with the existence of such beliefs how can we imagine the safety of homosexuals.
The Persian Gay and Lesbian Organization wants the discontinuous of all forms of torture, fear, and the elimination of all punishments based on sexual orientation in Iran, PGLO will work hard and do all in its power to achieve this goal. We invite all organization that defend the rights of sexual minorities (LGBT) to lend a helping hand to the Iranian homosexuals and with by doing so support and help us in this very difficult task. For more information please contact the organization’s public relations section via the e-mail address [email protected] .
Shad bashed va Sarboland
Persian Gay & Lesbian Organization
http://www.pglo.org
Email: [email protected]