The May 17 rally in the Castro to protest the killing of gays in Iraq. Photo by Rink.

Since 2004, hundreds of gay men have been killed or executed in Iraq. Although this deadly campaign has been investigated and recognized by the Human Rights Report of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) in 2007, little has been done to stop the killings. Over the past few months, the violence and killing have escalated. LGBT queers in Iraq are targeted by clerics, such as those associated with Moktada al-Sadr, who are reviving religious pressure against gays leading to killings and by militias seeking to rally their bases. Currently, the majority of killing and torturing is being perpetrated by militias. Between February and March it is estimated that approximately 60 men have been killed and many more have been terrorized and tortured. The plight of Iraq’s LGBT people was the focus of International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO Day) on May 17 at a noon rally in Harvey Milk Plaza. Sponsored by Gays Without Borders/SF and Rainbow World Fund, the rally raised over $4,500 of their goal of $10,000 to protect and support Iraqi queers. In front of the Rainbow World Fund banner, crowds gathered in the broiling sun to carry handmade placards stating, “Asylum for gay Iraqis now!” “Human rights for LGBT Iraqis!” “Iraq: another holocaust for gays;” and right to the point: “Stop killing us!” 

Longtime activist Gary Virginia of Gays Without Borders reminded the crowd that on that day the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses, putting an end to over a century of homophobia in the medical field. He stated that this year’s IDAHO also focuses on transphobia. He said in addition they stood in solidarity with those 80 people in Moscow recently arrested when anti-gay riot squads broke up a Slavic pride march and IDAHO supported the Eurovision boycott. “We stand in solidarity with oppressed LGBT people around the world,” he summed up. He introduced the Rev. Lea Brown of the Metropolitan Community Church/SF who protested, “Once again our people are being beaten, tortured, and murdered in the name of God.” She noted that queer, dead Iraqi bodies had been left with signs on them labeling them perverts. “It is not our fallen gay brothers and transsexual sisters who are perverts,” she said. “The true perversion is that committed by others who insist that hatred against any one group is somehow the will of God.” She stood against “any faith choosing to live not by unconditional love but by hate and violence against those who are oppressed.” She exhorted, “Do not let what is being done in the name of God destroy your own faith and spirituality!”  

“Once again we see the results of radical religious zealots, whether they are in Iraq or California or anywhere else,” said Senator Mark Leno. He defined these as those “who are insistent that their particular interpretation of their particular religious book should become state law.” He said, “We’ve seen what happens when those radical religious leaders have their way at the ballot box or in the streets of Iraq.” He held up a letter addressed to President Barack Obama, Secretary Clinton, Senators Feinstein, Boxer, and Speaker Pelosi urging them to call upon the government of Iraq to prevent the persecution of LGBT people and to protect the right of all Iraqi citizens to be “free from all forms of cruel, inhumane, and degrading punishment.”

He will be circulating the letter on the floors of the Assembly and State Senate to get as many signatures as possible. He added, “The question remains, on what moral high ground do our president and congressional leaders stand as long as ‘Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell’ is in place?” He noted over 12,000 LGBT soldiers have been booted out of military service because they are queer. 

Supervisor Bevan Dufty spoke of an action that took place six weeks ago by the rainbow flag in that same Harvey Milk Plaza regarding queer Iraqi beatings, torture, and murder. He said there was enough media (Bay Times reported it) and Internet attention from that demonstration to “prompt a tremendous amount of attention to what’s going on in Iraq.” He said there must be a truth commission assembled on these queer Iraqi atrocities. He said it is unspeakable that gay men are being captured, having their anuses glued shut and force fed laxatives to their death. These victims are being left in shallow graves. Families are letting their own be tortured and murdered. Dufty said, “Through passionate leadership, we can turn the tide and make people stop and answer questions; and we will not stop until violence against our brothers and sisters stops in Iraq.” 

Theresa Sparks has led the Human Rights Commission and currently leads the SF Police Commission. She said her son is a career Marine officer about to return for his fourth tour in the Middle East. Sparks said he told her he felt the reason he was there was to protect civil rights in Iraq and stop the atrocities. “We need to support him and the people of Iraq, encouraging our elected officials to put whatever pressure they can on the government of Iraq to stop these abuses,” said Sparks. 

Karen Kai, former board chair of Rainbow World Fund, commended the crowd for “standing out in the hot, hot sun,” because the cause somehow “reached into someplace within your heart and your compassion, conscience, your sense of justice.” She spoke of RWF as a worldwide mission standing for principles “so strongly represented within this community: the desire to see empowerment, sustainability, peacemaking, measurable impact, and ecological awareness.” She said, “We have to turn the tide so that this country will provide the impetus to investigate and start to change how LGBT people are treated in Iraq and in this country.” 

Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi is a very strong proponent and advocate for human rights and has supported the board resolution against the terrorism against queer Iraqis. He is the first Persian American elected in San Francisco. He said, “It couldn’t be more hypocritical of this country to be investing in the transformation of Iraq – by force and coercion – imposing our American values, while we completely turn our back to the fact that LGBT people in Iraq are being executed in public squares.” He said, “We in San Francisco think that ignoring what is going on with Iraqi LGBTs is outrageous, hypocritical, and completely criminal to the United Nations protocol of human rights.” He concluded, “There should be a total outcry from Americans, and that’s why we’re here today.” 

Political activist and artist Clinton Fein has exhibited all over the world his pieces about Abu-Ghraib and other torture, challenging what has been done in the name of “democracy.” He echoed Sen. Leno in saying, “Our DA/DT policy makes it difficult for us to exercise any kind of moral authority, when we are not allowed to serve in the military openly. What kind of message does that send when we’re supposed to be telling Iraq how to exercise human rights?” He questioned why a Democratic president and congress couldn’t swiftly act to repeal DA/DT. “How much better can it get than that?” He said, “It’s difficult to tell Iraq not to torture and not to treat gay people this way, when we ourselves condone torture and turn a blind eye.” He added, “If they had done that at Nuremberg, it would have been a very different situation than it is today.” He concluded, “We in the gay community have the moral authority to say something and do something about all this.” 

City Commissioner Debra Walker of the Harvey Milk Democratic Club decried both California and Iraq for treating queers as second class citizens.

She said human beings should not be discriminating against - or most of all killing - anyone for who they love anywhere in the world. Walker said, “We have to stand up and say no more discrimination, no more heinous murder and violence, and we can start here – like so many movements – in the Castro to say enough is enough.” 

Tommi Avicolli Mecca of Gays Without Borders reminded the crowd that next month will be the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots against homophobic cops, which eventually gave birth to the Gay Liberation Front. “They fought back, just like we should be doing every day,” he said. “We may think we have it good, but in many ways we don’t have it any better than we did 30 years ago.” He said GLF was looking for worldwide queer revolution to rise up and say NO MORE.

Michael Petrelis of Gays Without Borders said this was the first year that the United States was participating in this international action. “We gather to say NO to homophobia and transphobia!” he shouted. He asked for a round of applause for The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Inc. who gave $1,000 for queer Iraqi relief and pounded the Castro streets for four hours collecting donations. Petrelis led a chant: “Gays and lesbians under attack. What do we do? Act up! Fight back!” The Rev. Don Fox spoke for The Rev. Tommy Dillon of St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, who had to attend to a death in his family. The church donated $300 for the cause. “Unfortunately it takes money to bring about change,” he said, and this reporter wants to point out that donors can always reach RainbowFund.org to help make the $10,000 goal. The demonstration ended with Rev. Fox reciting a nondenominational prayer and saying, “Religious people at their worst are amongst the very worst of human beings; however, religious people at their best represent the very best of human beings.”