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IRQO
IRanian Queer
Organization
Welcome to
our website!
INTRODUCTION
IRQO is an
international, non-profit, queer human rights organization based in
Toronto, Canada with key workers in Europe and Iran.
We help Iranian
gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered refugees all over the world. We
help when Iranian lesbians or gay men are threatened with deportation
back to Iran. We also help Iranian LGBTs (lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender) obtain asylum in friendly countries.
When Iranian
LGBT people flee persecution in Iran they generally go to Turkey. The
United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) interviews these
refugees and decides whether their case for asylum is valid. If they are
granted asylum status, the UNHCR finds a new country for each person.
IRQO helps these
refugees through the process and, whenever possible, provides funds for
safe houses, since Turkey is also a homophobic and transphobic society
and queer people are not physically safe there either.
IRQO is an
official member of The Brussels-based International Lesbian and Gay
Association (ILGA), the Stockholm-based International Lesbian and Gay
Cultural Network (ILGCN), the Toronto-based Rainbow Railroad group, and
the Berlin-based Advisory Committee of the Hirschfeld-Eddy Foundation
for LGBT Human Rights. We work with Human Rights Watch (HRW), and many
other LGBT organizations.
So far we have
been successful in a number of refugee cases. For example, we
successfully intervened in Germany’s plan to deport Mr. Andrea Aragoli
back to Iran. We are happy to report he now has legal residency in
Germany and he was our first case.
In 2007 we
intervened in the case of Pegah Emambakhsh in the UK. IRQO, Everyone
Group and Friend's of Pegah Group mobilized thousands of people to send
flowers to the detention centre where she was being held. We worked
together with other international organizations in a successful effort
to prevent Pegah’s deportation back to Iran where she would have been
executed.
This last year
we have helped 70 people to obtain refugee status in friendly
countries.
IRQO’S GOALS--DEMOCRACY AND JUSTICE IRQO believes that the ability to achieve a higher quality of life is dependent upon education and having a democratic and credible government and a just legal system in Iran. Our goals are: * to end discrimination against sexual minorities in Iran * to raise awareness of queer oppression in Iran and other countries * to advocate for the Iranian queer population * the abolition of execution in Iran * to end systematic abuse of Human Rights in Iran. THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN’S LAW AGAINST HOMOSEXUALITY In the Iranian Islamic Penal Code homosexuality is illegal and punishable by death. Torture in the form of whipping is also used to punish homosexuals. Ironically, the law provides for a choice of execution--hanging, stoning, being halved by a sword or dropped from a high place-- but a judge may also decide which form of execution is employed. Punishment may occur if two men or two women are discovered lying under one cover or even kissing “with lust”. Sex change for transgenderd people is legal in Iran. However anyone who refuses to conform to the strict appearance of one gender or the other and who wants to live as a transgender is also persecuted. Gay men and lesbians who do not experience themselves as transsexuals may be coerced to get sex change operations so that they can be with someone they love. This also is an abuse of human rights: to not have the right of self-expression in relation to gender identity. The Regime may list homosexuality as one of a number of offenses when someone is punished, making it difficult for human rights organizations to prove absolutely that people are being executed or flogged because of their sexual orientation. We, as a group of human rights activists and freedom fighters who have witnessed the inhumane conduct of the Islamic Republic of Iran for many years do wholly protest these violent acts. These punishments for people who love people of the same sex are inexcusable acts of barbarism. Queers are not deviants or devilish people. We are natural and normal human beings with needs and habits in common with the rest of society. We work, study, eat, rest, and love … just as others do. The Regime has engaged in a violent crackdown against gay people (and many others who do not conform), which has escalated in the last year (2006-2007), arresting them at private parties, through internet chat rooms and through betrayal by friends and family. Many Iranians who are lesbian or gay don’t realize the danger they are in until they themselves are arrested or victimized by the system. This seems to have been the case when in 2005 two teenage boys were hung in the northeastern city of Mash'had. After being interrogated and tortured, they admitted to having sex with each other and stated that they were not aware that same-sex sexual relationship was punishable by death. Prior to their execution, the teenagers were held in prison for 14 months and were severely beaten with lashes. It is thought that when they were arrested they were around the age of 16. Photos of the teenagers before they were hung showed them weeping hopelessly on their way to the public execution. PERSECUTION OF LGBTs IN IRAN Persecution is not confined to the Regime. LGBTs suffer persecution in family life, in the workplace, and in other social aspects of their lives. A father attempted to kill his son because the young man was in a sexual relationship with someone of the same sex. The colloquial term for this is “honour killing.” Many persecuted and unloved queer people run away from their homes or turn to suicide as the easiest way to leave their misery behind. If they do not have money and they have difficulty getting work, they live on the streets. Prostitution and drugs come next. Their lives are very difficult and sometimes violently shortened. Security guards arrest and torment gays and lesbians on the streets, over the Internet and in the media. When Internet chat room meetings become face to face dates, the risk is that the date is an undercover agent. Gay men and lesbians know that such a meeting may result in arrest and severe punishment. HISTORY OF IRQO IRQO began as the Rainbow Group. Since then we have changed our name twice: first to PGLO (Persian Lesbian and Gay Organization) then to IRQO. In 2001 queer people in Iran knew little about themselves. We began by sending information to our members about the situation facing our people in Iran. We offered needed services to the Iranian LGBT community. As we grew each year we chose a focus, such as the Year of Cultural Awareness or the Year of Collaboration, Solidarity and Unity of Homosexuals. We began a monthly online magazine, Cheraq, meaning “Light”. The magazine helps contribute to a real sense of queer Persian culture. We launched our official website (currently www.irqo.net or www.pglo.net) which averaged 150 users daily until it was banned by the Islamic government, which uses censorship to stifle those who advocate for civil and human rights but now we have more than 500 users daily. In 2004 we created our own Human Rights Commission, which helps queer refugees and works on immigration issues. One of the most important things we can do is to identify and help those who have escaped or need to escape from Iran, for fear of losing their lives. In May 2006 we moved our headquarters from Iran to Toronto. We changed our name again from PGLO (Persian Gay Lesbian Organization) to IRQO, the IRanian Queer Organization. This name change expresses our commitment to inclusion of all people who identify with the queer community. But the majority of our friends and allies remain in Iran. IRQO’s PROJECTS Our aim is to enlighten those who are queer and educate those who oppose homosexuality because of a lack of correct information and sexual education. Because of intolerance in Iran, there is no way to freely research sexuality and other issues of orientation. The lack of complete and important information prevents many Iranian queers from having a clear insight into their current life or from making plans to achieve a brighter future. Through Cheraq, our Persian magazine for queer people, and through a weekly radio program called RAHA (“Liberated”) we can reach more people. We would like to broadcast this radio program by satellite, so that those without access to the Internet will be able to listen to us. We would like soon to provide at least one TV program to more effectively enrich our social culture in all its aspects, including sexuality. However, reaching this point will require us to have sufficient human and financial resources. Providing and broadcasting these media programs costs money, but we are happy to work for and pay for projects and programs that can enlighten our LGBT brothers and sisters. We must do our best to end the current lack of self-recognition and self-confidence among queer people and to prevent tragedies like suicide. HOW INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS CAN HELP IRQO We are presently financially independent and receive no grants or governmental support. We rely on money from our subscribers and from individuals and groups who want to help us. There have been a number of humanitarians and queer activists and groups that are willing to help us and who wish to work for the freedom and sexual equality of Iranian queer people and we are very thankful for their support. In fact we would not be here today if we had not received this help. We hope to receive more attention and collaboration from other organizations and individuals as we continue our mission. We need more allies and queer people to undertake responsibilities and to work to free queer people in Iran.
IRQO’s NEEDS We need financial aid * to procure sufficient office supplies, * to carry on with our magazine, radio, and television projects. We need volunteer help: * to bring more volunteers to IRQO * to lobby Members of Parliament * to lobby governments when they threaten to deport queers back to Iran * to write articles and letters to newspapers, magazines and on Internet sites * to send money to refugees in safe houses in Turkey, to buy food and get medical and psychological help for them as they are often sick and traumatized. * to translate interviews with refugees and articles from Persian into English * to edit articles that are put on the IRQO website * to do research in Iran. We are very optimistic that through solidarity and collaboration we can overcome the current unacceptable situation in Iran, and free Iran’s LGBT community. Such a significant goal cannot be achieved without the goodwill of people internationally. Today, we have among us many intelligent and educated queer people who need only the right and powerful tools to achieve their freedom. It is the will of society that makes government pass new and appropriate laws. If a large part of society stands for queer rights and freedom, then this work on behalf of our queer people in Iran will come to fruition. * We are humans- Human Rights are our rights. * Rights are never given, they are struggled for. * Do not forget Iran’s queers. Do not leave us abandoned. IRanian Queer Organization – IRQO (Persian Gay & Lesbian Organization – PGLO) http://www.irqo.net http://www.pglo.net Email: info@irqo.net IRQO has applied for charitable status, but has not yet obtained it. We have non-profit organization bank account under name of Persian Gay and Lesbian Organization Especial thanks for Rowan Percy, Salt Spring Island, BC. for editing our About Us page
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