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The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 1All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. Article 3Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. Article 5No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Article 19Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
The Persian Gay and Lesbian Organization is the sole organization defending the rights of Iranian homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals. This organization, in accepting the entire substance of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, aims to achieve freedom and equal rights for Iranian sexual minorities around the world. The Persian Gay and Lesbian Organization does not recognize itself as belonging to any political or religious group and struggles to promote the observance human rights, especially for Iranian LGBTs, without regard to color, race, language or belief. The Persian Gay and Lesbian Organization explicitly proclaims that it is against any sort of war or killing and will not resort to any violent means in fulfilling its goals. The Persian Gay and Lesbian Organization condemns any sort of insult, threat, torture, and murder and solicits the elimination of all the punishments determined for Iranian sexual minorities. On July 19, to commemorate the anniversary of the execution of two young boys in Mashad, protests are planned around the world. The Persian Gay and Lesbian Organization will hold a special event in University of Toronto. This event is solely to expose the conditions of sexual minorities in Iran. It is not a political event because our primary goal is defend the rights of Iranian homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals and nothing else. The Persian Gay and Lesbian Organization is not responsible for any of the events held in other cities. The Persian Gay and Lesbian Organization explicitly expresses its opposition to any act of war against Iran. Violence will not bring about freedom. The only means for countering homophobia in Iran is through public education and raising awareness. This is a cultural endeavor, not a political one. We condemn any manipulation of the situation of homosexuals in Iran for political purposes as such actions are a grave insult to the Iranian sexual minorities. The 19th of July is the anniversary of the execution of two young boys in Mashhad. At least one (if not both) of these two young boys was sentenced to death while under the age of 18. They were allegedly accused of rape, and because of this, these two young boys were publicly executed. It is not clear if these charges were true or not. Whether or not these two young boys were indeed homosexuals is not the main issue that resulted in their execution. The main point is that according to Iran’s Islamic Penal Laws the act of homosexuality between two men is punishable by death. The act of homosexuality, does not necessarily occur between two homosexual men or women. These two oppressed individuals, even if they were not homosexuals, were sacrificed because of laws that we today want to eliminate. These two young boys were victims of a mentality and culture that do not formally recognize any other form of romantic-sexual relations except for those of heterosexuality. The 19th of July, the execution day of these two young boys, has given an opportunity to the world to protest against the execution of children and against the punishment of homosexual acts. The 19th of July has symbolically become the day of fighting homophobia. These two young boys are only two cases out of the countless number of people who have been victims of the homophobic culture and the hidden violence in the laws of Iran. Today we want to remember the sound of the whips that descended on the body of Amir from Shiraz. Today is the day we remember the body Sam in Isfahan, bruised under the beatings of whips. Today is the proclamation of support for Mujtaba, who after a year of distress, still has an unanswered asylum application. Today we want to put ointment on the wounded face of Babak, who was beaten in the Tehran University Student Park because of his homosexuality. Today we want to hear protests against the intimidation and rape of Iman, an Iranian homosexual, by a police officer in the city of Rasht. The Persian Gay and Lesbian Organization will hold a commemoration ceremony at the University of Toronto, on the 19th of July to remind the world of the memory of the homosexuals who have been victimized. And on this day it is desired of Iranians to light a candle in their homes in civil protest, and to hope in their hearts for freedom and the observance of human rights. We thank all the individuals, groups and organizations defending the rights of sexual minorities who have helped us. We thank the LGBT division of Human Rights Watch who has not withheld any assistance to us homosexual Iranians. We are hopeful that a day will come in which no one will be oppressed based on his or her sexual orientation.
Persian Gay and Lesbian
Organization |
