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GLN's event in Chicago, USA

In October 2006, Gay Liberation Network invited us to participate to commemorate Mathew Sheppard who is one of homophobia’s victims. Sam Kosha one of IRQO directors came here to Chicago and today I am honoured to be here, on the first year of International Day Against Homophobia in the United States, and to participate in the rally of Gay Liberation Network in solidarity with queer people in Russia and highlighting the threatened suppression of Moscow Pride on May 31st.

Let me read the translation of a poem from about 800 years ago by Saadi, one of the major Persian poets of the medieval period who tells us why it is important to participate in solidarity with other people who are in pain:

Human beings are members of a whole,

In creation of one essence and soul.

If one member is afflicted with pain,

Other members uneasy will remain.

If you have no sympathy for human pain,

The name of human you cannot retain.

We are a global queer family and we should support each other. If we do not, we should not expect that other people will respect our rights. Our brothers and sisters in Moscow, Jerusalem and Istanbul have some legal rights but continue to struggle for full equality, while our brothers and sisters in Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan and other places may still be executed due to their sexual orientation. They are fighting for their basic rights, for stopping execution and torture on the basis of their sexual orientation. I will speak more about this later this evening.

We are here to say, queer rights are human rights. All governments and citizens of the globe should respect human rights, and do so with actions not just with words.

Every day governments in the United States, Russia, and Iran preach human rights to other people. It is time for these governments to support their own queer populations and other oppressed people by recognizing their legal equality and guaranteeing their safety.

Three cities in the United States including Chicago have International Day Against Homophobia events today which is a good start. I hope for more recognition of the importance of international solidarity in the future.

Thank you.

Arsham Parsi