If you’re in the DC area I encourage you to join the Human Rights Campaign, Human Rights Watch and the National LGBT Bar Association for a unique event in Washington, D.C. to support lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Iraqis who have fled their home country.
On Friday, July 24, spokesmen for a group of twenty LGBT Iraqi refugees undergoing their resettlement process will be in Washington, D.C. to bring attention to their struggle and raise money to support LGBT Iraqi refugees still in the Middle East.
Since the U.S. invasion, sectarian violence and fundamentalist religious leaders have filled a power vacuum left by the war that has made life for LGBT Iraqis increasingly unbearable. In recent months, international media have reported that LGBT Iraqis face kidnapping, torture, horrific sexual violence, death threats and murder.
Start your weekend off with a reception that may save lives. All proceeds from the fundraiser go to support Helem, a Lebanese LGBT organization that has provided food, shelter and clothing to LGBT Iraqi refugees currently undergoing their resettlement process.
What: Fundraiser to Support LGBT Iraqi Refugees
When: Friday, July 24, 2009
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Where: Human Rights Campaign Equality Center
1640 Rhode Island Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20036,
(at the intersection of Rhode Island Avenue and 17th Street)
Cost: Please bring your checkbook or credit card and donate as you can.
For questions or more information, please contact Eric Wingerter at iraqrefugeelgbt@gmail.com