'Atrocities committed by foreign governments against all people must be condemned swiftly and forcefully by the world's greatest democracy,' said HRC President Joe Solmonese.

WASHINGTON- The Human Rights Campaign sent a letter today to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asking her to condemn the recent execution of two gay teens in Iran as well as other horrific human rights abuses against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people across the globe. The text of the letter follows:

July 22, 2005

Dear Madam Secretary:

This week, the world learned of a horrific case of brutality against two young Iranians. This crime warrants an immediate and strong condemnation from the Department of State.

This week, two Iranian teenagers were hanged in a public square after being tortured for 14 months, simply for being caught having consensual sex. Pictures of their execution have been published in various newspapers around the world and can be found at the following Internet link: http://direland.typepad.com/direland/2005/07/iran-executes-2.html

Unfortunately, images like these are all too common in parts of the world where gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals are persecuted and treated with gross injustice by their governments. Just two weeks ago, a Nigerian man was sentenced to be stoned to death for admitting past sexual acts with men.

Atrocities committed by foreign governments against all people must be condemned swiftly and forcefully by the world's greatest democracy. We urge you to do so.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was signed by the UN General Assembly in 1948, declares that every human should be guaranteed the fundamental right to life, liberty, and security of person and every human should be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Tragically, this guarantee of basic human rights does not exist for GLBT individuals in certain regions of the globe.

According to research done by organizations such as the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission and Amnesty International, human rights abuses are perpetrated against the GLBT community in all corners of the globe. As we have seen in recent weeks, the barbarous punishments for sexual acts in these countries run contrary to the letter and the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For that reason, these acts must be condemned.

We hope you join us in our belief that every inhabitant of this world, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, has the inherent right to be free from human rights abuses, and will take action to highlight these injustices and condemn those countries that commit such inhumane acts.

Sincerely,

Joe Solmonese
President

The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political organization with members throughout the country. It effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the public to ensure that LGBT Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.