The San Francisco Bay area community will gather for International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT) on Wed., May 17, 2017, 6 to 7pm, at Harvey Milk Plaza (2401 Market at Castro Street.) Participants in IDAHOT events globally will be posting actions on social media with the hashtags #IDAHOT and #IFED2017 to inspire and encourage others.The San Francisco rally will focus on three subjects:1. Demanding justice for victims of extreme LGBTQ persecution (E.g., The recent kidnapping, torture & killing of up to 100 gay men in Chechnya and the opening of a concentration camp.) (E.g., Continuing transgender murders in America.)
2. Resistance to the Trump administration’s threat to LGBTQ people and families.
3. Celebrating U.S. Whistleblower Chelsea Manning’s release from federal prison on May 17 with a show of solidarity for her continued wellbeing.
4. Speaking to the plight of LGBTI asylum seekers and refugees, forced into exile by homophobia, transphobia, biphobia etc., and as further impacted by Trump’s Executive Orders.
Patrick Carney, founder of the Pink Triangle Project, will be installing a custom-made, 10-foot pink triangle at Harvey Milk Plaza, and will be speaking about the significance of remembering the LGBT Holocaust victims. A moment of silence will be held to honor all victims of homophobia, transphobia and biphobia, especially recent victims in Chechnya.
Gary Virginia from Gays Without Borders is organizing and emceeing the rally that will feature a half dozen speakers including former CA State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, Melanie Nathan from African Human Rights Coalition (African HRC); Lori Nairne from Queer Strike; Jeff Paterson from Courage To Resist & Chelsea Manning Support Network, and Subhi Nahas, founder of Spectra Project (Syria).
Sponsors: to date include Gays Without Borders, CODEPINK San Francisco, Queer Strike, Courage To Resist, African Human Rights Coalition and Veterans for Peace Chapter 69.
IDAHOT -The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia was created in 2004 to draw the attention of policymakers, opinion leaders, social movements, the public and the media to the violence and discrimination experienced by LGBTI people internationally, and all those who do not conform to majority sexual and gender norms. The date of May 17 was specifically chosen to commemorate the World Health Organization’s decision in 1990 to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder.
May 17 is now celebrated in more than 130 countries, including 37 where same-sex acts are illegal, with 1600 events reported from 1280 organizations in 2014. These mobilizations unite millions of people in support of the recognition of human rights for all, irrespective of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.
CHELSEA MANNING – President Obama commuted all but four months of the remaining prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, the Army intelligence analyst convicted of a 2010 leak that revealed American military and diplomatic activities across the world. As reported by the New York Times, “the decision by Mr. Obama rescued Ms. Manning, who twice tried to kill herself last year, from an uncertain future as a transgender woman incarcerated at the men’s military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. She has been jailed for nearly seven years, and her 35-year sentence was by far the longest punishment ever imposed in the United States for a leak conviction.” The date of Manning’s liberation coincides with the IDAHOT, on May 17, which turns this decision into a much broader acknowledgement of the situation faced by transgender prisoners in U.S. jails.
UPDATED – Horrific Murder of South African lesbian days before IDAHOT draws attention to homophobia – PLREASE READ – And Note that I will be remembering 27-year-old Lerato Tambai Moloi in my speech. READ MORE: https://oblogdeeoblogda.me/2017/05/15/brutal-rape-and-murder-of-south-african-lesbian-calls-attention-to-failing-task-team/
Melanie Nathan
African HRC
Contact: [email protected]
@MelanieNathan1
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