Petrelis Files

July 19 = Tulsa, OK, and Iran UN Mission Vigil Revived

For the updated full list of cities organizing actions and vigils, including the latest new city, Tulsa, click here.

Doug Ireland shares with us good developments from Oklahoma and New York City:

Tulsa, Oklahoma has become the 22nd city to join the July 19 International Day of Action Against Homophobic Persecution in Iran. A Solidarity with Gay Iranians vigil has been organized by Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR) at 8:30 p.m., July 19th at the Tulsa County Courthouse Place. Contact is Laura A. Belmonte, Ph.D., President, Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights, mobile 918-906-2134.

In New York City, an ad hoc committee has taken over organizing the July 19 demonstration at the Iranian Mission to the U.N. (622 Third Avenue at 40th St., 5:00 PM) after IGLHRC's withdrawal from its promise to organize this demo. The committee is in formation, and many more names are expected in the next 24 hours, but initial endorsers of the New York July 19 action include:

Endorsers (list in formation; * affiliations for identification purposes
only):

Andy Humm and Ann Northrop, Gay USA cable TV news

Walter Armstrong, POZ magazine*

Doug Ireland, journalist

Sandy Rapp, lesbian feminist singer/writer

Doric Wilson, playwright

Church Ladies for Choice

Allen Roskoff, president, Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club

Darren Rosenblum, Associate Professor, Pace Law School

Lawrence D. Mass, M.D., physician, writer, activist, co-founder of Gay Men's
Health Crisis*

Arnie Kantrowitz, professor emeritus, College of Staten Island, CUNY, and
author, “Under The Rainbow: Growing Up Gay”

Sean Strub, founder, POZ magazine

Kenneth Sherill, Professor, Political Science, Hunter College, CUNY*

Wayne Besen, Executive Director, Truth Wins Out www.TruthWinsOut.org

Rev. Pat Bumgardner, pastor, Metropolitan Community Church of NY

Rick Shur

Andrew Berman

Frank Jump, educator, artist, activist

Rosario Dawson, actor and activist

Vincenzo Aiosa, Same-sex marriage activist