Petrelis Files

Berlin, DC, LA, SF: Protests This Week
Over Gay Honduran Murder

(Walter Trochez)

On January 27, Honduras will inaugurate Porfirio Lobo as the new President of the country, and gays in three cities will mark the occasion demonstrating on behalf of human rights protections for LGBT people and pro-democracy forces in Honduras. Since the military coup of June 29, 2009, many other transgender and gay people as well as opponents of the coup government have been murdered. Our solidarity and compassion go to the family members and friends of those murdered.

Gay activists are particularly concerned that no has been arrested and charged with the assassination of Walter Trochez, a 26-year-old gay man and HIV/AIDS advocate, killed on December 13, who worked with human rights organizations against the coup leaders.

Here is the information for the actions this week. Activists will share images of the protests shortly after they occur:

Berlin, Germany
Contact: Chicago Rose
Phone: +49 (0)30 / 577 08486
Date: Tuesday, January 26
Time: 3 pm
Action: Rally in front of the Foreign Office
Location: Werderscher Markt 1

Los Angeles, California
Contact: Suyapa G. Portillo
Email: Suyapa.Portillo (at) pomona (dot) edu
Date: Wednesday, January 27
Time: 5 pm to 7 pm
Action: Rally at Honduran consulate
Location: 3550 Wilshire Blvd.

San Francisco, California
Contact: Michael Petrelis
Email: mpetrelis@aol.com
Phone: 415-621-6267
Date: Wednesday, January 27
Action: Meeting at Honduran consulate
Location: 870 Market Street

Washington, DC
Contact: Adrienne Pine
Email: adrienne@quotha.net Phone: 202-652-5601
Date: Wednesday, January 27
Actions: TWO rallies at the State Department
Time:8-9am (for those of you who work 9-5)
&
Time: 1-2pm (to catch press at daily briefing)
Location: 23rd and D Streets NW

Gay and human rights activists in other cities are encourage to stage similar public actions this week in solidarity with LGBT and pro-democracy citizens in Honduras. A list of Honduran embassies around the world can be found here. And the locations of Honduran consulates in the United States are posted here.

The organizers of the actions in Berlin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, DC, are making the following demands:

1. An independent investigation into the murder of gay and HIV/AIDS activist Walter Trochez, and full prosecution of those responsible for his death.

2. The support of Honduran human rights activists and the LGBT community against homophobic and transphobic violence in Honduras and throughout the world.

3. The non-recognition of President-elect Porfirio Lobo, elected under undemocratic circumstances, whose inauguration is scheduled to take place on January 27, 2010 – by the U.S. government!

4. The termination of the cooperation of the U.S. Government with the plebiscite government and coup d'état allies.

Please support and participate in the upcoming demonstrations, or plan your own!