Petrelis Files

Gay Hondurans Need Emails Sent to Govt Officials

The Honduran Support Network across the United States, Gays Without Borders in San Francisco, and human rights advocates in Honduras today launched a letter-writing campaign on behalf of the gays arrested in a the Anubis bar raid on January 13 in Tegucigalpa, including LGBT leader Erick Martinez. My previous coverage is here.

We ask you to sign your name, the name of your group and your location to the Spanish-language letter below and send it to four important Honduran officials who need to know people around the world are watching how Honduras treats the gays who were arrested and beaten up by national police. Please send me a copy of the email you send to the Hondurans, and I will pass your email along to LGBT Hondurans.

The letter states facts about the raid, requests that police harassment of LGBT people end, and that the government offer protective services to Erick.

Follow these easy instructions. Cut-and-paste these email addresses into the "Cc:" box:
pompeyobonilla@yahoo.com;
derechoshumanos@yahoo.com;
custodiolopez@conadeh.hn;
apineda@sjdh.gob.hn;
mpetrelis@aol.com

Next, cut-and-paste the letter below, with your info included, into the body of your email. Then in the subject box write "In Support of Erick Martinez and LGBT Hondurans". The last step is to hit send. If you hear back from the officials, please send their email to me. Thanks for helping the LGBT people of Honduras!

Text of letter:

January 21, 2013

1. Ministro Seguridad Pompeyo Bonilla
2. Abogado German Enamorado, Fiscalía Derechos Humanos
3. CONADEH, Dr. Ramón Custodio
4. Ministra Ana Pineda, Secretaria de Justicia y Derechos Humanos

Estimados oficiales hondureños,

Le escribo para protestar la detención ilegal y el asalto policial contra Erick Vidal Martínez en la madrugada del 13 de enero, así como el acoso y el obligado cierre temprano del bar Anubis, donde estuvo presente en Tegucigalpa.

Erick es gay, y el club es frecuentado por gente de la comunidad de la diversidad sexual. Erick fué detenido por más de 12 horas, sus fotos de los abusos de la policía borrados de su celular, y su auto saqueado y efectos personales robados, solo por presenciar el comportamiento humillante y homófoba de la policía y por defender los derechos humanos de los clientes del bar.

Pido que la policía hondureña terminen este acoso arbitrario de la comunidad LGTB y que el gobierno de Honduras ofrezca medidas de protección para Erick para que más daño no le viene mientras trabaja para defender los derechos humanos de todos los hondureños.

Por favor, responda y confirme que ha recibido esta carta.

Atentamente,
Name of individual:
Name of organization:
City, state and country: