On July 19, 2005, in the city of Mashad, Iran, the government hanged two gay teenagers named Mahmoud Asgari and Ayaz Marhoni and the world was justifiably outraged by these barbaric executions.
Within days, we organized LGBT people in San Francisco to come out to Harvey Milk Plaza for a protest over the Iranian gay hangings and to condemn the death penalty around the world, including here in the United States. We were proud to have a solidarity statement from Mayor Gavin Newsom and that Supervisors Bevan Dufty and Ross Mirkarimi wasted no time writing the State Department urging the agency to deplore the executions.
Our report on that small but important July 2005 vigil are posted here.
The following year, we spearheaded a global day of solidarity with LGBT Iranians in dozens of cities around the world, and marked the one-year anniversary of the hangings. Perhaps the most moving photo and report came from frightened gays inside Iran who participated in the day's actions, from the safety inside their homes.
Please view the reports and images from the July 19, 2006, worldwide vigils here.
We have no public action in San Francisco planned for tomorrow's ninth anniversary of this tragic day in global gay history, but we will be lighting candles of hopes in our homes to express our support for LGBT Iranians forced who live in exile and for those remaining in their homeland.
Take a moment to remember Mahmoud Asgari and Ayaz Marhoni, and pledge your solidarity with the global struggle for LGBT freedom and acceptance.
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