Saturday, May 28, 2011

Via AmericaBloggay: Fmr. Lt. Dan Choi Beaten in Moscow

AMERICAblog

Fmr. Lt. Dan Choi just texted me.  On Saturday, May 28 he was thrown to the ground and kicked by neo-Nazis and the Russian police for the simple "crime" of marching peacefully in Moscow's LGBT pride parade.  There's video of the entire thing, and it's horrific.

And the US government has said nothing.

Please sign Dan's open letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asking her to condemn the anti-LGBT violence in Moscow, and to reaffirm the human rights of lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender people in Russia and around the world.


The Russian government has banned "Pride" for years, in direct violation of a decision by the European Court of Human Rights.  And today they used violence against Russian and international human rights activists for peaceably exercising their rights to freedom of speech and freedom of association.

Dan needs our help. Our Russian brothers and sisters need our help.  And so far the US government is offering no help at all. (A State Department official actually claimed he couldn't do anything because the entire US government is on vacation until Tuesday!)

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is a longtime ally of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.  She was there when we needed her to speak out against LBGT human rights abuses in Uganda.  And we need her to speak out again today.

Dan Choi has agreed to personally deliver this open letter with all of your signatures to the State Department upon his return to Washington.  We can make a difference here, with your help.  Sign Dan's open letter to Secretary Clinton urging her to speak out against the violence in Moscow.

Thanks so much,

John Aravosis and Joe Sudbay @ AMERICAblog

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