The brutal murder of a 15-year old Syrian boy thrown from the top of a building during the first weekend of the New Year in Deir ez-Zor, a Daesh (or ISIS/ISIL) stronghold, is but one of at least 30 executions of people the terrorist group believes to be members of the global LBGT community.
Starting with a December 9, 2014 killing of a gay man, also thrown from the top of a building, the human rights NGO OutRight Action International has been documenting the terrorist group’s media releases of graphic videos and other reports claiming to reveal the group’s execution of LGBT people. And these are only the killings Daesh is broadcasting.
No surprise, then, that the Human Rights Campaign is on the case, advocating for LGBT refugees who come to the United States and urging Congress to reject legislation aimed at obstructing refugees from Syria and other counties from seeking asylum in America.
“The level of brutality displayed by ISIL towards LGBT people is almost incomprehensible; yet once again, LGBT people are subject to hatred and violence because of who they are and who they love,” stated HRC Global Director Ty Cobb in a Jan. 4 press release. “These barbaric acts must not be tolerated by the international community, and we stand in solidarity with the global community in condemning them in the strongest possible terms.”
The HRC press release goes on to say:
LGBT refugees from Syria and Iraq are among the most vulnerable in the world, yet even when they escape the Islamic State, they can face discrimination and violence from other refugees. HRC has been working to help ensure protection for LGBT refugees and asylum seekers who have joined the millions of refugees fleeing ISIS controlled territory.
HRC has advocated for better treatment for LGBT refugees who come to the US, and, in recent months, the organization helped publish a guide for service providers for LGBT asylum seekers; has urged the U.S. Congress to reject any legislation that could further hinder an already slow refugee resettlement system; and participated in a special convening on LGBTI refugee issues on Capitol Hill.
