Tuesday, September 01, 2009

IGLHRC Not Sponsoring Iraqi
LGBT Leader's US Visit

(Cary Alan Johnson: IGLHRC's executive director.)

Over the weekend, this intriguing email from a Kathryn Guinn, whom I don't know, arrived at my in box:

I have read with interest the questions you have raised about the London group Iraqi LGBT and their finances, and what they are doing or not to defend Iraqi gay people as they are murdered.

I thought you might be interested to know if you don't already that Ali Hili of the Iraqi LGBT group will soon be doing a fundraising tour of the US. I know this from the IGLHRC (International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission). An acquaintance of mine who works there told me the other night, that Ali Hili will be coming to the US, maybe as early as next month, and that the IGLHRC will be organizing his travel and speeches in New York. This friend also said that he will also be visiting Chicago and maybe Washington, DC among other cities, all to raise more money in the wake of the recent reports of more killings.

I don't know much more about this but it is interesting because it raises again the question you asked, for what specific activities that help LGBT people is he going to be raising this money for? I can't tell you more than I know. But don't ask me, ask the IGLHRC! :-)

My reply to Guinn, asking for more info, didn't generate a response from her, so I asked the head of IGLHRC, Cary Alan Johnson, for his opinion on the email's contents. This was Cary's reply:

IGLHRC works closely with a number of partners working on issues of LGBT and sexual rights in the Middle East and North Africa, including Iraqi LGBT. While we are aware of Ali Hili’s intended upcoming visit to the United States, and look forward to meeting with him while he is here in New York, we are not the sponsors of the trip, nor are we involved in the planning of his public appearances.

Ali was copied on all of this, didn't offer up any info and none is provided at his site about his upcoming trip. Stay tuned for further developments.

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