June 2, 2009

The Honorable Barack Obama The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton

President, United States of America Secretary of State, United States of America
The White House U.S. Department of State
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW 2201 C Street NW Room 7226
Washington, DC 20500 Washington, DC 20520

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi The Honorable Dianne Feinstein

Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives Senator, U.S. Senate
235 Cannon House Office Building 331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-0508 Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Barbara Boxer

Senator, U.S. Senate
112 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear President Obama, Madame Secretary, Speaker Pelosi, Senator Feinstein and Senator Boxer:

We are writing to urge you to call upon the government of Iraq to prevent the persecution of lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, and to protect the right of all Iraqi citizens to be free from all
forms of cruel, inhumane or degrading punishment.

Deeply disturbing reports are emanating from Iraq with regard to the torture, beating and killing of LGBT
people in that country. The increasing violence is being led by religious zealots who are targeting these
individuals simply because of their sexual orientation. This year alone, 63 people have been tortured or
killed as a result of religious decrees against gay citizens. A prominent Iraqi human rights activist has
reported that Iraqi militia have deployed painful and degrading forms of torture and punishment against
homosexuals that must be stopped.

The United States is spending trillions of dollars to fight a war that is based on bringing freedom and
democracy to the Iraqi people. These unspeakable actions of violence on Iraqi citizens are in direct
violation of our purpose for being in that country and of the stated policy of non-discrimination of the
new administration.

Local police in Iraq have issued a statement that, "the extra-judicial killing of any citizen is a crime
punishable by law. No one has the right to become a substitute for judicial authorities or executive
authorities, and if there are complaints against individuals, there is law and there are police and there are
government agencies. No group or class has the authority to punish people instead of the state." The
violence occurring against LGBT Iraqis is in direct contradiction to this statement.
Page 2 – Re: Persecution of LGBT Iraqis

As one of the signatories to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Iraqi
government has an obligation to protect the right to life (Article 6) and the right of all its citizens "to be
free from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment" (Article 7). Current actions
belie this obligation.

To protect the lives of LGBT Iraqis, we urge you to please take immediate action to stop the violence.
We believe that a strong public condemnation of these actions must come from you and our other national
leaders, along with the necessary pressure on the Iraqi government to protect the life and liberty of all its
citizens.

Sincerely,

__________________________________ __________________________________
MARK LENO, Senator 3rd SD TOM AMMIANO, Assemblyman 13th AD

__________________________________ __________________________________
CHRISTINE KEHOE, Senator 39th SD JOHN A. PÉREZ, Assemblyman 46th AD

__________________________________ __________________________________
JIM BEALL, Jr., Assemblyman 24th AD JULIA BROWNLEY, Assemblywoman 41ST AD

__________________________________ __________________________________
SANDRÉ R. SWANSON, Assemblyman 16th AD TOM TORLAKSON, Assemblyman 11th AD

__________________________________ __________________________________
MARTY BLOCK, Assemblyman 78th AD MARIKO YAMADA, Assemblywoman 8th AD

__________________________________ __________________________________
PEDRO NAVA, Assemblyman 35th AD ANTHONY PORTANTINO, Assemblyman 44th AD

__________________________________ __________________________________
JERRY HILL, Assemblyman 19th AD HECTOR DE LA TORRE, Assemblyman 50th AD

__________________________________ __________________________________
MIKE FEUER, Assemblyman 42nd AD FELIPE FUENTES, Assemblyman 39th AD
Page 3 – Re: Persecution of LGBT Iraqis

__________________________________ __________________________________
CATHLEEN GALGIANI, Assemblywoman 17th AD CURREN D. PRICE Jr., Assemblyman 51st AD

__________________________________ __________________________________
NORMA J. TORRES, Assemblywoman 61st AD JOSEPH S. SIMITIAN, Senator 11th SD

__________________________________ __________________________________
ELAINE ALQUIST, Senator 13th SD ALAN LOWENTHAL, Senator 27th SD

__________________________________ __________________________________
LELAND YEE, Senator 8th SD GILBERT CEDILLO, Senator 22nd SD

__________________________________ __________________________________
JENNY OROPEZA, Senator 28th SD GLORIA ROMERO, Senator 24th SD

__________________________________ __________________________________
GLORIA NEGRETE MCLEOD, Senator 32nd SD LOU CORREA, Senator 34th SD

__________________________________ __________________________________
LONI HANCOCK, Senator 9th SD LOIS WOLK, Senator 5th SD

__________________________________ __________________________________
PATRICIA WIGGINS, Senator 2nd SD ELLEN CORBETT, Senator 10th SD

__________________________________ __________________________________
CAROL LIU, Senator 21st SD FRAN PAVLEY, Senator 23rd SD

__________________________________ __________________________________
BONNIE LOWENTHAL, Assemblywoman 54th AD WILLIAM W. MONNING, Assemblyman 27th AD

__________________________________ __________________________________
ISADORE HALL III, Assemblyman 52nd AD MARY SALAS, Assemblywoman 79th AD
Page 4 – Re: Persecution of LGBT Iraqis

__________________________________ __________________________________
MIKE DAVIS, Assemblyman 48th AD PAUL FONG, Assemblyman 22nd AD

__________________________________ __________________________________
WARREN T. FURUTANI, Assemblyman 55th AD JARED HUFFMAN, Assemblyman 6th AD

__________________________________ __________________________________
BOB BLUMENFIELD, Assemblyman 40th AD ALEX PADILLA, Senator 20th SD

__________________________________
PAUL KREKORIAN, Assemblyman 43rd AD