Lawmakers Urge US to Evacuate LGBTQ Afghans
Several out congressmembers warn of Taliban’s treatment of queer people
BY TAT BELLAMY-WALKER
US Congress members have issued a
letter calling for the US to evacuate
LGBTQ refugees from Afghanistan
amid attacks from the Taliban in
the wake of the American withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The letter, which was sent to US Department
of State Secretary Antony Blinken on August
24, stressed that LGBTQ Afghans are facing an
increased risk of deadly homophobic and transphobic
violence now that the Taliban is in control.
The US has moved out more than 80,000
people from the country, but lawmakers do not
want LGBTQ folks to be left behind.
The letter, fi rst reported by the Washington
Blade, was led by out gay Congressmember
Chris Pappas and garnered the signatures of
more than 60 Congress members, including out
gay New York-based Congressmembers Ritchie
Torres and Mondaire Jones, as well as out gay
Congressmembers David Cicilline of Rhode Island,
Mark Takano of California, Mark Pocan of
Wisconsin, and Angie Craig of Minnesota.
“We write to highlight the existential threat
LGBTQ+ Afghans face under Taliban rule, and
➤ HOCHUL, from p.4
a letter calling for the authorization of a pilot
program that would establish fi ve overdose prevention
centers in the state — four in New York
City and one in Ithaca. That effort is intended to
allow individuals to safely consume drugs in a
more controlled and clean environment.
Charles King, Housing Works’ out gay CEO,
stressed that Housing Works hopes to see the
governor prioritize housing access for families
and provide funding for the state’s blueprint to
end the AIDS epidemic.
“We need to come up with better system of
care to move homeless people quickly into permanent
housing,” said King, who cited the disproportionate
number of homeless people who
are LGBTQ and people of color. “I think that is
an absolute crisis, especially here in New York
City, but also in other parts of the state.”
Statewide LGBTQ advocacy groups are also
outlining their wish lists for the state’s new
leader. The New Pride Agenda, which emerged
in 2019, is looking for Hochul to prioritize economic
prosperity by boosting access to gainful
employment, establishing age-appropriate comprehensive
sex education, and working to fully
decriminalize consensual sex work.
US AIR FORCE/MASTER SGT. DONALD R. ALLEN/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS
US Congress members have issued a letter urging for LGBTQ
Afghans to be evacuated from the country.
to urge you to expand the Department of State’s
recently announced Priority 2 (“P-2”) designation
granting U.S. Refugee Admissions Program
(USRAP) access for certain Afghan nationals to
The organization’s executive director, Elisa
Crespo, told Gay City News that the governor’s
focus should be on vulnerable individuals, especially
Black and Brown trans and gender
non-conforming New Yorkers. While the state
fi nally repealed the ban on “walking while
trans,” other bills — including the START Act
and a comprehensive sex work decriminalization
measure — have yet to pass.
“We need lawmakers to understand that human
traffi cking and sex work are separate and
independent of each other,” Crespo explained.
“One is about coercion while the other is about
consensual labor, survival, and bodily autonomy.
New Pride Agenda looks forward to working with
the Governor to establish targeted, solution-oriented
policies for marginalized LGBTQ people.”
Equality New York, another statewide LGBTQ
organization, said the group’s goal in the
next legislative session is to advance a measure
intended to end inhumane treatment of TGNCBI
incarcerated individuals as well as another
bill to codify anti-discrimination protections in
schools.
“The governor’s support will be crucial to
passage and we have confi dence that she will
be a partner in these efforts,” said Equality New
York’s executive director, Amanda Babine.
The Stonewall Democratic Club of New York
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explicitly include LGBTQ+ Afghans,” the letter
reads. “We further implore you to work with the
Department of Defense to ensure that charter
fl ights receive uninterrupted access to the airport,
as charter fl ights will likely provide the
best opportunity for priority refugees to escape.”
The letter also warned that the Taliban is poised
to embed anti-LGBTQ policies in the nation’s laws.
“With the Taliban’s takeover of the country,
LGBTQ+ Afghans face the prospect of violent
death,” the letter reads. “Sharia law, cemented
in Afghanistan’s constitution, prohibits all
forms of same-sex activity, and makes samesex
activity punishable by death.”
The letter added, “Under Taliban rule, LGBTQ+
Afghans will suffer a similar fate. Last
month, Taliban judge Gul Rahim promised that
once Taliban forces had taken over Afghanistan,
they will implement Sharia law and seek
to prosecute and execute LGBTQ+ Afghans.”
Torres stood by President Joe Biden’s decision
to immediately pull out from the country.
“The President chose to withdraw not because
it was politically expedient, but because
it was the right thing to do,” Torres told MSNBC.
“The decision the President made was the
right one.”
City, a citywide political club, endorsed Hochul in
the 2018 primary campaign for lieutenant governor
against Jumaane Williams. The club’s president,
Rose Christ, expressed optimism as she
looked ahead to Hochul’s tenure as governor.
“We are excited that Governor Hochul is prioritizing
housing assistance and the excluded
workers fund, both programs that will directly
impact the lives of LGBTQ+ New Yorkers disproportionately
affected by COVID-19,” Christ said
in a written statement. “Looking ahead, we are
eager to continue to work with Governor Hochul
to advance legislation, policies and programs that
support the needs of LGBTQ+ New Yorkers.”
Hochul’s work on LGBTQ issues will be
shaped in part by the makeup of her staff in
the months ahead. Matthew McMorrow, who
served as the statewide director of LGBTQ affairs
under Cuomo, is remaining in his role for
at least the time being. A spokesperson for the
governor told Gay City News that there will be a
45-day window during which Hochul will keep
staff from the previous administration.
“This time period will provide her and the
transition team with the opportunity to meet
with everyone and make any future determinations
regarding positions and staffi ng,” Hochul
spokesperson Hazel Crampton-Hays said in a
written statement.
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