Iranian Gay Leader To Headline Intn'l Gay Protest

The Gay Liberation Network is proud to announce that Arsham Parsi, Executive Director of the Toronto-based Iranian Queer Organization (www.IRQO.net) will be the featured speaker at Chicago's May 17th International Day Against Homophobia (I.D.A.H.O.).

The event will begin with a brief speak-out at 3 PM in the small plaza just south of Women & Children First Bookstore, 5233 N. Clark Street (one block north of Foster Street), followed by a march through the community to Gerber Hart Library, 1127 W. Granville, where a reception for Mr. Parsi will be held.

I.D.A.H.O. is a day set aside by LGBT people internationally to focus on efforts to stop anti-gay hatred and discrimination in countries around the world. While I.D.A.H.O. has long been a tradition in Europe and Latin America, this year GLN is helping to bring I.D.A.H.O. to the United States for the first time. The theme for the event will be supporting Russian LGBT people in their effort to hold the 3rd annual Moscow Pride on May 31st, despite government repression and the threat of physical assault by neo-fascists and religious bigots (http://www.moscowpride.ru/).

At the start of Chicago's I.D.A.H.O. event outside of Women & Children First Bookstore, Mr. Parsi will make brief remarks about why Iranian LGBT support Russian gays in their efforts to celebrate Moscow Pride. At the Gerber Hart Library reception following the march, Mr. Parsi will make more extended remarks and lead a discussion about the current situation facing Iranian LGBT people, the threat of war on Iran, and what people in the United States can do to support LGBT people in Iran.

For information more information about I.D.A.H.O. in Chicago, email LGBTliberation@aol.com or phone GLN's Bob Schwartz at 773.878.3697