Pappas Leads Call To Protect LGBTQ+ Afghans

Press Release

Today, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) led 63 lawmakers in calling on Secretary of State Antony Blinken to expand the Department of State's recently announced Priority 2 designation granting U.S. Refugee Admissions Program access for certain Afghan nationals to explicitly include LGBTQ+ Afghans, and urging him to work with the Department of Defense to ensure that charter flights receive uninterrupted access to the airport.

"With the Taliban's takeover of the country, LGBTQ+ Afghans face the prospect of violent death. Sharia law, cemented in Afghanistan's constitution, prohibits all forms of same-sex activity, and makes same-sex activity punishable by death. Just as it was for ISIS in Iraq, Sharia law is the Taliban's guiding compass as it establishes its rule over Afghanistan's government and society," wrote the lawmakers. "In the spirit of upholding our values and leading by example, we urge you to expand the Department of State's P-2 designation granting USRAP access for Afghan nationals to explicitly include LGBTQ+ Afghans. While we appreciate that the situation in Afghanistan is fluid, you have the power to protect the lives of countless LGBTQ+ Afghans from the horrors they face living under a regime that threatens their very existence."

Pappas's call is supported by the Council for Global Equality, the National Center for Transgender Equality, Athlete Ally, the Trevor Project, the Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal, PFLAG National, and the National Equality Action Team (NEAT).

"We urge the Biden Administration to match its pro-LGBTQ rhetoric with concrete actions in this perilous moment," said Kevin Jennings, CEO, Lambda Legal. "The return of the Taliban is a virtual death sentence for LGBTQ Afghans and the Biden Administration must step up to protect our siblings in Afghanistan because time is of the essence," said Lambda Legal CEO Kevin Jennings.

"Time is running out and the lives of LGBTQI Afghans are at extreme risk," said Mark Bromley, Council Chair, Council for Global Equality. "As a country, we can do more to evacuate the LGBTQI community and to provide LGBTQI-affirming support for their successful resettlement here in the United States."

"We are grateful to Rep. Chris Pappas for leading Members of Congress on a letter to Secretary Blinken urging him to extend Priority 2 designations to LGBTQ+ Afghan nationals fleeing Taliban rule in Afghanistan," said JoDee Winterhof, Human Rights Campaign Senior Vice President, Policy & Political Affairs. "The Human Rights Campaign recognizes that those LGBTQ+ individuals fleeing Taliban rule deserve unique attention as they are particularly vulnerable and fear imminent violence and death following the rapid takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban, and this particular vulnerability requires expedited redress by the Department of State."

"The power of sport is one that compels us to reach across global divides and act in meaningful allyship," said Hudson Taylor, Executive Director, Athlete Ally. "Athlete Ally is deeply concerned for the Afghan LGBTQ+ community, and we urge the U.S. Department of State to relocate LGBTQ+ Afghans so that they can live safely and freely as their authentic selves."

Full text of the letter can be found here and below:

Dear Secretary Blinken:

We write to highlight the existential threat LGBTQ+ Afghans face under Taliban rule, and 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 explicitly include LGBTQ+ Afghans. We further implore you to work with the Department of Defense to ensure that charter flights receive uninterrupted access to the airport, as charter flights will likely provide the best opportunity for priority refugees to escape.

With the Taliban's takeover of the country, LGBTQ+ Afghans face the prospect of violent death. Sharia law, cemented in Afghanistan's constitution, prohibits all forms of same-sex activity, and makes same-sex activity punishable by death. Just as it was for ISIS in Iraq, Sharia law is the Taliban's guiding compass as it establishes its rule over Afghanistan's government and society. During its campaign in Iraq and Syria, ISIS frequently executed LGBTQ+ individuals by stoning them to death, castrating and hanging them in public squares, and throwing them off buildings.

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:

"For homosexuals, there can only be two punishments: either stoning, or he must stand behind a wall that will fall down on him."

The Biden Administration has been a champion of LGBTQ+ rights in the United States and abroad. In a February 2021 Memorandum President Biden stated,

"[I]t shall be the policy of the United States to pursue an end to violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics, and to lead by the power of our example in the cause of advancing the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons around the world."

While Canada announced on August 14 it would resettle more than 20,000 Afghan citizens, with an emphasis on protecting LGBTQ+ individuals, women, and others typically targeted by the Taliban, the United States has yet to announce any such policy for LGBTQ+ Afghans.

We have a moral obligation to uphold our values and utilize every tool at our disposal to protect the LGBTQ+ Afghan community. On August 2, the Department of State announced a "Priority 2 (P-2) designation" granting eligible Afghan nationals and their family members access to the USRAP for Afghans looking to flee Taliban rule but who aren't eligible for a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV). The P-2 designation is made at the discretion of the Department of State and is typically used for "groups of special concern" the Department determines "as having access to the program by virtue of their circumstances."

In the spirit of upholding our values and leading by example, we urge you to expand the Department of State's P-2 designation granting USRAP access for Afghan nationals to explicitly include LGBTQ+ Afghans. While we appreciate that the situation in Afghanistan is fluid, you have the power to protect the lives of countless LGBTQ+ Afghans from the horrors they face living under a regime that threatens their very existence. Thank you for your consideration of this matter, and we look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

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