Today the President of Iran stated that there are no gay people in Iran. The comments of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reminded me of my visit to Montreal last August for the Gay Games. During the opening ceremony of the games, hundreds of athletes marched into the stadium boldly raising their flags and proudly marching with their teams to begin a week of competition in Canada. Many of the athletes were from countries in which it was a crime to be homosexual. It was a very moving scene for Americans and Canadians in the audience who are continuing to fight for civil rights in North America.

It is horrific to think that the President of Iran would make such a statement, sneer and laugh at the audience’s negative reaction. This is a reminder to us that our work here at home and in the world is far from over. In Iran, you can be executed for being gay. Four men must witness the act before you are eligible to be put to death. It is hard to believe that human beings are being killed by governments for being gay. But indeed this is true.

Today at Stonewall Columbus I received a call from a tearful parent. He was worried about his son, an FTM person who had to go to the doctor and was concerned about how he would be treated during this process. A 62 year old man called who thought he may have lost his job because he was gay and a new, young volunteer was nervous because her family found out she was volunteering at Stonewall and was very upset by it. Fear was the word for today at SWC but luckily, no one was executed in Columbus, Ohio. Days like this make me proud to be an activist. In Columbus, the prominent Short North, High Street placement of our community center is a symbol to our lgbt people that fear should have no place here. I am confident that the work inside the walls of that center is continuing to make a difference in the lives of our glbt people one at a time.