DEADLINE: Making history in Iraq

Dear friends – Hundreds of All Out members have already chipped in to help our partners in Iraq make LGBT lives visible in a beautiful and powerful way. With the help of 848 more people, LGBT rights group Rasan will be covering a town in Iraq with anti-discrimination murals. These murals will let young LGBT Iraqis know that they aren't alone – that LGBT lives are beautiful, worthy of love, dignity, and safety. We really need your help to make this groundbreaking project happen. Can you donate today? – Matt Previous email: -------------------

Luc – For most of my life, I thought I was alone. My name is Ahmed.* I'm an 18-year-old transgender man and I've lived in Iraq my entire life. When my family found out that I'm transgender, I was abused almost daily. There is so little knowledge about LGBT identities here in Iraq – they treated me like a monster. But a group of activists here wants to change that. All Out's partner organisation Rasan is helping young LGBT people like me find safety, hope, and a better future. They saved my life by helping me leave my family's home for good. And now, they plan to change hearts and minds throughout Iraq so more young LGBT people aren't misunderstood and abused like I was. With enough help, they're going to paint giant murals about anti-discrimination around Sulaimanyah, a city in the Kurdish region of Iraq. Luc – help Rasan spread a message of anti-discrimination in Iraq through beautiful public art. Chip in €5 today! Rasan already has permission from the government for the murals – they just need to funds to make it happen! We need public education so badly. There are ZERO resources about LGBT identities available in Kurdish. There isn't any terminology to describe LGBT identities in the Kurdish language, so people resort to using offensive words instead. One of the first steps towards ending violence and discrimination starts with education. That's why these public murals are so important to me – my family will see them, my friends, my classmates, and so many other people in my community. But Rasan's work doesn't stop there. They also want to produce a number of short, educational films that introduce LGBT identities to the Kurdish language. This is going to be a critical jumping-off point for conversations that must happen if we want to move away from hatred and abuse. And you can help make it happen. We need 1,080 more All Out members to help fund these projects. Luc – help make history in Iraq and chip in today. By donating, you'll have exclusive access to Rasan's groundbreaking videos. All Out will also send you photos of the murals before anyone else! Thanks for going All Out, Ahmed *I'm not using my real name, for my own security SOURCES:  ● ︎Rasan's Facebook Page  ● Kurdish group launches pro-LGBT human rights campaign – Washington Blade, 03 January 2017 Want to support All Out's ongoing work? Our tiny team stretches every dollar to make it count. DONATE TODAY

All Out Action Fund 115 Fifth Ave New York, NY 10003 Copyright © 2018 All Out, All rights reserved.