Gottheimer leads bipartisan letter to U.N. Secretary-General Guterres urging condemnation of Houthi treatment of LGBTQ+ people
Denounces Houthi Torture and Execution of LGBTQ+ People, Including Stoning, Crucifixion, and Flogging
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) led a letter signed by a bipartisan group of eleven Members of Congress urging United Nations Secretary General António Guterres to condemn the Houthis’ continued oppression and brutal murder of members of the LGBTQ+ community in Yemen.
As of February 8, 2024, the Houthis, an Iran-backed terrorist organization, have detained 58 people on charges of “homosexuality,” publicly flogged three people, and sentenced an additional 13 people to death based on suspected sexual orientation in Yemen. The Houthis employ barbaric methods to kill those convicted of homosexuality charges, including stoning, crucifixion, and flogging.
These appalling attacks on LGBTQ+ Yemenis are part of the Houthis’ broader campaign of violence and terrorism. Since Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attacks against Israel, an oasis for the LGBTQ+ community in the region, the Houthis have openly declared their unwavering support for Hamas and their barbaric acts against civilians.
The signatory list of eleven bipartisan Members of Congress includes Reps. Gottheimer (NJ-5), Craig (MN-2), D’Esposito (NY-4), Jackson (IL-1), Lawler (NY-17), Lieu (CA-36), Moskowitz (FL-23), Pappas (NH-1), Stevens (MI-11), Torres (NY-15), and Wasserman Schultz (FL-25).
“The Houthis are actively torturing and executing members of the LGBTQ+ community simply because of who they love,” wrote eleven bipartisan Members of Congress in a letter to United Nations Secretary General António Guterres. “The method by which they executed these individuals compounds the barbarity, killing seven people by stoning and two by crucifixion. These horrendous acts are comparable to tactics used by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
“The United Nations continued silence in the face of gruesome crucifixion, stoning, and flogging sends a disturbing signal that LGBTQ+ individuals can be persecuted without consequence. Your delay in condemning these horrific actions by the Houthis also endangers the lives of LGBTQ+ people elsewhere, as other terrorist organizations watch the Houthis act with impunity. There is no place in our world for hate, persecution, and murder based solely on who someone loves,” the members said.
