Lavender Peace - Justice

LAVENDER GREEN CAUCUS RELEASES A STATEMENT OPPOSING WAR ON IRAQ

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Lavender Green Caucus of the Green Party of the United States recently adopted and released a strongly worded position statement opposing President Bush's planned invasion of Iraq. The caucus, representing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people in the Green Party, stressed the special dangers that the war would pose to human rights in general and the hypocrisy of the Defense Department's discriminatory 'don't ask, don't tell' policy.

Friends,

It is with great pleasure and pride that I am able to announce that the National Lavender Green Caucus has voted to continue its leadership in ending war and the occupation of Iraq by endorsing the International March on Washington organized by A.N.S.W.E.R.

The march, which will be held October 25, 2003, will bring together hundreds of thousands of peace and justice activists from around the world to demand an end to the occupation of Iraq and the rabid war mongering of the Bush Administration.

The National Lavender Green Caucus made international news in January 2003 when it became the first gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersexed, and queer (GLBTIQ) caucus of a national party to take a strong stance opposing any military action on the part of the U.S. against the nation of Iraq and her people. We opposed the war in Iraq because it was a war of aggression, an illegal war by all international standards, a war of imperalism, a war of conquest, and a war that promised to kill thousands of innocents: a prediction that has been all too true. We knew that George W. Bush was lying to us from the beginning, and he continues to lie to us now.

As the Iraqi and U.S. death toll continues to climb, the National Lavender Green Caucus demands that George W. Bush bring our brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, and friends home.

We have a responsibility to provide the resources necessary to rebuild Iraq, which must be done and swifly. And just as urgent is the need of the people of the United States for economic relief, a livable wage, an end to federal discrimination against GLBTIQ individuals, increased resources to public schools, an end to environmental destruction and eco-insanity, sane and affordable universal healthcare and a committment to strengthening and growing our national social safety networks.

Join us in Washington, DC in October as we march in an act of international solidarity. The great walls of Jericho fell, and now it's Washington's turn.

In Peace with Justice,