Regarding Yesterday's Post About Iran...

Many of you have noted that I have removed yesterday's post regarding the pending executions of two young gay men in Iran. Shortly after that post went up, both Andy Towle and I were contacted by Jessica Stern at the International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission, who was very concerned that fragile communications being made on the men's behalf could be damaged by excessive publicity in the blogosphere.

This morning Stern sends us this update: "IGLHRC is deeply concerned about the alleged charges facing two men from Piranshahr, Iran, and we are urgently investigating them. We are also concerned that some stories circulating about these men may contain factual inaccuracies and be based on hearsay. Until more is understood, we urge journalists and advocates to act with extreme caution. The death penalty is always wrong, however the specifics of each case matter immensely. Nothing less than the lives of two young men is at stake."

I will update you on any further developments today.