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Editor’s note: This article was first published in the , an LGBTI news outlet based in Washington DC, US. Michael K. Lavers is the 叠濒补诲别鈥檚 International News Editor and this story was reproduced with his permission.

THE聽first-ever UN Security Council meeting on an LGBT-specific issue that took place on Monday focused on ISIS鈥� ongoing persecution of LGBT Syrians and Iraqis.

[showads聽ad=MREC]The US and Chile co-sponsored the closed-door, informal briefing that highlighted the militant group鈥檚 continued persecution of LGBT Syrians and Iraqis who live under its control.

UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power, Chile Ambassador to the UN Cristian Barros-Melet and International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission executive director Jessica Stern spoke during the closed-door briefing.

Representatives from 11 of the 15 countries that sit on the council also participated. Diplomats from the African countries of Chad and Angola did not attend the briefing. Representatives from China, Russia, Nigeria and Malaysia who were in attendance did not speak.

A gay Iraqi man who used the pseudonym 鈥淎dnan鈥� to protect his identity spoke to the council via telephone. Subhi Nahas, a gay man from the Syrian city of Idleb who received refugee status from the UN High Commission on Refugees and now lives in San Francisco, spoke during the briefing on behalf of the Organization for Refuge, Asylum and Migration.

Nahas fled to Lebanon in 2012 after Jabhat al-Nusra, a militant group affiliated with Al Qaeda, took control of his hometown. He later moved to Turkey where he remained until US authorities allowed him to resettle in the country.

鈥淚 have witnessed with my own eyes the annihilation of civility and humanity as I knew them,鈥� Nahas told members of the council.

鈥淔or millions of Syrians both in and outside the country, time is running out. For my compatriots who do not conform to gender and sexual norms, the 11th hour has already passed. They need your help now.鈥�

At least 30 men accused of sodomy killed by militant group

ISIS last year began posting to its website and social media pages images the militant group claims showed the public executions of men accused of engaging in sodomy.

These pictures show, among other things, blindfolded men with their hands tied behind their backs falling from buildings. Reports also indicate those living in ISIS-controlled areas that have been found guilty of sodomy have also been stoned to death, executed by firing squads and even beheaded.

鈥淲e are all horrified by ISIL鈥檚 videos of men being thrown to their death,鈥� Power said in prepared remarks she read during the council meeting.

鈥淎t its essence 鈥� it is the denial of a person鈥檚 most basic right because of who they are. It is ISIL deciding that, because of a person鈥檚 sexual orientation or gender identity, they do not deserve to live.鈥�

Stern told reporters after the briefing that ISIS聽has executed at least 30 men accused of sodomy.

鈥淚t is the obligation of the international community to take action,鈥� she said.

Nahas said members of the militant group sometimes force people to attend the executions of those found guilty of engaging in same-sex sexual acts. He told the that a gay Syrian friend witnessed part of one of these events.

鈥淗e did not witness the whole thing because he could not stand it,鈥� Nahas said.

鈥淭hey were taking the guy up the building, and he ran away. He did not witness the full execution. He witnessed part of the execution. He was thinking of himself and not the guy.鈥�

Nahas told the that LGBT people in his hometown with whom he has spoken since he fled say the situation under ISIS’ control is 鈥渧ery, very bad”.

Nahas said they were afraid to go outside and speak with anyone. He told the Blade that members of the militant group target those who are wearing jeans, don鈥檛 have a 鈥渘ormal鈥� haircut or property trim their beards.

鈥淵ou will be abused, you may be killed,鈥� Nahas said.

Many LGBT Syrians and Iraqis have fled to Lebanon, Turkey and other countries to escape ISIS. Lebanese advocates with whom the spoke earlier this year said they have heard reports of militants burning alive men they suspect were gay.聽One activist said members of ISIS聽hanged a trans Syrian woman by her breasts.

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission earlier this year that urges the US, Canada, France, Norway, The Netherlands, Sweden and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to accept more refugees who are escaping ISIS.

During the briefing, Stern reiterated the aforementioned call. She called upon all UN agencies that work in Iraq and Syria to implement LGBT-specific programs, increase funding for initiatives designed to assist LGBT Iraqis and Syrians and their allies.

Stern also urged the Iraqi government to respect freedom of expression and to 鈥渞emove barriers鈥� that she said prevent LGBT people from accessing services and the country鈥檚 judicial system.

“Given the stream of constant forms of attack by ISIS on LGBTI Iraqis and Syrians, we think it鈥檚 of the greatest importance that the international community be informed about the issue, be seized with the issue and take action,鈥� she told reporters after the briefing.

Nahas told that he would support military intervention in order to stop聽ISIS聽and to end the civil war that has raged in Syria for more than four years. He nevertheless said the US, Turkey and other allies should take part in what he described as a 鈥渦nified effort鈥� against the Sunni extremist group.

Advocate describes briefing as 鈥榰seless鈥�

Scott Long, a former Human Rights Watch staffer, on Sunday sharply criticised the briefing in a .

鈥淎t best the meeting will be useless,鈥� he wrote.

鈥淚t鈥檒l lead to that indolent repletion where people feel they鈥檝e acted when they鈥檝e actually done nothing. At worst, it鈥檚 going to cause more killing.鈥�

Stern did not specifically mention Long when the asked her to respond to his criticisms against the briefing.

鈥淎ttention by the Security Council not only helps send a message from the UN and its members, but it also fills a gap in the discourse about human rights violations,鈥� Stern said.

鈥淭hat discourse is where LGBTI people are often the most vulnerable.鈥�

Power took a similar position when she spoke with the Blade and a handful of other media outlets during a post-briefing conference call.

鈥淒o we want to live in a world where ISIL鈥檚 crimes against every other group are the subject of outrage and horror, but somehow the international community stays silent and is never even forced to confront what ISIL is doing against anyone suspected of being LGBT,鈥� she said in response to the 叠濒补诲别鈥檚 question about Long鈥檚 criticisms of the briefing.

鈥淲ithout putting these issues on the agenda of heads of state, you鈥檙e in a world where people live in indolently鈥�free of even having to confront what is going on really not that far away.鈥�