by Antoine B Craigwell, Sr Correspondent

(San Francisco, CA) -Archbishop Desmond Tutu, on Wednesday, April 9, accepted the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) OUTSPOKEN Award held at San Francisco's Grace Cathedral. In a historic acceptance speech, he apologized not only for his Church's attitude toward the LGBTI community, but called on world leaders to boycott the Beijing Olympics to protest China's record on human rights.

According to a press release issued by the IGLHRC, Archbishop Tutu in his 30-minute address, said that for his part it was impossible to keep quiet "when people were frequently hounded...vilified, molested and even killed as targets of homophobia...for something they did not choose-their sexual orientation."

The press release stated that with over 500 people attending, this was the largest gathering and the first time that Archbishop Tutu had ever spoken to such a large audience from the lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual and intersex (LGBTI) community. Along with condemning the persecution of gay people and apologizing for the ostracism many suffer, Archbishop Tutu challenged the Chinese government to improve their human rights record.

Referring to the protests against the Chinese occupation of Tibet, the controversies surrounding the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the significance of Archbishop Tutu's acceptance, Paula Ettelbrick, IGLHRC's executive director, said, "When IGLHRC invited Archbishop Tutu to come to San Francisco to accept its OUTSPOKEN Award, we had no idea that our event would coincide with such a momentous time in the history of human rights activism."

The IGLHRC press release said that the Archbishop's speech was the highlight of the organization's annual gala, themed "A Celebration of Courage," where he was given the award in recognition of his outspokenness and for his leadership as a global ally in the international LGBTI community, both of which have advanced the rights and understanding of LGBTI people.

"The Archbishop's speech at this unique historical moment affirms that human rights apply to each and every human being, in South Africa, in the United States, in China, and around the world. Activists and governments alike should heed the Archbishop's words. He is a moral luminary whose inclusive approach to human rights advocacy paves the way for a better world," Ettelbrick said.

The gala and Archbishop Tutu's speech seemed to carry added poignancy on the importance of human rights, which was preceded by a candle-light vigil for Tibet held in the United Nations Plaza in New York, and which occurred hours before the protests against the Olympic torch's relay through San Francisco.

The Nobel Peace Prize recipient praised the LGBTI people for being "compassionate, caring, self-sacrificing and refusing to be embittered," in the face of this ongoing persecution, and apologized for the way his Church has ostracized the LGBTI people, and for making them feel as if God had made a mistake by creating them to be who they are.

"How sad it is that the Church should be so obsessed with this particular issue of human sexuality when God's children are facing massive problems- poverty, disease, corruption, conflict," Archbishop Tutu said.

The Archbishop said he would pray for China, that he hopes they do the right thing by using their clout to bring positive change in Tibet, Burma and Sudan, and improve its human rights record. He praised the U.S. Congress and the First Lady Laura Bush, in particular, for being "on the side of angels" for their work on Burma.

Prior to the awards ceremony, Archbishop Tutu, in an interview with IGLHRC noted that even though he had taken a strong stance on LGBTI rights for many years, IGLHRC's "A Celebration of Courage" marked the first time that an organization had acknowledged his position on this issue.

IGLHRC is a human rights organization devoted to improving the rights of people around the world who are targeted for imprisonment, abuse or death because of their sexuality, gender identity or HIV/AIDS status. The organization addresses human rights violations by partnering with and supporting activists in countries around the world, monitoring and documenting human rights abuses, engaging offending governments, and educating international human rights officials. It is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that is based in New York, with offices in Cape Town and Buenos Aires.

"Archbishop Tutu is a rare and special individual who embodies human rights and moralityHe recognizes that all human beings are valuable, that we are all interdependent, and that our struggles are shared. We are so honored that he has chosen to attend our event tonight and accept IGLHRC's OUTSPOKEN Award," said Ettelbrick.