GLBT persons in the West face various acts of discrimination. At least state-sanctioned murder isn’t among them.

It’s a World of Hope, It’s a World of Fear
By Michael Abernathy

“Hey, did you hear that (Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) said there weren’t any homosexuals in Iran?” My class was discussing Ahmadinejad’s controversial Harvard address when a student made this observation.

“Well, let’s put it this way,” I replied. “There are no openly gay people in Iran. At least not for long.”

The class chuckled at my flippant comment, but I wonder if they understood the horrifying truth behind it. According to the Islamic Penal Code of Iran of 1991, Article 110, the punishment for sodomy “is killing; the Sharia judge decides on how to carry out the killing.”

Lesser acts, including kissing, rubbing thighs or buttocks, and standing naked with a non-relative under one roof, are all punishable with lashing. Lashing is also the punishment for lesbian activity; however, the fourth conviction for lesbian contact results in death.

Given these legal guidelines, it’s small wonder that the “phenomenon” of homosexuality, as Ahmadinejad calls it, hasn’t occurred in Iran. Yet, the truth is that there are homosexuals in Iran, a point made clear when an assistant to Ahmadinejad declared that the president had been mistranslated and that he had said there were not “many homosexuals”.

The presence of gays in Iran was further made evident by the countless first-hand accounts of gay men in Iran that peppered the media after Ahmadinejad’s inflammatory comment. Most of these men were identified by first name only, with the personal details of their lives hidden to protect them. But their message was the same: “We’re here, we’re queer, and we’re living in fear.”

The controversy of Ahmadinejad’s comments, however they may be translated, has provided comedy fodder for late night talk show hosts and programs, such as Adam Samberg and Adam Levine’s hilarious love song to Ahmadinejad, “Iran So Far”, on SNL. However, like my comment in the classroom, these gags take away focus from the seriousness of the situation, not just for homosexuals in Iran, but throughout the world.

For the rest of the story, click here.