When Ayatollah Khomeini came to power in 1979, he enforced strict Islamic custom that made homosexuality punishable by death. Surprisingly, though, the state treats transsexuals differently, allowing sexual reassignment surgery and in some cases even paying for it.
But the fatwa allowing the surgery has a grim drawback: families, therapists, and the state see gender reassignment as a solution to the “illness” of homosexuality — not understanding the risks of forcing the long, life-changing process of a sex change on someone who wasn’t born wanting it.
Gay Iranians now face the agonizing choice of fleeing their communities or permanently changing who they are.
This week’s episode of Vice airing Friday, April 10 on HBO takes a close look at the heartbreaking situation, focusing on stories of abuse, emotional and physical sacrifice, and choices no one should ever have to face making.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Below, a preview of how high the stakes are for our gay brothers living in Iran (Warning: video contains disturbing imagery):
One organization, the Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees (IRQR), helps gay people escape Iran, leaving behind their loved ones for the hope of a better life in Canada:
See the full report on Vice, airing on Friday, April 10th on HBO.
jayj150
Because it allows them to force gay men to conform. In their view, if you force them to have genital surgery and go on hormones, they are no longer gay men, but heterosexual women. Raging homophobes despise gay people because they see them as abnormal, as either being attracted to the wrong sex or as being trapped in the wrong body. Even they know you can’t force someone to change their sexual orientation, but you can force them to have genital mutilation or face death. Whatever it takes to get them to be ‘normal’. Ahmadinejad himself famously said “they don’t have gays in Iran”; they have managed to convince themselves gay men stop being gay if they lose their genitals, call themselves women and finally become “normal”.
Billy Budd
When you do this kind of operation, you loose your ability to have orgams. Some people go crazy. Only real transexuals should undergo this treatment, and some of them regret it afterwards.
Billy Budd
Countries like Iran are still living in the middle ages. They are 1000 years behind the rest of the world.
Giancarlo85
If Iran wants to deal more with the West they better get into modern times. Turkey was somewhat more accepting of homosexuals, but even that has changed with the Ergodan kleptocracy.
Some Iranians I speak with here in Los Angeles talk about wanting a modern state and many are accepting of homosexuals (despite their religion). They seem to be more westernized. The fact is their state remains backwards… despite the recent election of the so called “reformist” Hassan Rouhani.
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/iran-hostile-gays-article-1.1521730
He’s a “moderate” compared to other Iranian leaders.
Iran is a nation bursting at the seems… there are modern elements that want to pull it in a more modern direction. Iran is a VERY young country. More than half of the country is under the age of 40. Most were not even old enough to remember the 1979 Revolution. But the problem is that of conflict within… the revolutionary guards and the conservatives are holding the country in one direction. And LGBT people in Iran will see marginal if any improvement if Iran were to change leadership more drastically.
The best Iranian LGBT people can hope for is a situation like Turkey (and even that isn’t that great). Strictly speaking, homosexuality has been legal in Turkey since the 19th century (Ottoman Empire). Still, discrimination is widespread (especially outside of the major metropolitan center of Istanbul).
Giancarlo85
http://lgbtinewsturkey.com/2014/07/17/constitutional-court-decision-on-hate-speech-sexual-orientation/ – Here is some nice news. At least from a strictly legal standpoint in Turkey. Turkey doesn’t recognize any form of same sex union, or even partnership. But even at that level they are light years ahead of Iran.
John Kuehnle
Glad I live in the USA.
Cam
@Giancarlo85: said… “If Iran wants to deal more with the West they better get into modern times. Turkey was somewhat more accepting of homosexuals, but even that has changed with the Ergodan kleptocracy.”
__________________
True, but the scary thing is, youve got right wing politicians fighting to keep things like Conversion Therepy legal. And what Iran is doing is just another step further down that road. That is why these right wing nutjobs in the legislatures and Congress. are so dangerous over here.
Giancarlo85
@Cam: Yeah right wing Americans want to see a theocracy.
onthemark
VICE is a great show (albeit depressing), doing stories that no one else in TV can be bothered with.
Maritz Olivier
This is soooo f#â?¬&$@ up
notevenwrong
@Billy Budd: “They are 1000 years behind the rest of the world.”
To be fair, only about 60 years. Look at Alan Turing who was forced to undergo estrogen therapy in Britain not so long ago.
GayEGO
These religious extremist leaders are keeping their people back in the dark ages. It is time for them to step down and let their people learn and move forward with the rest of civilization.
Merv
The problem is the religion. Before Islam, some of the most vibrant and flourishing cultures in the world were from that region. As Islam took over and became more entrenched, they grew progressively more stagnant and repressive. There are 12 million Jews in the world and 1.5 billion Muslims, a ratio of 125 to 1. Yet, Jews have won 167 Nobel prizes in science, while Muslims have won a grand total of two, a ratio of 83.5 to 1. Do the math, and Jews are more than TEN THOUSAND TIMES more likely to win a Nobel science prize than Muslims. The poor performance of Muslims is entirely due to the stagnation brought on by religion. Jews, to their credit, have mostly thrown off the shackles of their repressive religion. Muslims will eventually do the same.
Our long term strategy can only be to discredit and undermine the religion to hasten its demise. Right now, the religion’s hegemony in the region is maintained by fear and intimidation: dissent is brutally suppressed, and apostates are shunned, beaten, and even executed, often with official sanction. Fortunately, the internet makes it impossible for this monopoly on thought to continue forever. It may not happen in our lifetimes, but When the change happens and this archaic belief system is overthrown, it will happen very quickly.
silveroracle
Here we go again! Religion creeping in again.
It’s scary what the punishment in some countries is for being gay.
So much sadness in the world.
Giancarlo85
@Merv: The Moors, who were Muslim, ushered a golden period in Spain. Mali (the nationa in central Africa) has one of the most extensive scientific and medical libaries in the world. There was serious concern it would fall under threat from the extremists in the country until France and Chad intervened. Islam had its golden period (in the 14th-17th centuries) and was responsible for scientific and medical study. In addition, astronomy was also highly advanced. Take a look at some of the Mosques in Southern Spain (like in Granada). The Ottoman Empire for centuries was ahead of Europe in many respects… including in science and tolerance. People were still burning witches in Europe, when the Ottomans were pursuing sciences.
But this all started to fall apart in the 18th century and the Ottoman Empire was nothing more than a shadow of itself in the 19th century.
Giancarlo85
@Merv: Then again you’re just an idiot who posts anti-Islam rhetoric, and you completely fail at criticizing Christianity and the numerous Christian nations in Africa that put gay people to death. You’re a two faced idiot and troll.
Merv
Why do people automatically assume that if you criticize Islam that you’re doing it from a pro-Christian perspective?
@Giancarlo85: Why would I criticize Christianity on a thread about Iran? Iran is an Islamic theocracy with very few Christians. I criticized the Roman Catholic Church and Christianity on the thread about the Pope rejecting the gay ambassador from France. Why didn’t you call me out for not mentioning Islam there?
@Giancarlo85: Yes, there was a time when Christian Europe was more backwards than Islamic Europe and other nearby Islamic territories. But, I’ve never been a defender of Christian Europe, so I’m not sure of your point. I’m an advocate for secular government and secular culture based on rational thinking, personal freedom, and respect for human rights. Why are you so quick to jump to the defense of a culture that is such a flagrant violator of gay rights and human rights in general?
Captain Obvious
While this is sick it’s amazing to me how America can constantly point fingers at other places when we have our own problems.
Black men are still being killed over minor crimes. Gay people are still being murdered in America(if you don’t think so then you’re merely tuning out and focusing only on the gay ghettos). Homeless people are all over the place. Schools in rural areas still have vastly outdated books. I could go on and on.
We have our own house to be focusing on. We’re not the world police.
America, land of distraction. But don’t ever criticize us.
Giancarlo85
@Merv: I criticize all religions. But you still fail to realize about history. You are a historical revisionist. Christian Europe was behind the Ottomans up until about the 18th century. It was quite a shame really. The Ottoman Empire had some extraordinary scientific and medical achievements.
And by the way, Mali still has the largest library in the world from what I’ve read.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timbuktu_Manuscripts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timbuktu_Manuscripts#/media/File:Timbuktu-manuscripts-astronomy-mathematics.jpg
Some absolutely extraordinary achievements where seen in these manuscripts.
You have to recognize history and stop being such a nasty little troll. I never defended what is going on in Pakistan or Iran. I have a history of criticizing these countries. You need to learn how to fucking read.
Merv
@Giancarlo85: How am I a historical revisionist? Point to one thing. I acknowledge that there was a time that Muslim countries were more advanced than those of Western Europe. Well, that was then and this is now. I’m not going to dwell on the past like it’s more important than the present. At one time, Greece was the most advanced country in Europe. It isn’t anymore. Being preoccupied with the past is a sign of a backwards culture.
dave lopes
@Giancarlo85: No Giancarlo, Mali does not have the largest library in the world and NEVER did.
Give us the name of that library and how many volumes it contains.
The Mali empire was a mediocre replica of middle eastern ilsamic societies.
Much of what is written about it are stories with no historical basis.
Take a look at a picture of the “famed” Timbuktu and all you see are mediocre mud replicas of northern islamic societies.
dave lopes
More reason for us to educate people about the different groups inside the LGBT coalition.
Many think Gay and Transgender are the same thing.
Giancarlo85
@dave lopes: You seem to post a lot of fantasy.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jan/28/timbuktu-library-centuries-african-history
It really was one of the largest in the world, and perhaps the largest at one point. A great deal was destroyed. You seem to be an idiot who subscribes to fantasy.
Oh and mr know it all (know-nothing) idiot… they were printed on actual paper and not mud replicas. Where do you get your trash?
Giancarlo85
Some people here are so stupid. I can’t even begin to address some of the stupidity on this site. Where do some of you people come up with some of the shit you write?
Merv
@Giancarlo85: Why don’t you come back to the present? What the world was like hundreds of years ago, while interesting, isn’t going to fix today’s problems. Take a look at the following map and see if you notice a correlation between Muslim countries and countries that prescribe the death penalty for homosexuality.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_by_country_or_territory#/media/File:World_laws_pertaining_to_homosexual_relationships_and_expression.svg
Gay people are being brutally repressed in these countries and you’re more concerned about maintaining the appearance of religious tolerance. Screw tolerance of religions that execute gay people!
Giancarlo85
@Merv: Okay here is the problem with reading comprehension. IF you’ve been around here long enough (and I know you haven’t been), you would know I’ve criticized Christian countries (those in Africa specifically) and Muslim countries for having the death penalty against homosexuals. I’ve criticized Iran multiple times on this site.
You are just an idiot who doesn’t know how to read and you’re now claiming I am defending these countries. No, this is just another example of you not being able to read. This has nothing to do with religious tolerance. You’re just as bad as the right wing idiots in this country who say “well at least you’re not being executed like in Muslim countries! Enjoy what you have!”. You’re a freaking illiterate moron.
I am Gay (just like you), Black, HIV-Positive, and Back Bitches!!!
Agonizing choice? I would just flee! Afterall, this to me is just another tell-tale sign that Iran is one massive shithole folks!
Merv
@Giancarlo85: Let’s examine your various claims and see how they stand up to the facts.
Claim #1: “IF you’ve been around here long enough (and I know you haven’t been)”
I typed the query “merv -griffin site:queerty.com” into Google and got 1110 results going back to at least 2009.
I typed “giancarlo85 site:queerty.com” into Google and got 299 results.
Conclusion: Claim #1 is entirely without merit.
Claim #2: “you’re just an idiot who posts anti-Islam rhetoric, and you completely fail at criticizing Christianity”
I typed “merv -griffin christianity site:queerty.com” into Google and got 374 results, with almost all of those me criticizing Christianity.
I typed “merv -griffin islam site:queerty.com” into Google and got 42 results.
Conclusion: Claim #2 is entirely without merit. I’ve criticized Christianity MUCH more than Islam.
Conclusion: I was wrong when I claimed that I hadn’t talked about Islam before. But, it was rare.
Claim #3: “You are a historical revisionist.”
Non-specific. What am I a historical revisionist about? I made few if any specific historical claims. I was talking mostly about the present.
Claim #3: “You are just an idiot who doesn’t know how to read”
Ad hominem, and non-specific if it’s referring to my ignoring or misinterpreting some claim of yours.
If I may summarize your criticisms of me, they have centered on two main areas: 1. Singling out Islam while leaving Christianity unmentioned. 2. Failing to acknowledge Islam’s past.
Regarding point #1, while in general I criticize Christianity much more than Islam (see above), I have quite deliberately tried to refrain from mentioning Christianity when the subject is Islam. I realize it’s a thing lots of people do to try to appear evenhanded, but I think it’s unnecessary and unintellectual unless Christianity is actually relevant to the conversation.
Regarding point #2, I have never denied Islam’s superior record in many ways relative to Christianity during Medieval times. But, it has limited relevance when we’re talking about present day Islam. Also, the superiority was relative to a very low bar set by Christianity. Islam’s rule was still very problematic back then (e.g., Dhimmi system of second class citizenship).
I hope my arguments have made it clear that your criticisms of me are based on misconceptions.
Merv
Oops, the second claim #3 should obviously be claim #4.
dave lopes
@Giancarlo85: lol…lol
I am part african has lived in africa, has visited Mali, Senegal and Chad and I am well schooled in african history. Not the nonsense you have picked up on the net.
Trust me, You know absolutely ZERO about african history. You are just repeating misinformation from the NET.
Now name the library and the volumes it contains since in your first post you stupidly repeated that it has the largest library in the world.
I am waiting while laughing.
dave lopes
@Giancarlo85:
And this what happens when an idiot attempts at educating.
They read ONE article and of course lacking the required historical knowledge starts making assinine claims.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jan/28/timbuktu-library-centuries-african-history
This article is about a south african designed new library to house 20,000 manuscripts. The poor moron does not understand that a manuscript can be just one page and that 20,000 is nowhere close to the world’s large libraries.
Giancarlo85
@Merv: Absolute GARBAGE post. Perhaps one of the most hideous crap posts I’ve ever seen on here.
You can try to look up any bullshit you want, but you fail miserably. You just are on here spouting off about one religion. Well I talk down on ALL religions.
You have posted gross disgusting misrepresentations of my views. You said I am defending these Islamic regimes. You are wrong on all counts. I do NOT approve of the Iranian regime. But I also do not approve of the Museveni dictatorship in Uganda. In fact I harshly condemn both of these regimes.
Giancarlo85
@dave lopes: You are the one that doesn’t know anything about history, beyond the fact that you’re an idiot and a historical revisionist who lives in fantasy land.
I’ve already posted the manuscripts from a variety of sources. You just can’t fucking read because you’re uneducated and naive.
@dave lopes: You better watch what you say you ignorant little man. You didn’t even read my posts. You just made up nonsense and now you are insulting.
Unbelievable how stupid you can be. Did you even bother visiting any of the sites I posted? Or are you done posting stupid bullshit for the day?
Giancarlo85
I can’t believe how unbelievably stupid some people on here are. Did any of you bother getting an education… in anything? Did you two clowns even pass high school?
Merv
@Giancarlo85:
“Absolute GARBAGE post. Perhaps one of the most hideous crap posts I’ve ever seen on here.”
And yet, that “garbage post” systematically demolished your claims using data that can be easily verified by anyone here. Perhaps you should have quit while you were behind instead of redoubling your attack. The first rule when you’re in a hole is to stop digging.
dave lopes
@Giancarlo85: listen to Merv’s advice and just SHUSH.
You are out of your league.