Will Gay Iranians Come Out of the Revolt Better --or Worse?

Ever since the Iranian Revolution empowered a socially conservative theocracy led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979, the country has been a difficult place for gays, lesbians and transgender people to call home. Under Sharia law, the law of the Islamic republic’s land, homosexuality is illegal and punishable by death, causing many LGBT Iranians to either leave the country or live in secrecy.

Now, as the eyes of the world turn toward the streets of Tehran and other parts of the country in light of the massive protesting around Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s controversial re-election over the popular reformist Mir-Hossein Mousavi, we ask what role LGBT Iranians are playing in the unrest and what the protests could mean for an already vulnerable community.

LGBT activists on the streets in Iran
According to sources interviewed for this story, gay and lesbian protesters, largely based out of urban universities, have stood at the forefront of the opposition to Ahmadinejad alongside many women and religious and ethnic minorities. The protesters were further invigorated when Iran’s president-elect pointed to "thieves, homosexuals and scumbags" as the root of those who stand against him in a victory speech. His statement proved ironic, given his previous denial of the existence of a queer community in his country in a now infamous Columbia University speech two years ago.

"Iran’s LGBTs are looking at what is going on and saying that if we don’t do anything now, it’s going to become even worse than it was before," explained Neil Grungas, executive director of the Organization for Refugee, Asylum & Migration (ORAM), an organization which aides those seeking refugee status due to sexual or gender-based violence. "This is an opportunity for us to see the light." See Will Gay Iranians Come Out of the Revolt Better --or Worse? EDGE Boston