Iran: Gay Man Behead by Fay Alleged Homophobic 'Honor Killg'

Contents:

• ALIREZA FAZELI MONFARED WANTED TO LIVE AS A EE GAY MAN THE WT. HIS FAY IRAN BEHEAD HIM DAYS BEFORE HIS DREAM ME TE, SAY ACTIVISTS.
• Y, THERE ARE GAY PEOPLE IRAN
• IRANIAN GAY PORN VIOS
• VIO OF IRAN GAYS DANCG ON ROOFTOPS BEFORE BEG THROWN OFF SPARKS OUTRAGE
• VIO: IRAN GAY FILM FUNDRAISG CHALLENGE
• IRANIAN, GAY & SEEKG ASYLUM
• WHAT 'S LIKE TO BE GAY IRAN
• ARAB LGBT : MOVI, DOCUMENTARI AND SHORT FILMS OF TERT FOR A GAY AND LBIAN DIENCE OM ALGERIA AFGHANISTAN EGYPT IRAN IRAQ LEBANON MOROC TUNISIA + PAKISTAN AND TURKEY
• GAY IRANIAN MAN AD ALLEGED 'HONOR KILLG,' RIGHTS GROUP SAYS
• JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ACH OUT AS GAY

ALIREZA FAZELI MONFARED WANTED TO LIVE AS A EE GAY MAN THE WT. HIS FAY IRAN BEHEAD HIM DAYS BEFORE HIS DREAM ME TE, SAY ACTIVISTS.

Alireza Fazeli Monfared, a 20-year old Iranian man, was behead what an Iranian human-rights group says was an "honor killg" by fay members after they learned he was gay. But Iranian human-rights activists have said is emblematic of a daily persecutn that gay people Iran face. "The Internatnal Day Agast Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia' is g up on Monday (May 17), " Okan Sengun, the executive director and founr of the LGBT Asylum Project, said.

Homosexualy is nsired a psychologil disease IranWhile beg gay is forbidn Iran and punishable by ath, the law allows gay men to fo ary service. "Homosexualy is also nsired a psychologil disease Iran, and the ary's ary board n exempt a gay man om service if they are emed homosexual after an examatn, " she add.

"I thk their hate of homosexualy was so huge that they cid to kill him, " she May 4, Monfared ma the fal preparatns for his parture. The activist hop the vios rm people of queer people's liv Iran, where punishments for beg gay range om 100 lash of the whip to, the munitns director for the Center for Human Rights Iran, said homophobia was wispread the untry. "In the days followg the killg, Okan Sengun of the LGBT Asylum Project said he received many emails om gay Iranians who were heartbroken by Monfared's ath.

Y, THERE ARE GAY PEOPLE IRAN

But Iran's gay muny has succeed rvg out greater space for self recent years and gag some important social regnn.

Through onle activism, publishg poetry, lerature and artwork onle, and engagg wh global gay culture through televisn and the ter, gay Iranians are g of age, spe the myriad of rtrictns they still face Iranian society and at the hands of the state. Mehdi Hamzad is young gay man his early thirti who has recently fished higher tn; he liv Tehran, and has braved g out to his iends, though not to his fay. We spoke to him about what life is like the days for gay, lbian, bisexual and transgenred Iranians, and whether is even possible to live a fulfilled, secure life as a gay person a untry such as Iran:.

IRANIAN GAY PORN VIOS

Over the past uple of months, European and Amerin gays and lbians have secured some important legal rights. Unr the current circumstanc, Iranian youth, whether gay or straight, face many different obstacl, some of which have to do wh the regime (social rtrictns and iologil and polil prsure or the enomic suatn), and some to do wh public culture (a lack of acceptance of different liftyl and closed, tradnal thkg). The problems homosexuals face are not that much more plex or tense than what the rt of the people have to al wh.

The suatn wh my iends is the bt, as they are eher homosexuals themselv, or have accepted homosexualy and feel fortable wh me this rpect. There will always be teractns among -workers, people on the street and the bazaar, and gathergs that will have trac of homophobia them, and which will create an unwanted distance between a homosexual and his environment. Wh all the media attentn around this subject (pecially onle, satelle televisn programs, and foreign films and seri), homosexuals make peace wh themselv rather quickly and relatively easily, but there are problems, too.

VIO OF IRAN GAYS DANCG ON ROOFTOPS BEFORE BEG THROWN OFF SPARKS OUTRAGE

One major problem is the tradnal and relig upbrgg of the society, and the patriarchal state propaganda that alienat homosexuals and acceptance of homosexualy to take a lot of time and energy. Homosexuals who live small towns, more sular environments, and those who e om lower social levels and don’t have sufficient avenu for accsg rmatn and fdg others wh siar characteristics, or fdg a more accurate unrstandg about themselv, face other problems. Have you subnscly ma peace wh your homosexualy Iran, or are you nstantly aware of your homosexualy?

VIO: IRAN GAY FILM FUNDRAISG CHALLENGE

Those who have known about my homosexualy om the begng, and those who learned about later, have approached wh acceptance and support. In alg wh myself, I have fully accepted my homosexualy, but alg wh the outsi world, wh people and the society, I am always led to circumstanc where I am willgly or unwillgly remd of my homosexualy. [I see homophobia] jok, nversatns, socializg, or judgments, which often refer to homosexuals gradg, sultg, il, pathetic, disgtg, or immoral ways.

In my opn, there are two ways to rce this homophobia: for people to see more and more homosexuals around themselv as cizens, and to fd more awarens about sexual orientatn. Some of the qutns they asked me after I me out were: Do gay men have love affairs, too, or is this jt about sexual relatnships?

IRANIAN, GAY & SEEKG ASYLUM

How do you answer those iends and acquatanc who mistakenly tell you that homosexualy is not natural, and that even animals don’t do this way bee do not lead to procreatn? There are many scientific sourc that dite that homosexualy exists among animals, too, and that is nsired “natural. There are those like [Islamic philosopher Abdolkarim] Soroh, who haven’t yet thought about homosexualy; there are those like the [progrsive theologian-cleric Mohsen] Kadivar who, if we nsir him an tellectual, support Islamic punishment agast homosexualy, and others like Akbar Ganji, Ram Jahanbegloo, Arash Naraghi, and others who fend the rights of homosexuals.

Overall you n feel that the different issu of homosexuals have no space the mds of most tellectuals and they see no reason to pay attentn to . Discrimatn between the active and the passive partners, opposg transsexuals, misogyny, ternalized homophobia, a tradnal and biased view towards two people’s relatnship, lack of sufficient emotnal matury, and over-emotnalism are some of the thgs that n more or ls be seen among homosexuals. Sometim the tense prsure the homosexual experienc over time ph him on a path where he may lack sufficient strength and patience to ntually evaluate himself and to ratnally manage his relatnships.

Most of such fears have no remedy, and small or large dos, they are tertwed wh the psyche of most homosexuals.

WHAT 'S LIKE TO BE GAY IRAN

How aware are Iranian homosexuals about health risks and preutns such as havg sex wh ndoms and the risk of HIV/AIDS? There is no official dissematn of rmatn for homosexuals and the only way to reach awarens about such issu is dog personal rearch, talkg to other homosexuals, and ocsnally gettg profsnal unselg.

What kds of psychologil and mental problems do an Iranian homosexual face when she is forced to hi her real self society and among her fay? When you live for many years wh Iranian homosexuals, you will learn that there is no shortage of prsn, dissatisfactn, psychologil tensn, and even attempted suici among them.

ARAB LGBT : MOVI, DOCUMENTARI AND SHORT FILMS OF TERT FOR A GAY AND LBIAN DIENCE OM ALGERIA AFGHANISTAN EGYPT IRAN IRAQ LEBANON MOROC TUNISIA + PAKISTAN AND TURKEY

The other issue is the emotnal problems of homosexuals, who nnot share their joy and sadns wh their fay and iends the way they like.

GAY IRANIAN MAN AD ALLEGED 'HONOR KILLG,' RIGHTS GROUP SAYS

Even wh all this, overall, we n’t ll the circumstanc and the emotnal state of Iranian homosexuals as bleak and disappotg. Homosexuals Iran have a different set of thoughts and ncerns, thgs that would be meangls to those who live a more open and advanced society. This is why we n gus that homosexuals who live other untri may feel more cheerful, eer, and have more fun.

At the same time there is more social acceptance and rpect for other mori the untri and most of them there are varyg gre of legal mechanisms for support of homosexuals and observatn of their rights. What are your remendatns for those who still see homosexualy as an spic and abnormal phenomenon?

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ACH OUT AS GAY

In the middle of the fierce nontatn of polil activists wh the regime, many believe that this is not the appropriate time to be raisg the mands of homosexuals.

It is not necsary for all of to talk or take actn about the rights of Baha’is or homosexuals; but if someone has somethg to say or wish to take a step, we should all support him or her. Tehran, January 8 – Conservativ the Islamic Republic railed agast the irreverence that a number of homosexuals displayed before their executns this week, followg the dissematn of a vio rerdg that ptured the nmned men dancg on top of the buildgs om which they were phed to their aths punishment for their sexualy.

Iranian nservativ prt and broadst media pounced on the short clip, clarg an illtrative example of the lack of serns that mak them oppose homosexualy on pa of ath.