LGBT history in Iran
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The history of LGBT people in Iran spans thousands of years. Homosexuality has been viewed as a sin in Islam, and is outlawed in almost all Muslim-majority countries, including Iran. In pre-Islamic Iran, a tradition of homosexuality existed, however most were intolerant of pederasty and sexual activity between two men, especially the Zoroastrians. According to Ammianus Marcellinus, Iranians were “far from immoral relations with boys”.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][excessive citations]
Beginning in the mid-1980s, with the Islamic Government in power, as many as 7,000 homosexuals were
Pre-Islamic period
Ancient Iranian society had a tradition of
Sextus Empiricus writing in his "Outlines of Scepticism" (circa C.E 200) asserted that the laws of the Persians were tolerant of homosexual behavior, and the men "indulge in intercourse with males" (1:152)[22]
Around 250 BCE, during the
Islamic period
There is a significant amount of Persian literature that explicitly illustrates the ancient existence of homosexuality among Iranians.
European travelers remarked on the taste that
Pre-modern homosexuality
Throughout his study historian Khaled El-Rouayheb has argued that same sex relations during the Islamic period contrasts from what is considered modern day homosexuality. His argument supports the notion of homosexuality as a concept that was only recently established as an identity.
The act of penetration between two men was previously regarded as an act of dominance rather than a sexual act - with one person presiding dominance over the other. The individual dominating the other person would be considered active and the other passive. Sexual acts involving individuals of the same sex were understood through the concept of passive and active participants rather than by gender. The man that was considered the passive participant was deplored due to it being seen as the more feminine role in comparison to the active participant who would be seen as more masculine and dominating.[31]
A shift in the view of same-sex relation emerged during the nineteenth century. European influence created a separate narrative of what was considered homosexuality which resulted in Iran rejecting the idea of homosexuality altogether and embracing the concept of homosociality. Even still, this concept that men were participating in sexual practices with other men was still prevalent and seen as an act rather than a characteristic.[32]
20th century Iran
In 1914,
Under the rule of
Janet Afary has argued that the 1979 revolution was partly motivated by moral outrage against the Shah's regime, and in particular against a mock same-sex wedding between two young men with ties to the court. She says that this explains the virulence of the anti-homosexual oppression in Iran.[34]
Islamic Republic of Iran
After the creation of the
The new religious government that came to be established after the
Since the 1979 Iranian revolution, the legal code has been based on Islamic
On September 24, 2007, while speaking at Columbia University, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said, in answer to the question "Iranian women are now denied basic human rights and your government has imposed draconian punishments including execution on Iranian citizens who are homosexuals. Why are you doing those things?", "We don't have homosexuals, like in your country. I don't know who told you that."[38] An aide later said that he was misquoted and was actually saying that "compared to American society, we don't have many homosexuals". The aide further clarified that "because of historical, religious and cultural differences homosexuality is less common in Iran and the Islamic world than in the West".[39] A book on this topic is Women with mustaches and men without beards: gender and sexual anxieties of Iranian modernity by Afsaneh Najmabadi.[40]
Transgender rights
One early campaigner for transsexual rights is
The Legal Medicine Organization of Iran made available certifications to transgender people. This led to opportunities for trans identified people to gain authorization for gender change surgery, hormonal procedures, health insurance, aid with financial and social issues, and new identification records. Nonetheless, those who have undergone gender reassignment surgery experience exclusion in society, discrimination, possible rejection from family members, gender-based violence, and issues with employment. These issues have often led to the higher rate of homelessness and substance abuse within the trans community. Although the illegality of same-sex intercourse and activities had not been thoroughly addressed, the legal differences between the LGB and trans-identified Iranians are critical. Gaining social acceptance for the entire LGBT community as a whole was not of priority for government officials in Iran. Since same-sex conduct is criminalized, gender reassignment surgery became state-sanctioned as the cure for homosexuality, heteronormalizing people who have same-sex desires or engage in same-sex practices. Historian Afsaneh Najmabadi has articulated concerns that LGB identified persons have been encouraged to have gender reassignment surgery done to be socially accepted in Iran. Progressive actions for the trans community in Iran have led to social and legal isolation, institutional violence, and oppression for LGBT members who don't identify as transgender.[47]
See also
References
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- ^ Julia Annas (ed), Sextus Empiricus: Outlines of Scepticism, University of Cambridge Press, 2000, p76
- ^ Ervad Behramshah Hormusji Bharda (1990). "The Importance of Vendidad in the Zarathushti Religion". tenets.zoroastrianism.com. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
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In the sacred Zoroastrian text[,] the Vendidad, it is stated: 'The man that lies with mankind as man lies with womankind, or as woman lies with mankind, is a man that is a Daeva (demon): this man is a worshipper of the Daevas, a male paramour of the Daevas
- ^ Darmesteter, James (1898). Sacred Books of the East (American ed.). Vd 8:32. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
Ahura Mazda answered: 'The man that lies with mankind as man lies with womankind, or as woman lies with mankind, is the man that is a Daeva; this one is the man that is a worshipper of the Daevas, that is a male paramour of the Daevas, that is a female paramour of the Daevas, that is a wife to the Daeva; this is the man that is as bad as a Daeva, that is in his whole being a Daeva; this is the man that is a Daeva before he dies, and becomes one of the unseen Daevas after death: so is he, whether he has lain with mankind as mankind, or as womankind. The guilty may be killed by any one, without an order from the Dastur (see § 74 n.), and by this execution an ordinary capital crime may be redeemed.
{{cite book}}
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- ^ Ireland, Doug (August 2005). "Iranian Sources Question Rape Charges in Teen Executions". Gay City News. Archived from the original on July 23, 2013. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
- ^ Anderson, Raymond H. (June 4, 1989). "Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, 89, the Unwavering Iranian Spiritual Leader". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
- ^ "An Interview With KHOMEINI". The New York Times. October 7, 1979. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
- ^ "Iranian Penal Code" (PDF). 1996. p. 4. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
- ^ "Ahmadinejad speaks; outrage and controversy follow". CNN. September 24, 2007. Archived from the original on November 6, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
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- ^ Tait, Robert (July 28, 2005). "A fatwa for transsexuals". Salon. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
- ^ Tait, Robert (July 27, 2005). "A Fatwa for Freedom". The Guardian. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
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- , 7th European Country of Origin Information Seminar Berlin, June 11–12, 2001 – Final report. Transsexual part is on pp. 104.
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