Throughout last year the new Iranian government did not show any reconciliation towards the rights of the LGBT members of the Iranian society, and no changes were made in any of the violent laws against these individuals. By the end of the year religious leaders used their pulpits and any other tribune to attack and demean Iranian homosexuals, with the most obscene terminology possible.
Despite all these, there seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel when a brave and honest specialist opines that decriminalizing homosexuality is long overdue, and decades have passed since these kinds of laws were tolerable.
Throughout 2014, many of the LGBT members of the Iranian society were scorned and harassed by their fellow citizens, many were tortured and raped by the more religious members of the society and many just found hate when they looked at home for some love.
Throughout 2014, many of the LGBT members of the Iranian society were forced into marriage they did not want and cannot sustain; many lost their livelihoods, social standing, homes and the right to education. But most bitter were those who were forced into bashing their own identity and playing along with homophobes, just to be able to maintain their cover and don’t risk losing everything by being ousted.
Many fell in love in secret.
Cried in secret.
And many were finally forced to leave their homeland to seek refuge in another land when the conditions were too harsh to endure any longer.
Leaving their homes and roots behind is just the beginning of a new world of hardship. In many cases the hardship tolerated by asylum seekers in transit countries are so severe that it feels like they are back in Iran, living as a ticking bomb, till something unimaginable happens.
It can still be deadly.
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With a positive attitude, we can find what the plan for the year 2015 should be; more activity, more education and more hopeful hard work. The efforts of the Iranian LGBT community have raised this issue among the priorities of the international human rights and political entities. Iranian activists gained more respect and credit in 2014. They managed to reach larger tribunes. It can now be said that their voice has been heard and the Islamic Republic cannot simply violate their rights to live without paying a price for it in the international community.
But this is just the beginning. Being heard is the first step in our conversation. The conversation must go on and everyone should be encouraged to stand with Iranians who just want to breathe free. The international community needs to pay attention to the alarming condition of the Iranian LGBT asylum seekers and take steps to address it.
At the same time, it will remain the Iranian activists’ job to work with other activists to build up the culture in their own country till all human rights are respected in Iran.
It was a tough year.
The next one will not be easier.
We begin the year 2015 with high hopes for a brighter future, a future of tolerance and mutual respect and respect for human rights and dignity. We also want to wish a very happy and successful New Year for all the LGBT family and specifically our Iranian LGBT family. Let’s make it a year of great steps.
Iranian Queer Organization