For a country that is said to have no homosexuality, Iran goes to great lengths to ban it. Gays are punished by lashing or death if it is proved that they have had homosexual relations. Two gay teenagers were executed in 2005 in Mashad, a northeastern city.
Fear of persecution is so strong that some gay men and lesbians have sought and received asylum in Western countries. . . .
But Iran has also taken the unusual step of encouraging sex change operations for those with homosexual tendencies. While religious authorities here view homosexuality a clear sin, transsexuals are considered ill and in need of the help that such an operation can provide. . . .
I don't get it. Why can't homosexuality be an illness too (as it was in the U.S. until relatively recently)? That would at least be a step forward, don't you think? We'll see what happens. Meanwhile gays will be gays, death sentence or no.
Check out a gay Persian website here.
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