Iran: “We Are Everywhere” Campaign Against Homophobia

Posted on May 20, 2011 by Action for Freedom — Leave a comment

Arsham Parsi

Arsham Parsi is the founder and director of the Iranian Queer Organization based in Toronto, Canada. In 2008, he told Global Voices, “the Internet has been a gift to us.”

This year, on May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, several Iranians, once more used this ‘gift’ to raise their voices by launching a “We are everywhere” campaign, on YouTube, Facebook and blogs against homophobia worldwide.

In Iran, homosexuality is punishable by death.

Iranian blogger Pesar (means ‘boy’ in Persian) writes [fa]:

Today is the international day against homophobia. I am happy to see that many bloggers have published posts and updated their blogs today. I hope one day this kind of discussion will find its way into mainstream media and will not only be confined within the cyber world. I hope one day when I say I am gay, I am not accused of being a sinner or am mistreated.

We Are Everywhere

On Facebook several Iranians declared their homosexuality openly and did not hide their faces.

In another video Shokoofe, a Lesbian, says [fa]:

My queer experience started by falling in love and I believe everybody can feel that in this world. The strange thing was that people around me where thinking it was a joke while I was suffering. The most painful thing was not being able to talk with people close to you. I could talk, but they did not listen. I think we can live in a better world, where you don’t face death for being in love with a person. I hope our days have a big sun, a rainbow and loves that can be talked about without fear.