It is no secret that the Islamic Republic of Iran does not accept same sex relationships, but Iran’s LGBT rights abuses is being brought to light. Iran has signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) along with 166 other countries. Countries have to go under review every 5 years; however, Iran has not been reviewed in the past 18 years. The rights of “sexual orientation and gender identity” are protected under the ICCPR. Iran torments and discriminates against LGBTs and even sentences those to death who have homosexual sex. The United Nations Human Rights Committee is urging Iran to document on how LGBTs are being treated better in its report due in 2014. Iran is supposed to be a country that prides itself on morality and culture and yet it is not living up to its words. A coordinator for The Middle East and North Africa for the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Committee (IGLHRC) said that Iran has broken international laws that it has promised to abide by.
Iran is not only breaking international covenants that it has signed; it is also breaking international human rights. The right against discrimination is clearly being broken by the Iranian government. LGBTs do not even feel safe in their own country. This also infringes on their freedom of assembly. Since LGBTs are not tolerated in general in Iran they are also not tolerated in groups. LGBTs obviously are not seen before a jury of their peers because the jury is more than likely not gay. Therefore, many LGBTs are being sentenced to death because of their sexual orientation. This strong hatred towards gays reminds me of readings I have read on gays and how they were treated in the Holocaust. Gays were not only murdered in the Holocaust but they were also forced to have sterilization procedures and underwent “remedies” to make them “straight.” Since then the rights of LGBTs have been respected and many more countries are more accepting. Iran is a very religious Islamic country and their views on LGBT rights are embedded in their culture.
What are ways for Iran to be more accepting of LGBT and thus respecting their rights as humans (besides not killing them)? Do you think that Islam plays a role in the disapproving nature of Iran towards LGBTs?
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/04/UN_Report_Spotlights_LGBT_Rights_Abuses_in_Iran/
Iran is one of several country's across the globe that discriminates against the gay community on a wide scale. If Iran is a member of the ICCPR they should be held to the same standards as the other members. Political pressure should be applied to Iran to improve its human rights record from both the U.N. and individually by other countries across the world. Countries that discriminate against the gay community should realize that this issue is one that will not go away. Using violence and imprisonment to combat this issue is not going to end the perceived problem. In fact it is not a problem at all, it is a reality that will always be present. Iran claims that it is an honorable and fair country. Obviously, its actions do not live up to this status. If Iran wants to be accepted as a world power it should adapt to international standards of human rights.
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