Two gay men face deportation to Iran

Protests broke out across Iran on December 28, as public anger over the collapse of the country spilled over into the streets. Members of the LGBTQ community are also participating.

What began as demonstrations over rising costs of living quickly expanded into broader political opposition, with demonstrators chanting anti-government slogans and in some cases directly criticizing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Authorities subsequently imposed internet restrictions and launched a nationwide crackdown, according to human rights groups.

According to ReutersIranian officials said authorities have confirmed at least 5,000 deaths related to the violence, including about 500 members of the security forces. The official blamed the killings on what the government called “terrorists and armed insurgents,” but could not independently verify this characterization because media access and internet connectivity were severely restricted.

The official told Reuters the final death toll is not expected to rise significantly. The official also claimed that armed groups outside Israel and Iran were aiding and assisting the protesters, but could not independently verify this.

Sources told the Washington Blade that LGBTQ Iranians have taken part in protests against the government despite the heightened risks they face under the country’s strict laws that criminalize consensual same-sex sexual relations.

Arsham Parsi, Founder and Executive Director International Railroad for Queer Refugeesis from Shiraz, a city in southern Iran. He fled the country in 2005.

Parsi told the Blade that widespread demands for dignity and freedom were driving the uprising.

“It is important to be clear: LGBTQ people are part of Iranian society and they are part of this protest movement,” Parsi said. “Many participate directly, often at even greater risk than others, because in Iran they are already criminalized and targeted for who they are.”

“For LGBTQ Iranians, showing up, whether in public or underground, can be a matter of life or death,” he added.

Parsi told the Blade that members of the LGBTQ community she has been in contact with have expressed a mixture of fear, exhaustion, sadness and determination. He added that many of them feel that this moment is different from previous waves of protests in Iran.

“The scope, persistence, and public rejection of the fear feels qualitatively different, which is why many Iranians at home and abroad are hopeful that this will lead to real change, including regime change, and that Iranians will finally regain their freedom,” Parsi said. “Freedom is not free, and Iranians are paying the price with their own blood.”

Parsi said the government’s response to the protests has been harsh. It cited widespread power outages, internet outages, telephone interruptions and a heavy security presence on the streets. He said communications restrictions made it increasingly difficult to document abuse, search for missing persons, coordinate medical assistance and verify information, and warned that such situations could lead to violence erupting out of public view.

Parsi said his organization, along with other trusted groups, shares harm reduction guidance as much as possible, especially on digital safety, avoidance of personal identification, and risk minimization. But he added that no method of protest is completely safe in a system that criminalizes identity and treats dissent as the enemy, noting that LGBTQ people, women, students, labor activists, and ethnic and religious minorities face the greatest risks.

“We also want to be clear about what kind of international engagement we are seeking. We oppose foreign military intervention. Iranians must decide the future of Iran. But we need international assistance and serious diplomatic engagement based on human rights, not expediency,” Parsi said. “In the past, when Iranians rose up, momentum for human rights was too often abandoned as parts of the international community became preoccupied with negotiations, ‘promises’ from the Islamic Republic, or short-term agreements.”

“I hope no one gets fooled this time,” he added. “The regime is desperately trying to manipulate the narrative through state media and misinformation to change the course of events and confuse the international community. The world must be wise, vigilant, and principled. It must not give legitimacy to repression and must not trade Iran’s rights for empty guarantees.”

Parsi noted that Iran’s cross-border actions have long drawn criticism from governments and analysts who accuse the country of supporting armed groups and being complicit in conflicts that have harmed civilians across the Middle East, and said the unrest must be seen in a broader regional context. A future Iran that respects human rights at home and pursues a less confrontational policy abroad could have implications not only for Iranians but also for regional and global stability, he said, adding that many people in the country continue to protest despite the personal risks involved.

Soudeh Rad, Co-Founder and Executive Director spectrumA France-based NGO that works with Farsi-speaking communities on gender equality and LGBTQ issues pointed out to the Blade that the latest wave of mass protests began in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar. They said LGBTQ people, like other marginalized and underrepresented communities, often suffer disproportionate burdens under deeply discriminatory systems.

“Images and testimonies attest to the fact that protesters come from all classes, ages, communities, ethnicities, genders, and even different abilities. This is not an upscale protest movement. Clearly, our LGBTQIA+ brothers come from all political leanings and affiliations,” Lado said. “As we can imagine, if their SOGIESC (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, Sexual Characteristics) identity is revealed in detention centers or prisons, they will be subjected to higher and more intense torture. Police and militias have not hesitated to open fire to kill demonstrators. Snipers have been seen targeting people. The number of reported casualties is in the thousands.”

Rad said that even without formal legal changes, recent protests have brought about gradual social changes in Iran. They cited the Women, Life, and Freedom movement and noted that observers reported increasing noncompliance with mandatory hijab rules and growing solidarity among ethnic and long-marginalized communities, including Baluchis, Kurds, and Azerbaijanis. Mr Rudd explained that the current disruption is part of an ongoing process of social change.

Shadi Amin, director of LGBTQ rights organization 6 runssaid the full impact of the crackdown on LGBTQ activists remained unclear, citing internet shutdowns and limited access to detention centers hampering documentation. He said LGBTQ people often face additional barriers to being recognized as victims of human rights violations, as discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity are often sidelined during times of unrest. This omission leaves many incidents unrecognized and erased from the public narrative.

Amin also pointed to Iran’s legal framework, in which consensual same-sex sexual relationships continue to be punishable by death, as a key factor in the long-standing invisibility of LGBTQ people.

He said it is impossible to determine how many LGBTQ people may have been killed, detained or abused during protests because of a lack of official data, adding that this lack of recognition has been going on for decades. Amin told the Blade that the internet shutdown has also cut off regular communication between advocacy groups and LGBTQ people in Iran, as well as counseling services and daily contact that had previously provided limited insight into the situation on the ground. He said the loss of communications has made it increasingly difficult to assess the safety of individuals and identify detained and missing persons.

“I have spent almost all my life fighting for freedom and democracy. Even if we have not yet achieved the ultimate goal, we have made life difficult for oppressors and ensured safety for our communities, and that is important in itself,” Amin told the Blade. “We want change and have called for international intervention, such as through the Responsibility to Protect (a United Nations principle adopted in 2005), to uphold our responsibility to stop crimes against humanity, but top-down regime change or foreign military intervention will silence the movement.”

“In times of war, weapons, not people, have the final say and social movements are sidelined. This is one of our core concerns,” she added. “Another is the risk that even if the current regime is overthrown, it could be replaced by another form of dictatorship, such as the monarchical project represented by the son of the former shah, who has lived in the United States for nearly 50 years and lacks democratic legitimacy.”

Amin said LGBTQ activists fear being overlooked in the broader unrest, highlighting concerns that the ongoing crackdown and communication blackout risks pushing LGBTQ experiences further out of the public sphere. She said maintaining international visibility remains important for communities that are often forced into invisibility during times of crisis.

Matt Forouzandi President 30-Morgue Queer Liberation CommitteeNGOs focused on LGBTQ issues affecting Iranians at home and in the diaspora confirmed that LGBTQ Iranians have been participating in the protests since they began.

He said that while some queer Iranians have publicly expressed support for Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi on social media, sharing posts alongside Iran’s lion and sun flags, they are aware of the risks they faced before joining the demonstrations.

Pahlavi is the son of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, Iran’s last monarch who was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The exiled figure has emerged in recent years as a symbolic opposition figure for some Iranians abroad, but his role and influence inside the country remains debated.

Forzandi said LGBTQ people in Iran have been participating in protests more openly in some cases than many observers expected, citing years of combined oppression under the regime. He said many queer activists use their real names and photos on X and other social media platforms rather than working anonymously. Forzandi added that LGBTQ participants from different parts of the country have publicly expressed their opposition to the current system.

Forzandi said the future legal and civil status of LGBTQ people in Iran will depend on the political direction taken if the current system is changed, including whether the outcome reflects domestic demands or external influences. He said some protesters had expressed support for a return to the monarchy, arguing that such a transition could affect civil rights prospects, although the outcome remains uncertain.

“Iranians in the diaspora, including LGBTQ+ individuals, are doing everything they can to support those in the country,” Forzandi said. “But the most decisive power remains the people inside Iran themselves. Their courage, determination and collective will will ultimately shape the outcome.”

“This is especially true for LGBTQ+ Iranians who are simultaneously fighting for the liberation of their homeland and full and equal civil rights in a future free Iran,” he added.