LGBT IN IRAN
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) people in Iran face severe challenges not experienced by non- LGBTQ residents. Sexual activity between members of the same sex is illegal and can be punishable by death, [2][3][4] and people can legally change their sex at birth only through sex reassignment surgery. LGBT rights in Iran have come in conflict with the penal code since the s. Iranian president says country has no gays, no desire for nuclear weapons. Despite fears from some that the controversial leader would go unchallenged in his comments, Columbia President Lee Bollinger quickly took the Iranian president to task in his opening statements, calling him "a petty and cruel dictator" and pointing to a number of well-documented instances in which the Iranian regime has executed children, oppressed women and imprisoned and tortured homosexuals, academics and journalists. Queer Resistance to Oppression
Iranian president says country has no gays, no desire for nuclear weapons. This transformative shift became possible with the gradual rise of internet usage in the country. Shafaie boldly spoke about social inequality and marginalized groups, highlighting homosexuals as one of them. Silenced Voices, Rising Movement
Speaking at Columbia University on September 24, , Iranian president at the time Mahmoud Ahmadinejad proclaimed: “In Iran, we do not have homosexuals like in your country.” While most Western nations now officially accept homosexuality and some even same-sex marriage, homosexuality is still punishable by death in Iran. Homosexuals are not allowed to live out their sexuality there. It is easy to forget about queer history in the context of oppression under an authoritarian regime. Thus, they are often silenced within the global historical narrative, as well as being legally and socially marginalised within their own country. 
LGBTQ rights in Iran
IranWire reported again in October , writing that, in Iran, “There are large groups of transgender, gay, lesbian and queer people who live in the shadows, and always have, for a range of reasons: fear of judgment, discrimination, violence, exclusion from family and community, and legal problems among them” .
LGBTQ
Furthermore, there is often a disregard for queer activists in Iran, leading other human rights advocates to rely on organizations and activists in exile to understand the community's perspective and experiences. However, this dependence on second-hand information can result in further errors. .
There Are No Homosexuals in Iran
In Iran, the three forces that dictate one’s behavior, law, religion and popular culture are opposed to homosexuality. They operate singularly, collectively and simultaneously. Thus, homosexuals in Iran cannot come out as freely as LGBT do in other countries. Nevertheless, there are threads that indicate traces of homosexuality acceptance; however, it cannot be fully come on surface as the. . 
Ahmadinejad
LGBT Rights in Iran: homosexuality, gay marriage, gay adoption, serving in the military, sexual orientation discrimination protection, changing legal gender, donating blood, age of consent, and more. .
LGBT Rights in Iran
Furthermore, the social stigma faced by the community exacerbates the difficulties they face. President Ahmadinejad declared there were no gays in Iran in The cultural and social erasure of the Iranian LGBTQ+ community, as well as legal repression, contributes to their difficulties in protesting their marginal status. .