Iranian LGBTQ Activists Call For Protests On Amini Anniversary

Iranian LGBTQ activists have endorsed worldwide protests on September 16 to commemorate the death of Mahsa Amini.

In a joint statement, activist groups such as Simorgh, Six Colors, the Iranian Rainbow Coalition, and the Queer Rights Group claim that the current revolutionary wave holds the potential to secure the liberation and equality of the rainbow community in Iran, marking the end of centuries of discrimination and prejudice, including to the country's LGBTQ community.

They have called on political and social groups, both within and outside of Iran, to join in anti-regime protests.

Since the inception of the Women, Life, Freedom uprising, the Iranian LGBTQ community has been at the forefront, articulating their vision for a post-Islamic Republic Iran through active participation in both domestic and international protests.

Despite the many challenges faced by LGBTQ individuals in Iran, they continue to confront dangers, including the risk of execution and other forms of punishment under the laws of the Islamic Republic.

Iranian authorities have resorted to derogatory labels and stigmatization when addressing LGBTQ citizens, referring to them as "deviant" and "sick", same sex relations forbidden in Islamic laws.