OK, kiddo! Here are all the fantastically amazing posts tagged with Iran
Canada To Deport Another Gay Refugee Claimant
A 29-year-old gay man is going to be deported from Canada to Iran, where he could face death by stoning for charges of sodomy. The young man, identified only as Yaser, had his deportation ordered after the Immigration Refugee Board determined that he could not be gay because he could not identify the rainbow flag and didn’t attend a Pride parade.
While I certainly don’t have enough information to personally conclude if Yaser is gay or not, I can say for certain that the IRB’s methods are presumptuous and seriously flawed. Either that, or I guess I wasn’t gay all those years that I didn’t attend Pride.
Canada’s record of accommodating gay refugees is atrocious, and is getting worse with each case. The board often declines refugees for failing to prove they are gay—a trait they had gone to great extends to hide in their home country. The inability to deal with gay refugee cases sensitively isn’t just Canada’s problem, either. Kiana Firouz, a 27-year-old lesbian is also fighting a deportation order from the United Kingdom to Iran, where she faces death by hanging for being gay.
The Gay-less Countries
Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, visited Columbia University on Monday. When pressed by a student about Iran’s treatment of gays, Ahmadinejad had this to say:
In Iran we don’t have homosexuals like in your country. In Iran we do not have this phenomenon. I don’t know who’s told you that we have this.
While the comment elicited derisive laughter from the audience, I found the words chilling. Iran executes homosexuals. A television report produced by the CBC in February detailed a few of the stories coming out of Iran, and the horror is unimaginable.
Iran isn’t the only country to persecute gays by law and then deny they exist, either. When Canada’s own Coalition gaie et lesbienne du Québec first attempted to gain Observer Status at the UN so they could officially report on human rights attrocities around the world, Egypt voted against admittance, saying they “don’t have a gay problem in [Egypt] because there are no gays there.” Egypt actively entraps and tortures homosexuals.
Really, one only needs to look at traveler warnings to see the extent of persecution faced by gays worldwide. Misinformation and denial about homosexuality is widespread and troublesome, and this is reflected in the cruel laws of many countries.
Remedying this won’t be easy. Given Canada’s own denial of the dangers faced by gay refugees, a local start isn’t too far back.
Canada Warns Gay Travelers
Going somewhere exotic for vacation? Somewhere boring for business? Well, Canada’s Consular Affairs Bureau would like to have a quick word with you first! They’ve updated their travel information booklet, entitled Bon Voyage, But, and the new 2006/2007 edition contains some lovely new warnings for us gays!
What’s the warning, you ask? Well, basically, if you’re gay—and especially if you’re married—beware! Not only will most countries not recognize your marital status, but many will arrest or even kill you. Why, even our friendly neighbours to the south will turn you away if you declare yourselves as married on your travel paperwork.
So if you’re planning on going to breathtaking Singapore, heed the government’s new advice: “Homosexuality is illegal. Convicted offenders may face lengthy jail sentences and fines.” And don’t even think of going to breathtaking Iran, as you may be sentenced to lashing, a prison sentence, and/or death. Jinkies!
Personally, I appreciate the government’s work, but I think I’ll stick to regional travel for now… Alberta Carriage Museum, anyone?
- Government travel guide offers same-sex travel advice [The Record]
- Minister Mackay Launches 2006/07 Edition of Bon Voyage, But [Consular Affairs]
