Category: On Books and Publishing

“Now, when I talk of Enlightenment ideals: there is also a connection between Enlightenment and Imperialism, and I’m not trying to endorse imperialism.”

Sarfaty is fearless about recounting his sex life and it’s a resolutely and unapologetic gay sex life. 

“My mother and I pretended allegiance to their Tupperware parties, to their Brownie troops, to their Sunday morning services at the Presbyterian Church.”

“We know how to take care of our own.”

Arsham Parsi is the head of the IRQO (Iranian Queer Organization).  Parsi was born in 1980.  As he tells it, he grew up in Shiraz with no contact with other gay people until he found queer communities on the Internet.  Following that, he worked on HIV issues, until rumors of his sexual orientation began to spread and he feared persecution.  According to Human Rights Watch, “Iranian law punishes all penetrative sexual acts between adult men with the death penalty.”  Reports indicate that women and lesbians also endure lack of access to equal rights and persecution.  Parsi fled to Turkey and then to Canada, where he applied for asylum.  Today, according to Parsi, IRQO works for the decriminalization of homosexuality in Iran, and to increase awareness about queer issues among Iranians.