Key Points
- The Iranian foreign ministry summoned Australian ambassador Ian McConville on Wednesday after a pro-LGBTIQ+ social media post.
- Some members of Australia’s Iranian community expressed support for the ambassador’s actions.
- The Islamic Penal Code of Iran criminalises homosexuality and suggests severe punishments, including execution.
On Sunday, the Australian embassy in Tehran posted on Instagram to celebrate “Wear It Purple Day,” which is dedicated to supporting young LGBTIQ+ community members.
“Today, and every day, we’re dedicated to creating a supportive environment, where everyone, especially LGBTQIA+ youth, can feel proud to be themselves,” the post read.
The post, which included photos of Ian McConville, Australia’s ambassador to Iran, wearing a purple tie and celebrating the day, received hundreds of comments within a few hours.
‘An act of bravery’
Some members of Australia’s Iranian community showed their support for the ambassador’s actions.
“I think it was a lovely act. It was very nice to remind everyone that LGBTIQ+ community members exist. But doing that in Iran is an act of bravery,” Azadeh, an Iranian-Australian queer person in Melbourne, told SBS Persian.
The Iranian authorities did not see it the same way, with the foreign ministry summoning the ambassador on Wednesday after the post received heavy criticism from state media.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly condemned the action of the Australian embassy in publishing this content,” Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
In response, Foreign Minister Penny Wong told SBS Persian, “Australia is a proud advocate for human rights. At home and in the world, we work to advance these principles.”
Azadeh was “not surprised” by the recent diplomatic challenges between the countries.
“[The Iranian government] have no shame, and nothing is unexpected from them,” she said.
“We should separate what the Iranian government does and what the Iranian people think. Literally, no one in Iran cares about what the government says and does.
“Everything is illegal in Iran; in a way, being a human is illegal there.”
‘Felt like a stranger in my own country’
According to a recent report by the University College Stockholm, the LGBTQIA+ community in Iran faces various forms of human rights violations. The report suggested that “the international community must stand in solidarity with the LGBT community in Iran”.
The Islamic Penal Code of Iran criminalises homosexuality and suggests severe punishments, including execution.
Raha, an Iranian trans woman who came to Australia about one year ago, has experienced this suppression in Iran.
“Once the morality police wanted to arrest me, I tried to run away, but they took me into the police van, beat me and then took me to the prison,” she said.
“I was arrested for 33 days just because of my gender identity.”
The Islamic Republic of Iran’s law considers transgender identity as a mental disorder and only recognises trans people if they undergo gender-affirming surgery.
Amnesty International’s 2023-2024 report about human rights in Iran said: “State-endorsed ‘conversion therapies’ amounting to torture or other ill-treatment remained prevalent, including against children.”
A group of Iranian LGBTIQ+ people and supporters attend the Midsumma Pride March in Melbourne. Source: SBS / Niv Sadrolodabaee
Raha said she experienced “systematic discrimination” in Iran.
“I always felt like a stranger in my own country; I didn’t have anyone supporting me, and I couldn’t breathe. That is why I left Iran as a refugee and never returned,” she said.
“Still, all the trauma is alive here with me. I’m still fighting with those memories, and when I see Australians actually have days to celebrate my gender identity, I get surprised.”
‘Wear It Purple’ diplomatic controversy
Seeing the Australian ambassador in Iran celebrating “Wear It Purple Day” was joyful for Raha.
“As a community member in Australia, I will indeed support the ambassador; what he did was a ray of light in the darkness,” she said.
“[The summoning of the ambassador] was not unexpected, but it disgusted me.”
Last month, McConville’s Iranian counterpart in Australia was “called in” to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade after a controversial post on X about Israel.
Ahmad Sadeghi referred to Israel as “the Zionist plague” and called for its removal from “the holy lands of Palestine” by 2027.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the post as “abhorrent, hateful and antisemitic”.
The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Embassy in Canberra said in a statement, “the comment of the Iranian Ambassador on X has nothing to do with Jewish People, antisemitism or raising hate speech or violent ways.”
