A new briefing published by Iranian Lesbian & Transgender Network 6Rang outlines the consistent and widespread use of hate speech against LGBT people in Iran by Iranian officials; including the supreme leader, military officials, Friday prayer leaders, high-level state officials, and state controlled media outlets.

The briefing “It’s a great honor to violate homosexuals’ rights”: Official hate speech against LGBT people in Iran’ has monitored the content of newspapers and state controlled media between 2011 and 2017, and provides an overview of the Iranian authorities’ hate speech on homosexuality during these years.

The 27-page briefing includes shocking official statements, describing homosexuals and homosexuality on official platforms as “lower than animals”, “savagery”, “subhuman”, “corrupt”, “diseased”, “western” and “Zionist”. These examples are just the tip of the iceberg of a discourse that promotes and justifies hate and violence against LGBT people in the family, society, and in educational, judicial and law enforcement institutions.

For example, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in one of his many remarks about homosexuality has said “If we were to presume that human desires legitimize hamjensbazi [faggotry] then someone could also have the desire to commit incest and they should face no impediment. In principle, all impediments would then have to be removed.”

Shadi Amin, 6Rang Coordinator says: “An official culture of violence and intolerance against human diversities has been promoted in the past four decades in Iran, without any resistance against such widespread hatred.”

“This brief shows us where the roots of widespread homophobia among Iranians – as seen in mainstream and social media – lie,” Amin says. Read more via 6rang

Read the full briefing here.