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Australian Ambassador Summoned After Iran Objects to LGBT Social Media Post

A photograph of Australia’s Ambassador and embassy staff wearing colourful clothing to support Wear it Purple Day has raised the ire of Iran’s Foreign Ministry.
Australian Ambassador Summoned After Iran Objects to LGBT Social Media Post
The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters in Vienna, Austria, on May 23, 2021. Leonhard Foeger/Reuters
Rex Widerstrom
Rex Widerstrom
9/3/2024|Updated: 9/3/2024
0:00

An Instagram post by Australia’s Ambassador to Iran, Ian McConville, has resulted in a formal summons to the foreign ministry office in Tehran. The post featured a photo of McConville and embassy staff in bright clothing to celebrate “Wear it Purple Day,” which is intended to support LGBT inclusion and visibility.

State media reported that authorities felt the post “promoted homosexuality,” which is illegal in Iran, governed as it is by Islamic clerical authorities. There are no protections for LGBT people from discrimination and gay sex can be punished by the death penalty for men, while women face the possibility of 100 lashes.

Rex Widerstrom
Rex Widerstrom
Author
Rex Widerstrom is a New Zealand-based reporter with over 40 years of experience in media, including radio and print. He is currently a presenter for Hutt Radio.
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