TEHRAN, Sept. 29 (UPI)

Gay Iranians simply hope to be left alone in a country where homosexuality can be punished by death, The New York Times reported Saturday. You can have a secret gay life as long you don’t become an activist and start demanding rights, a Tehran resident named Reza, who did not want his full name used, told the newspaper. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaking at Columbia University in New York this week, provoked laughter in the audience when he asserted there are no homosexuals in Iran. Gays willing to talk to the Times said they were relieved by his denial since it might mean they will be left alone. The law making homosexuality punishable by death or a lashing is no dead letter. Two teenagers were executed in 2005 in Mashad. While Iran may be tough on homosexuality, the country is comparatively gentle toward transgender people, regarding them as sick. The government encourages sex-change operations.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International

 

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Conservative religious groups want President George W. Bush to veto legislation giving homosexuals additional protection under U.S. hate-crime laws.

The legislation was passed Thursday by the Democrat-led Senate as part of the defense authorization bill, The Washington Times reported Friday.

Conservative religious groups, including the Family Research Council, said the measure could criminalize the preaching of anti-homosexual sermons and give homosexuals extra rights.

Supporters said the measure targets violent acts, not speech, and seeks to fight bigotry and discrimination.

Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., the measure’s author, likened hate crimes to terrorism and said the defense bill was the right place for amendment, The Times reported.

“The defense authorization is about dealing with the challenges of terrorism overseas,” Kennedy said. This bill is “about terrorism in our neighborhood.”

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