The Internet ‘Protection Bill’ will hurt all Iranians, but the queer community will have the most to lose.

 | 
04/12/2022

International human rights organizations and the United Nations are saying a lot about the repressive “Regulatory System for Cyberspace Services Bill”—widely referred to as the “Protection Bill”—currently under review by the Iranian parliament. However, not much light has been shed on one of the most marginalized groups that will suffer the most: Iran’s LGBTQI community. Deprived of public spaces by the state and rampant queerphobia in society, Iran’s LGBTQI persons have found solace in fragile pockets of expression online. For as long as the Internet has existed in the country, state surveillance has been intensifying and crackdowns have been reoccurring on dissenting voices. Queer expression and identities are targeted as “immoral” or “obscene” criminal acts within Iran’s Islamic Penal Code and, in some cases, are punishable by the death penalty. Despite this, the queer community has been using social media, dating apps—like Grindr, Hornet, Bumble, and Tinder—along with messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram in creative ways to forge a semblance of community online. The Internet has provided the Iranian LGBTQI community with a safer space to seek human connections vital for support and survival. The community has also utilized social media to educate itself and wider society about queer issues. Most importantly, online spaces have become vital for processing and healing trauma rooted in misogyny and queerphobia.

Regions: ,

Share this:

Latest Global News

Added on: 10/03/2024
10/02/2024
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has refused to sign into law a bill approved by parliament last month that rights groups and many opposition politicians …
Added on: 10/03/2024
10/02/2024
Kyrgyzstan’s government has proposed problematic amendments to the criminal code and other legislative acts that would restore criminal charges for the mere possession of …
Added on: 10/02/2024
10/02/2024
Cabrel Ngounou’s life in Cameroon quickly unraveled after neighbors caught the teenager with his boyfriend. A crowd surrounded his boyfriend’s house and beat him. …

Explore LGBTQ+ Issues

Other News from ,

Added on: 10/03/2024
Kyrgyzstan’s government has proposed problematic amendments to the criminal code and other legislative acts that would restore criminal charges for the mere possession of …
Added on: 10/02/2024
Tokyo BTM is an increasingly popular channel that focuses on queer culture in Japan. Created by two expat, Andrew Pugsley, from Canada, and Meng …
Added on: 10/01/2024
With Lebanon experiencing its deadliest day in nearly 20 years this month — not to mention the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine that …