My name is Arsham Parsi. I was born on 20 September, 1980, in Shiraz, Iran. After completing some basic education, I wanted to continue studying veterinary medicine at university; however, financial pressures forced me to stop my study.
While living in Shiraz and after coming to terms with my sexual identity, I began to do advocacy work for the queer community in Iran. Part of this work consisted of helping a doctor and his research assistants in a study of HIV in the local queer community. My advocacy work earned me the attention of the Iranian authorities, and I was forced to flee Iran on 4 March, 2005. My flight took me first to Turkey, where I was able to register as a refugee at the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Ankara. I was one of the fortunate few whose case was actually accepted by the Commissioner. Three months after arriving in Turkey my case was accepted, and two months later I was invited to Canadian Embassy in Ankara. Eight months later, here I’m in Canada.
I’m one of the founding members of IRQO (formerly known as PGLO).I began working for the advancement of civil rights for lesbians and gays in 2001. In 2003, I helped organize a Yahoo chat group for gay Iranians. They called it Voice Celebration. In total there were 50 participants, making contact with each other and exchanging views on how best to achieve civil rights.
What was most striking about that day for me was that while people were mailing contact, they were typing under false names, and nobody dared to actually speak out in public under their real names. I’m still amazed that. Less than 3 years later, I was asked to speak publicly in Geneva, Switzerland, at the 2nd session of United Nations Human Rights Council and on 4th anniversary all international media published some articles about Iranian queers.
Though now living safely in a democratic country, I am still an Iranian and will never forgets that I am in exile for being Gay. I consider this is a big responsibility. I want to return to a democratic, open Iran, and I’m working actively to make that dream a reality. As I passed the border out of Iran, I promised myself and my country that I would one day return to a free and open country. Until that time, I would work to achieve that goal for all my life. I considers the work I’m doing today, as part of IRQO, to be an investment in a brighter tomorrow for all Iranians and people around the world.
My friend, If you like more information about the Gay Right Movement in Iran, feel free to visit the:
My CNN interview after Iranian President visit New York:
Also, my feature interview in Glen Beck title Gay in Iran:
Breaking news! We got a Group!
Come visit our group at Iranian Queer Organization in Myspace. Sign up and we will update you when thing happen in our fight of Civil Right for all Iranian LGBT. Join us!
