Iran summons Australian ambassador over LGBTQ post
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The news: Australia's ambassador to Iran, Ian McConville, was summoned by Tehran's Foreign Ministry following an Instagram post from the Australian embassy celebrating "Wear it Purple Day," a day dedicated to supporting LGBTQIA+ youth.
The post, which featured McConville and his colleagues wearing purple accessories, sparked controversy in Iran.
The Iranian government, through state-run and semi-official media, labelled the post as "norm-breaking" and "promoting homosexuality," contrary to Islamic and Iranian cultural norms.
The state-run IRNA news agency labelled the post “offensive” and said McConville had responded saying the post, which remains online, was not meant to offend the Iranian people or their values, specifying it had not mentioned Iran.
The context: While Iran allows gender transition surgeries under a religious decree, homosexual acts remain illegal and can be punishable by death.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in 2022 condemned homosexuality as a sign of Western "moral depravity."
Western rights groups frequently criticise Iran for its strict stance on social and sexual freedoms, which Tehran dismisses as a misunderstanding of its Islamic legal code.
The sources: IRNA , The Associated Press
