El

Iran, CAHR, Autumn 2012

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Who am I talking about? Maybe this is not as easy as writing a letter of introduction but I'm trying to make it ‌easier for you to get to know this person.‌

I am in the minority minority minority because I am a semi-blind gay woman writer who works in the field of human rights. I have ‌experienced a harder way than many others.‌

I am an Iranian poet also known as a human rights activist. I particularly deal with child labour and queer rights. During the last decade I have cooperated with a child labour organisation and NGOs with the aim of codifying and compiling a child labour database. I am also working with Iranians and international individuals and groups to initiate a just society. In addition, I have worked as a writer and journalist in women’s, homosexuals’ and literature theory magazines, having published many papers.

I keep the fame of a poet who has been active in both the literary domain and in human rights activities. I have published many books with and without the legal permission of the Iranian governmental authorities.

I have graduated from both agricultural engineering and Persian literature.

My work in human rights issues includes:

I have been affiliated with IRQO (an Iranian queer organization) from 2007 until now; and I have participated in the creation of a child labour information bank in Iran from 2008 to 2009.

My human rights work involves co-operating with many groups and communities:

I am affiliated to Jenseyat va jameh (Gender and Society) which is an online information centre for queers;

I am working with JoopeA news group. Our aim is publicizing online news of sexual rights issues;

I am affiliated to Radio Zamaneh, mostly writing about issues around homosexuality;

I am working with 6rang site (a site solely dedicated to Iranian lesbians and F to M transsexuals);

I have established a homophilia campaign: We started with a Facebook page and extended it to a social campaign to remind queers that they are not alone, and we try to work against homophobia by spreading LGBT awareness and admiring the works of those who accept homosexuality;

I co-operate with associations working on child labour rights for non-Iranian children: We tried to help non-Iranian children, e.g. Afghans, to gain rights such as education, sanitation and citizenship;

As a gay woman and an LGBT activist my presence in Iran and my life is an unforgivable crime.

I write and distribute papers about women’s rights among marginalized and disfranchised non-Iranian women living in Iran and women living in neighbouring countries;

I teach in training sessions about women’s rights and family rights for subaltern women;

I have done an article presentation in cooperation with Mahshab Tajik entitled “two-generation discourse/a study of the process of failure in different generations as a linkage or between the generations” when participating in activities of The Iranian Women’s Studies Foundation in 2012.

And many more...

As a gay woman and an LGBT activist my presence in Iran and my life is an unforgivable crime. Any action against government order is regarded as a subversive political activity, so we cannot say exactly what the problem is or what to do because I risk my life if doing so.

Risks that threaten someone in my situation are divided into four categories: First, a gay person can be dangerous to him/herself once aware of his/her sexual orientation. Second, one’s own family can be a threat for a gay person. Third, religion and tradition can make life difficult for homosexuals. And fourth, government and intelligence services are too dangerous and they can control and fight all things when they want.

I am in York because I use the educational opportunities of the Protective Fellowship Scheme for Human Rights Defenders at Risk. I hope that in six months in York, I can communicate with other human rights activists and learn from their experiences as well as be able to touch another way of life. I want people to understand another culture and to get to know it and to love it. Also, I have two projects I am working on during this period: the “Historicizing HOOMAN” project on the first group engaged in writing the history of sexual minorities in Iran; and the homophilia campaign, which strives to introduce friends and influential people to the lives of sexual minorities.

I hope that there are ways we can start to build a better world‌.

Let's hope for the good days.

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