Voice Celebration
Encyclopedia
Iranian Queer Voice Celebration
is an especial day for all Iranian Homosexual, Bisexual and Transgendered that many of them still remember those days and they want to commemorate it every year.
.
There were a total of 50 participants. They established contacts with each other for mutual support and to exchange views on how best to remedy the oppressive situation of civil and queer rights in Iran
. What was most striking for them about the conversations and exchanges of information at Voice Celebration was how many of them were using false identities. Nobody dared speak out publicly or under their real name, for fear of arrest, torture
and even execution if they were discovered by the authorities. Therefore, their Voice Celebration
was silenced.
Three years later, in October 2006, Arsham Parsi
was invited to the second session of the United Nations Human Rights Council
in Geneva
, Switzerland
. He spoke out on behalf of all his friends whose voices needed to be heard at the Voice Celebration
.
A year later, on September 24th, 2007, Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad famously said at the Colombia University, “we do not have homosexuals in Iran
like your country.” It prompted Iranian queers to ask themselves: But what do you think we are? And what are all our friends who are condemned to silence? As they had a duty to speak out, they gave many interviews to mainstream media
about the challenges facing Iranian queers. It was a great publicity and a Voice Celebration
for real.
Now, hundreds of Iranian queers wish to commemorate these events with a louder voice of existence. It has been suggested that the week of September 24th to October 1st 2011 be named the Iranian Queer Voice Celebration and that just makes sense!
Therefore, we call upon all Iranian queers and their allies
to recall the Voice Celebration
and organize their own events to support the Iranian queers cause.
Voice Celebration
Iranian Queer Voice Celebration is an especial day for all Iranian Homosexual, Bisexual and Transgendered that many of them still remember those days and they want to commemorate it every year.-History:...
is an especial day for all Iranian Homosexual, Bisexual and Transgendered that many of them still remember those days and they want to commemorate it every year.
History
It was October 1st, 2003 that for the first time Iranian queers decided to get together and speak out about their situation. However, they were too concerned about their safety and security to meet each other publicly. Therefore, they decided to organize a clandestine Yahoo chat group to e-meet each other. They named that day the Voice CelebrationVoice Celebration
Iranian Queer Voice Celebration is an especial day for all Iranian Homosexual, Bisexual and Transgendered that many of them still remember those days and they want to commemorate it every year.-History:...
.
There were a total of 50 participants. They established contacts with each other for mutual support and to exchange views on how best to remedy the oppressive situation of civil and queer rights in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. What was most striking for them about the conversations and exchanges of information at Voice Celebration was how many of them were using false identities. Nobody dared speak out publicly or under their real name, for fear of arrest, torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
and even execution if they were discovered by the authorities. Therefore, their Voice Celebration
Voice Celebration
Iranian Queer Voice Celebration is an especial day for all Iranian Homosexual, Bisexual and Transgendered that many of them still remember those days and they want to commemorate it every year.-History:...
was silenced.
Three years later, in October 2006, Arsham Parsi
Arsham Parsi
Arsham Parsi is an Iranian LGBT Human Rights activist who lives in exile in Canada. He is the founder and head of the Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees .-Career:...
was invited to the second session of the United Nations Human Rights Council
United Nations Human Rights Council
The United Nations Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations System. The UNHRC is the successor to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights , and is a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly...
in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. He spoke out on behalf of all his friends whose voices needed to be heard at the Voice Celebration
Voice Celebration
Iranian Queer Voice Celebration is an especial day for all Iranian Homosexual, Bisexual and Transgendered that many of them still remember those days and they want to commemorate it every year.-History:...
.
A year later, on September 24th, 2007, Iranian
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad famously said at the Colombia University, “we do not have homosexuals in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
like your country.” It prompted Iranian queers to ask themselves: But what do you think we are? And what are all our friends who are condemned to silence? As they had a duty to speak out, they gave many interviews to mainstream media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
about the challenges facing Iranian queers. It was a great publicity and a Voice Celebration
Voice Celebration
Iranian Queer Voice Celebration is an especial day for all Iranian Homosexual, Bisexual and Transgendered that many of them still remember those days and they want to commemorate it every year.-History:...
for real.
Now, hundreds of Iranian queers wish to commemorate these events with a louder voice of existence. It has been suggested that the week of September 24th to October 1st 2011 be named the Iranian Queer Voice Celebration and that just makes sense!
Therefore, we call upon all Iranian queers and their allies
Allies
In everyday English usage, allies are people, groups, or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out between them...
to recall the Voice Celebration
Voice Celebration
Iranian Queer Voice Celebration is an especial day for all Iranian Homosexual, Bisexual and Transgendered that many of them still remember those days and they want to commemorate it every year.-History:...
and organize their own events to support the Iranian queers cause.
External links
- Iranian Queer Association official website
- Voice Celebration Facebook Page
- Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees's official website
- Arsham Parsi's official website
- Arsham Parsi's Speech at the ILGA's Panel at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva
- Interview: Arsham Parsi of Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees on Digital Journal
- "Queering Freedom House"
- Youtube Video: Arsham Parsi's speech at ILGA panel, UNHRC