Iranian official promoting Islamic values suspended over alleged gay sex tape
Unverified video said to show Gilan province’s head of culture and Islamic guidance, Reza Tsaghati, engaged in sexual relations with another man
An official in charge of promoting Islamic values has been suspended from his position in Iran after a tape was circulating apparently showing him having sex with another man.
The authenticity of the tape, which allegedly shows Gilan province’s head of culture and Islamic guidance, Reza Tsaghati, has not been verified.
According to the BBC, Tsaghati is the founder of a cultural center that has a focus on piety and promoting women’s wearing of the hijab.
The report said Tsaghati has been removed from his post and officials have denied having any prior knowledge of his behavior.
Same-sex relations are outlawed in Iran, potentially carrying the death penalty, and the LGBTQ community faces discrimination.
Earlier this month, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi launched into a condemnation of Western attitudes toward the LGBTQ community during a visit to Uganda.
“The West today is trying to promote the idea of homosexuality and by promoting homosexuality they are trying to end the generation of human beings,” Raisi said.
The battle over the hijab and religious coercion became a powerful rallying cry for protests last fall over the death of Mahsa Amini after she had been taken into custody by the morality police for allegedly breaching Iran’s dress code for women.
The demonstrations quickly escalated into calls for the overthrow of Iran’s clerical rulers, whom the mostly young protesters accuse of being corrupt, repressive and out of touch.
Iran’s government blamed the protests on a foreign conspiracy, without providing evidence.
Agencies contributed to this report.
