From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, September 3, 2024
Iran summons Aussie ambassador over support for LGBTQ rights
Iran has summoned Australia’s ambassador in Tehran over the publication of online content it deemed “norm-breaking,” the semi-official ILNA news agency says, a day after state media said the post “promoted homosexuality.”
The post on the embassy’s official Instagram account celebrated “Wear it Purple Day” and expressed dedication to creating “a supporting environment where everyone, especially LGBTQIA+ youth, can feel proud to be themselves.”
ILNA quotes Australian Ambassador Ian McConville as saying the post was not intended to insult the Iranian people and their values, and that the Islamic Republic was not mentioned in it.
The post remains on the embassy’s Instagram account.
In 2022, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described homosexuality as part of the “moral depravity” widespread in Western civilization.
The Times of Israel Community.