Iranian LGBT and feminist activists commemorated May 17, as a way of promoting freedom of expression for LGBT people, and for all, in Iran. One of the goals of the campaigns was to end hate speech against, and scapegoating of, LGBT communities and women in the media, and to promote free expression for all.

May 17 in Tehran: No homophobia in Persian media!

Lesbian & Gay – Knowledge, Education, Rights, News (LG KERN) coordinated a joint media/journalism campaign among Farsi speaking activists. Around IDAHOT 2014, they aimed to raise awareness about homophobia online, especially via all global Persian websites or media. Activists monitored information on media messages which contains hateful and homophobic messages, and promoted their own campaign images, texts and videos in their place.

Source: LG Kern

A special focus on media in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan

The goal of this action was also to recognize, report and fight against hateful messages and news worldwide, with a special focus on media in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

Source: LG Kern

Feminists organise in Tehran

Also for May 17, 2014, a group of feminists produced and launched an online publication releases in Tehran about heterosexism and sexism.

Flashmob Video

LG KERN also disseminated a flashmob video filmed in Tehran. The video features someone walking through the streets of the Iranian capital, using the rainbow flag as a cape. The video is accompanied by Googoosh’s song “Behesht”, a song she recently dedicated (in 2014) to the fight for equality, regardless of the gender of who we love. Googoosh is a famous Iranian pop star, and the video tells the story of lesbian couple.

To watch the flashmob video, click here

Further Information

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lgkern2
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/LGKERN2

Latvia celebrated IDAHOT 2014 with an “express yourself” photo booth in Riga. Allies and families of LGBT activists constituted a big part of the crowd.

LGBT activists and their friends at MOSAIC organization invited community members and supporters to Riga on May 17 to express themselves however you want, in support of the LGBT community.

This year’s celebrations also included a photo session in the Old Town streets and at various key sites in Riga. The photo booth was made public on the internet via a hashtag campaign. The use of internet campaigning was symbolic in this case – designed to raise awareness of the fact that a significant level of homophobic and transphobic abuse takes place online.

The “Fotografēsimies” campaign showed that despite homophobic and transphobic expressions against LGBT people, and their friends and supporters, activists in Latvia manage to maintain a celebrating attitude towards life, and keep striving for a society in which all people are respected and treated as equal, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, national origin or religious belief.

Further information

• Mosaic Orgnization (in Latvian): Facebook page