Screenshot from France24 YouTube channel. The Iranian LGBTQ+ community has long been kept invisible by mainstream overseas Iranian opposition, but a US LGBTQ+ award to exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi seems to signify changes in attitudes and is bringing hope to Iran’s queer community.
Crown Prince Pahlavi was born in Iran and remained in the US, where he was trained as an air pilot after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. He is the founder and leader of the US-based National Council of Iran, one of many exiled Iranian opposition groups, and a vocal critic of Iran’s Islamic Republic government.
On November 11, leaders of the national Log Cabin Republicans presented him with the 2023 Outspoken Award at the Spirit of Lincoln gala. This award recognizes his lifelong dedication to the pursuit of a free and democratic Iran. The Republican organization represents LGBTQ+ conservatives and their allies in the US.
Pahlavi celebrated his award on X (formerly Twitter): “I was honored to receive @LogCabinGOP’s Outspoken Award. Just as I defend the rights of every Iranian, I am proud to stand up for the rights of the Iranian LGBTQ community. However it is my brave compatriots inside Iran who truly deserve this honor because they are not only…”
Homosexuality is outlawed in Iran and punishable by death, making it virtually impossible for queer people to be open about their gender or sexual identities in the country today.