ASIL Programs > Career Development > Arthur C. Helton Fellowship > Helton Fellowship Profiles and Reflections > 2008 ASIL Helton Fellows > ASIL Helton Fellowship Reflections

Iranian Queer Organization
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
By Sarah R. Eremus, 2008 Arthur C. Helton Fellow

I worked with the Iranian Queer Organization (IRQO) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. IRQO is a small, non-governmental, nonprofit organization that assists queer Iranians flee from persecution, petition for official refugee status, and apply for resettlement in an LGBT-friendly nation.

My central goals were to understand the current climate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals in Iran, and to research the extent to which homophobia and transphobia play a part in persecution of such peoples. Additionally, I sought to learn about the nature of nonprofit human rights work and observe the behind-the-scenes directions of a non-governmental organization.

The challenges I encountered were unrelated to the essence of my research. Arsham Parsi, the Executive Director, was a great source of information and was able to refer me to additional materials. I did encounter some brief difficulties as a result of internal power struggles within the organization. I realized that even tiny NGOs, like IRQO, whose board was essentially a close-knit group of friends at one point, are not immune to issues that large organizations face.

I believe that my results mainly reflected what I had anticipated. By the time I started my fellowship experience, I had already delved into my research on the climate for LGBT Iranians and had begun to uncover some of the underlying sources of the persecution against them. What I saw while working with IRQO confirmed much of what I had already begun to learn:

homophobia, transphobia, and general disdain for any population that strays from accepted cultural norms run very deep in Iranian society. Like assertive Iranian women, LGBT Iranians transgress the roles that society expects them to follow. Because information about homosexuality and sexuality in general is prohibited in Iran, there is a widespread lack of awareness and understanding. The idea that there are various types of orientation and identity and that this is okay is not taught. What results is phobia and gross misunderstanding. To some Iranians, the word “homosexual” is synonymous with “prostitute” because gays are falsely rumored to sell themselves. Based on these misunderstandings and phobias, LGBT Iranians are routinely persecuted and even killed by government officials, neighborhood militias, and even family members.

By working with IRQO on several cases involving persecuted LGBT Iranians who are in the process of seeking asylum, the horrific accounts I had only ever read about came alive and affected me in a more personal way. Hearing from persecuted asylees about their own experiences firsthand made the situation I had merely been studying infinitely more tangible. Receiving positive news that our work had saved lives, on three separate occasions during my stay, was indescribably rewarding.

This experience has inspired me to seek a position that will allow me to directly serve those who are in critical need of advocacy of their human rights. I plan to keep talking to people about my experience, to continue my research, and to keep writing about it. I also hope to get colleagues and friends to join IRQO to assist with calls to action.

Arsham Parsi, Executive Director of IRQO and now a dear friend of mine, took me to a Persian restaurant that served dishes unique to Northern Iran. The inside of the restaurant was constructed to make you feel as if you had traveled to a traditional Iranian village and had seated yourself in a courtyard between rustic-style houses. It was beautiful, and rich aromas of saffron rice and kabob wafted about. Over dinner, Arsham told me about his hometown in Iran and described its cuisine. He spoke proudly of it and yet seemed full of sorrow at the same time. He fled Iran after his life was threatened due to his LGBT activism, but Iran is still extremely precious to him. I asked him if he felt homesick and I will never forget his poetic reply:

“What does ‘home’ mean? It is such a simple, yet complex word. Does it mean the place where my parents live? Does it mean where I keep my belongings? Is it where I sleep at night? Or… is it where I have freedom?”