Iranian Father Kills Teenage Son Due to Gender Nonconformity

An Iranian man was arrested after admitting to killing his 17-year-old son because he felt “dishonored” about the teenager’s "makeup and feminine behavior.”

According to local media reports, the man said he had decided to "eliminate Parsa permanently" because his behavior "humiliated the family.”

He also said that Parsa had been on psychotherapy and hospitalized several times.

Members of the LGBTQ+ community are forced to hide their sexual orientation in Iran, where homosexuality is punishable by death.

Individuals whose behavior or gender expression do not match masculine or feminine gender norms face discrimination, and some are victims of violence, often perpetrated by family members. 

Three years ago, the UN’s special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran expressed concern over reports that the Islamic Republic had subjected LGBTQ+ children to “torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.”

In a report to the UN Human Rights Council, Javaid Rehman said such practices reportedly include “electric shocks and the administration of hormones and strong psychoactive medications.”