Facing Mirrors: The Paradox of Being Trans in Iran

Source The Guardian (link below):One of the many astonishing paradoxes about life in the Islamic republic is that transsexuality has been legal since a fatwa was issued in 1987 by the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Indeed, Iran permits more sex-change operations than any other country, except Thailand, and has long subsidised such surgeries. But, though transsexuals may have the support of the government, they remains highly controversial figures among the public.



Des Buford, Director of Exhibition & Programming at Frameline, spoke with FACING MIRRORS director Negar Azarbayjani and producer Fereshteh Taerpour. (6/18/2012)



Directed By:Negar Azarbayjani
Produced by: Fereshteh Taerpour
Starring:Shayesteh Irani - Ghazal Shakeri - Homayoun Ershadi - Nima Shahrokh Shahi - Maryam Boubani - Saber Abar - Hengameh Ghazian

The religious ruling (allowing SRS) was issued thanks to the activities in the 1980s of Maryam Khatoon Molkara, a campaigner for the rights of transsexuals in Iran, who wrote to Khomeini asking him to determine their fate. Molkara had herself previously been a man, and worked for the state TV before the Islamic revolution in 1979. In the mid-70s, she started to write to Khomeini, who was in exile, asking for religious authorisation for a sex-change operation. In 1987, after a decade of campaigning, she went in person to the home of Khomeini, by then the country's supreme leader, and came back with a fatwa in hand that allowed transsexuals to choose their sex. More at The Guardian

A few years ago while Iran was still accessible via the Internet I became engrossed with the human struggle inside the country. Sadly after the Green Revolution began the goverment responded to closing the electronic border effectively isolating Iran from the world. This movie is a watershed for transgender people as it gives us a look behind this Islamic curtain.

KOMO Seattle Spearheads Attack On Evergreen College Trans Student

The right wing is on the offensive and Komo Seattle, a mainstream media source, is showcasing it with this misgendering misinformational 'news' video.

KOMO has done more that compromise its integrity, they have become the bigot.

At issue is a transgender woman right to use public accommodations as provided by law.



This might come as a surprise to Joseph Backholm. According to a poll I conducted following the original story, asking whether its OK to sauna with minors the vast majority placed the needs of the children above all else, regardless.

Fifty percent said no, not under any circumstance, thirty percent thought if the law provides for it AND privacy can be assured they felt it was OK. The remaining responded yes, if it was lawful.

Clearly the vast majority of trans people are in agreement with Joseph Backholm on that count. If this trans person was in fact exposing her original plumbing to minors it would have been unacceptable.

But there are only allegations of this gross impropriety, yet to be determined in a court of law. And that takes us back to the KOMO story.

This may very well be the worst anti transgender 'news' report, ever found in mainstream media. The disembodied sound bites from the University spokesman never expressed dismay at following the law, but they were were presented as such by KOMO. The video was edited so sound bites seemingly attributed to parents were in fact the voice of leader of the virulently anti LGBT group, the Family Policy Institute of Washington.

The reporter shaking her head in disgust, stated they hadn't been able to 'track down' the trans woman, as if tracking a predator. Evidently despite their best skills at tracking, they were unable to hunt down any of the parents either.

The framing of the KOMO 'news' article is symptomatic of transphobic reporting found in lesser 'conservitive' Faux News reports, blogs and right wing radio all which in a seemingly concerted effort have launched this simultaneous attack to convict this trans woman for simply exercising her rights under the law.