A series of smiling Instagram photos of diplomats wearing purple and enjoying cupcakes has caused a row between Iran and Australia, with the Australian ambassador being summoned to explain the “disrespectful” behavior.
The Australian Embassy in Tehran released photos on Monday (2) to mark Purple Wear It Day, an annual celebration of LGBTQIA+ youth founded in Australia.
“Today, and every day, we are dedicated to creating a supportive environment where everyone, especially LGBTQIA+ youth, can feel proud to be themselves,” the caption reads.
The post drew swift condemnation from Iran’s Foreign Ministry, which called it “disrespectful and contrary to Iranian and Islamic cultural norms,” according to state news agency IRNA.
Homosexuality is illegal in Iran, which considers same-sex relationships a violation of Islamic values, punishable under Sharia law.
“The official Instagram page of the Australian Embassy in Tehran promoted homosexuality in a derogatory post,” IRNA reported.
Australian Ambassador Ian McConville responded by saying the embassy had “no intention of offending the Iranian people,” according to IRNA.
The bilingual post on Australia’s official Instagram account in Iran attracted thousands of likes and comments, including from the German Embassy in Tehran, which responded with three purple heart emojis.
Asked about the diplomatic row in an interview with Australia’s national broadcaster, the ABC, government minister Murray Watt said he was “concerned” about Iran’s reaction to a message he said was in line with his own country’s values.
“We support all Australians, regardless of their sexual orientation, their gender, their race, and I am concerned to see this reaction from the Iranian government to the activities of the Australian embassy,” Watt told the ABC.
“We are very proud of the fact that our embassies promote Australian values internationally and I am very concerned to see a government overseas apparently taking action against an Australian embassy that is championing Australian values,” he said.
According to Amesty International, LGBTQIA+ people suffer “systemic discrimination and violence in Iran,” where punishment for consensual same-sex relationships ranges from flogging to the death penalty.
Iranian authorities have sentenced human rights defenders to death over social media posts.
In 2021, prominent Iranian LGBTQIA+ activists Zahra Sedighi-Hamadani and Elham Chobdar were arrested and later sentenced to death for alleged crimes including “corruption on earth” and “promotion of homosexuality” through social media, according to the US government and Amnesty International.
Both lawyers were released on bail in 2023, and Sedighi-Hamadani fled Iran for an “undisclosed country” the following year. Chobdar was arrested again in 2024 and remains in detention, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
This content was originally published in Iran summons Australian ambassador after pro-LGBT+ post on CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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