In Iran homosexuality is viewed as illegal and is categorised as a crime. They think it’s a crime and anyone caught and found guilty of being a homosexual is put into jail or can even face the death penalty. However this law only applies to male homosexuals as the laws on female homosexuality are different. They think that homosexuality is a disease and that it must be cured. If a person is a homosexual then that person is allowed to undergo a sex change operation to cure their gender identity disease.

Homosexual relations that occur between any consenting adults in private is classed as a crime and can carry a maximum punishment of a death penalty. Boys as young as 15 can are eligible for the death penalty if found guilty of being a homosexual.

Male homosexuality laws are strict. If men are found of committing sodomy, which is homosexuality, the people involved can be punished by death. If the people involved are adults and consented to the sexual act then the method of execution is down to the judge in the court to decide. A non adult who has engaged in an act of sodomy is subject to a punishment of 74 lashes. Sodomy is proved when a person confesses four times to having committed this act or by the evidence of four righteous and honourable men. If two men are found naked under the same cover with the necessity to then both of the men involved are punished with up to 99 lashes. If one man kisses another man with lust the punishment is then 60 lashes.

Female homosexuality has a different law than male homosexuality. If a woman is found of being a homosexual, involving women who are mature and consented to the relationship, will receive 100 lashes. If the act is then repeated three times the punishment is then enforced each time, the death sentence will only apply if the act is then committed for a fourth time. Women who are found to stand naked under one cover without necessity and are not related are punished by up to 100 lashes.

Iran has approximately 20,000 transsexuals, although the government thinks there are approximately 150,000. As Iran allows people to undertake a sex change they carry out more gender change operations than any country except Thailand. Transsexuality is categorised as an illness that is subject to cure.

There is no law that says that same sex couples are not allowed to engage in marriage but the laws of homosexuality would be taken into account. Also same sex couples are not allowed to adopt children into their families. There are no laws against discrimination so people are getting discriminated against for being homosexuals. Having no laws about discrimination would lead to some people attacking homosexuals and causing them harm. Iran are not planning on initiating any laws against discrimination meaning that people are unable to come out about their sexual orientation because they are afraid they are going to be the victim of a hate crime or corporal punishments.