AL MONITOR: Coming out as a gay man has severe consequences in Iran. Homosexuality is among the biggest taboos in Iran both on social and legal levels. The taboo transforms itself to a paradox however, if and when the issue of serving in the military arises.
Military service is mandatory for men and lasts two years. All healthy and able male high school graduates or drop-outs are mandated to serve in the military if they do not succeed in the University Entrance Exam. If they succeed and continue their education, they serve once they graduate.
During the eight years of the Iran-Iraq war, a number of more affluent families would go above and beyond to find ways around the military service; be it through bribery, undergoing attempts to be smuggled out of the country, inventing false pretenses of illness, or many other ways people created to escape the military service, attempting to fit in as exceptions so they could be excused.
The Iran-Iraq war ended 25 years ago, and since then, serving in the military has been accompanied by low risk and very little danger. Yet, most people are quite reluctant to serve the 24 months. Many families consider the two-year period a waste of time, while a less sizable group believes it to be a good learning experience for young men preparing to enter the real world.
The document — a card which is issued upon completion of a citizen’s two-year service — is golden: Without that card, an Iranian man cannot officially buy or sell anything, cannot participate in formal public sector activities, nor can he be employed by the government, or qualify to obtain a passport. Some companies in the private sector tend to refrain from recruiting men who have not served.
Gay men who prefer to refrain from
serving in the military must undergo the required medical and mental evaluations prior to commencing the two-year experience. Should the examining officers or physicians come across any evidence of “queerness,” they refer the soldier-to-be to appropriate officials for further evaluation.
If the psychological diagnosis confirms the individual’s homosexuality, an official, permanent exemption is issued for him. More often than not, a thorough rectal exam follows the mental evaluation. The physician’s observations providing proof of occurred same-sex intercourse is then written formally and submitted to the military. In some cases, further detail-oriented exams come into play, so the decision-makers can be certain of the applicant’s “queerness," making sure they are genuine, not a false pretense to escape the service.
» | Mehrnaz Samimi for Al-Monitor Iran Pulse | Sunday, August 11, 2013
