• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Law/Justice
  • Celebrities
  • Republicans
  • Madonna
  • Books
  • Men
  • Trans Rights
  • Royals
  • Monkeypox
  • US set to ease AIDS-era blood donation rules for gay men
  • Learning From COVID: Early Detection, Isolation, and Elimination Beats More Defensive Responses As Global Strategy for Future Pandemics
  • Phew! Truck-sized asteroid misses Earth

Iran President Ahmadinejad Compares Gays to Traffic Offenders

Andy Towle September 24, 2008

Ahmadinejad

After a speech in which he declared “Zionist murderers” to have undue influence over American and European interests, and said the “American empire in the world is reaching the end of its road, and its next rulers must limit their interference to their own borders,” Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad talked to Larry King on a variety of topics. See the interview in six parts here.

King asked Ahmadinejad about his statement last year, “In Iran, we don’t have homosexuals.”

After declaring that homosexuality is “against human principles,” Ahmadinejad responded that those who violate the country’s laws against homosexuality are like traffic violations in America: “The law is the law. It’s law. And it must be enforced, of course.”

Ahmadinejad also declared that he has no interest in how people behave in their own homes.

Traffic offenders in America, however, aren’t rounded up and hanged in public.

Watch the clip (it begins at about 1:43) and read the transcript, AFTER THE JUMP…

***TRANSCRIPT***

KING: By the way, you mentioned human rights in Israel. Don’t you have some human rights problems of your own in Iran?

AHMADINEJAD (through translator): What do you mean by human rights problems?

KING: People protesting that they don’t have the same rights as other people? Homosexuals — you said last year, you denied there were homosexuals. There’s homosexuals everywhere.

AHMADINEJAD (through translator): I said it is not the way it is here. In Iran this is considered a very — obviously most people dislike it. And we have actually a law regarding it and the law is enforced. It is a law that was passed. It was legislated. And it is an act that is against human principles. A lot of things can happen. It can cause psychological problems, social problems that affect the whole society. Remember that God rules are to improve human life. In our religion, this act is forbidden and the Parliament has legislated about it. Not now, 70 years ago. This is something that happened 70 years ago, before the Islamic Republic became —

KING: So what happens to gay people?

AHMADINEJAD (through translator): Let me — well, of course, nobody has held protests. You are — are you concerned for 70 million Iranian people or a few homosexuals? Let’s assume in Iran — let’s assume in the United States that 200 million people drive cars and a million violators are rounded up and they just basically violate driving laws. Should we be worried for the 199 million people whose safety you must be concerned about or the one million violators? The law is the law. It’s law. And it must be enforced, of course. Of course we do pay attention that in Iran nobody interferes in the private lives of individuals. We have nothing to do with the private realm of people. This is at the not private, public morality. In their own house, nobody ever interferes.

Topics: News, Religion, Society More Posts About: gay rights, Iran, Iran, Larry King, Larry King, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, New York, New York, News

Related Posts
  • Soccer-U.S. defeat Iran in politically charged World Cup showdown
  • ‘It’s complicated’: Mixed emotions for fans as Iran and US meet
  • World Cup: Iran team decline to sing national anthem in apparent support for domestic protests
  • Learning From COVID:  Early Detection, Isolation, and Elimination Beats More Defensive Responses  As  Global Strategy for Future Pandemics

    Learning From COVID: Early Detection, Isolation, and Elimination Beats More Defensive Responses As Global Strategy for Future Pandemics

    Imagine it is 2030. Doctors in a regional hospital in country X note an expanding cluster of individuals with severe respiratory disease. Rapid whole-genome sequencing identifies the disease-causing agent as a novel coronavirus. Epidemiological investigations suggest …Read More »
  • Phew! Truck-sized asteroid misses Earth

    Phew! Truck-sized asteroid misses Earth

    Published by AFP Small asteroid to pass close by Earth Los Angeles (AFP) – Bruce Willis: you can stand down. A truck-sized asteroid that suddenly loomed out of the darkness a few days ago — with …Read More »
  • ‘Trump fatigue’ in New Hampshire complicates 2024 White House bid

    ‘Trump fatigue’ in New Hampshire complicates 2024 White House bid

    Published by Reuters By Tim Reid WEARE, New Hampshire (Reuters) – When Donald Trump trounced his Republican rivals in New Hampshire’s 2016 primary, the stunning win announced to other states the reality TV showman was a …Read More »
  • Monica Bellucci ‘scared’ to play Maria Callas on stage

    Monica Bellucci ‘scared’ to play Maria Callas on stage

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Monica Bellucci felt “scared” about making her stage debut playing opera legend Maria Callas in a one-woman show. The ‘ Spectre’ star portrays the soprano in the play ‘Letters and Memoirs’ …Read More »
Previous Post: « Impostor Hits Stonewall in Sarah Palin Drag
Next Post: Boy George’s Sobering Advice for George Michael: ‘Get Yourself Clean’ »

Primary Sidebar

Adjacent News

  • Madison Square Garden’s facial recognition blacklisting sparks outcry

    Madison Square Garden’s facial recognition blacklisting sparks outcry

  • Over half of LGBTQ parents surveyed in Florida considered leaving state over ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law

    Over half of LGBTQ parents surveyed in Florida considered leaving state over ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law

  • Watch: George Santos closes door on reporters asking about amended FEC report

    Watch: George Santos closes door on reporters asking about amended FEC report

Good Trash: Going to Read It Somewhere, Y'know

  • Steamy! Miranda Lambert Shows Off Shirtless Husband Brendan McLoughlin To Celebrate Their Anniversary

    Steamy! Miranda Lambert Shows Off Shirtless Husband Brendan McLoughlin To Celebrate Their Anniversary

  • ‘Sister Wives’ Alum Leon Brown Debuts Gender-Affirming Top Surgery Seven Months After Announcing New Pronouns

    ‘Sister Wives’ Alum Leon Brown Debuts Gender-Affirming Top Surgery Seven Months After Announcing New Pronouns

  • ‘Unfollowing Now’: Rebel Wilson Faces Backlash For Attending Lavish Hotel Opening In Dubai As Critics Address Anti-LGBT Laws

    ‘Unfollowing Now’: Rebel Wilson Faces Backlash For Attending Lavish Hotel Opening In Dubai As Critics Address Anti-LGBT Laws

RSS Partner Links

  • WATCH: Bowen Yang shares with Seth Meyers the struggles of impersonating George Santos on SNL
  • Sarah Michelle Gellar Reacts to Fan Theory 'Wolf Pack' & 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' are Connected
  • “Taylor Swift directs Taylor Swift for the ‘Lavender Haze’ music video” links
  • ‘Spare’: Prince Harry told his family about Meghan’s pregnancy at Eugenie’s wedding
  • Alan Cumming Returned His OBE To The Palace Because He Doesn’t Want To Be Associated With “The Toxicity Of Empire”
  • Pamela Anderson Defends Tim Allen And Talks About Walking In On Jack Nicholson Having A Threesome
  • Prince Andrew Has Reportedly Been Kicked Out Of His Office And Palace Apartment

Most Recent

  • US set to ease AIDS-era blood donation rules for gay men

    US set to ease AIDS-era blood donation rules for gay men

  • Learning From COVID:  Early Detection, Isolation, and Elimination Beats More Defensive Responses  As  Global Strategy for Future Pandemics

    Learning From COVID: Early Detection, Isolation, and Elimination Beats More Defensive Responses As Global Strategy for Future Pandemics

  • Phew! Truck-sized asteroid misses Earth

    Phew! Truck-sized asteroid misses Earth

  • ‘Trump fatigue’ in New Hampshire complicates 2024 White House bid

    ‘Trump fatigue’ in New Hampshire complicates 2024 White House bid

  • Monica Bellucci ‘scared’ to play Maria Callas on stage

    Monica Bellucci ‘scared’ to play Maria Callas on stage

  • ‘You’re An Embarrassment’: Kimberly Guilfoyle Gets Backlash For Making Fun Of The FBI’s Skills When Raiding President Joe Biden’s Home For Documents

    ‘You’re An Embarrassment’: Kimberly Guilfoyle Gets Backlash For Making Fun Of The FBI’s Skills When Raiding President Joe Biden’s Home For Documents

  • Tyre Nichols death: Memphis braces for protests when police video is released

    Tyre Nichols death: Memphis braces for protests when police video is released

  • Stevie Nicks Announces 2023 Tour Dates

    Stevie Nicks Announces 2023 Tour Dates

Most Commented

Social

Twitter @tlrd | Facebook | Instagram @tlrd

Footer

Copyright © 2023 · Log in

×