this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2023
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Social networks in Iran have been flooded with compromising footage featuring several known ultra-conservative officials engaging in homosexual activities. While homosexuality is punishable by death in Iran, the Iranian regime has attempted to deny the videos and cover up the scandals. We spoke to a former religious authority who says authorities are trying to “save face” by refuting the wave of videos.

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[–] girlfreddy@sh.itjust.works 241 points 1 year ago (2 children)

First thing I thought was that's a huge double-edged sword.

I was glad to see this very close to the top of the article.

“We should be careful not to label a homosexual relationship as a vice or any other label that the Islamic Republic attaches to homosexuals. We should not repeat their behaviour and condemn what happened. The problem here is not Seghati's sexual relationship with another man, but the lies, hypocrisy and deception,” this tweet reads.

[–] 520@kbin.social 91 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Absolutely right. I don't care what you do in private but the moment you start depriving others of life and liberty for those same actions, well...I won't weep when the axe falls on that person

[–] doppelgangmember@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago

About to become some Leopards Ate My Face content real soon I bet

[–] ThunderingJerboa@kbin.social 12 points 1 year ago

Except really I think these kind of reveals will slowly lose their relevance since we are getting tools that make it far easier to do "Deepfakes". So it will just become the goto answer. In some ways its liberating, in other ways horrific since it will mean accountability is far harder. Hell we already have the trial run with this whole discussion of "Fake news".

[–] utopianfiat@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

I think consequences accruing to bad people for the wrong reasons are still worth concern, personally.

[–] Solarius@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

it's almost confusing this has to be said. the whole point is obviously the criticism that the people in charge of jailing/killing gay people are indulging themselves. I feel you'd need to be pretty dense to not get that, yet I see it mentioned a lot.

[–] glimse@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

I feel you'd need to be pretty dense to not get that, yet I see it mentioned a lot.

You must not live in a country where homosexuality is punishable by death then. I think it's a pretty important point to make when you might have readers who have had that idea reinforced their whole life