An unflinching memoir about growing up in a country where homosexuality is punishable by death, and yet underground, hidden from Sharia law, is a vibrant gay scene threatening to burst open.
The dawn prayer calls echo through the streets. As many make their way to mosques, for some it signals the end of another illegal gay party. Under the cover of darkness, smiles on lips and sweat on foreheads, the gays of Tehran blend back into daily life. Hidden in plain sight, they plan when and where they will meet again.
In an unparalleled true story, Majid Parsa recounts how a childhood of war, prayer and obedience was upended by a teenage sexual awakening and ultimately, pride. He lifts the heavy veil of persecution to reveal the fabulous and flamboyant gay scene right at the heart of the Islamic Republic of Iran, flourishing under the ever-present shadow of the grand Ayatollah and morality police. Eye-opening and at times laugh-out-loud funny, The Ayatollah’s Gaze is a story of self-discovery in a country where Sharia is the law.
The Ayatollah's Gaze: A Memoir of the Forbidden and the Fabulous
Majid Parsa
Ebook Download£6.99The ebook.
- Hardback£16.99
First edition hardback.
An unflinching memoir about growing up in a country where homosexuality is punishable by death, and yet underground, hidden from Sharia law, is a vibrant gay scene threatening to burst open.
The dawn prayer calls echo through the streets. As many make their way to mosques, for some it signals the end of another illegal gay party. Under the cover of darkness, smiles on lips and sweat on foreheads, the gays of Tehran blend back into daily life. Hidden in plain sight, they plan when and where they will meet again.
In an unparalleled true story, Majid Parsa recounts how a childhood of war, prayer and obedience was upended by a teenage sexual awakening and ultimately, pride. He lifts the heavy veil of persecution to reveal the fabulous and flamboyant gay scene right at the heart of the Islamic Republic of Iran, flourishing under the ever-present shadow of the grand Ayatollah and morality police. Eye-opening and at times laugh-out-loud funny, The Ayatollah’s Gaze is a story of self-discovery in a country where Sharia is the law.
The inspiration to write The Ayatollah’s Gaze came in stages and slowly. The surprise and fascination of friends when hearing about gay life in Iran sparked the initial flicker. It matured into a book when the first words were tapped on my keyboard; the cathartic sensation and the elation that came with writing a subject buried and ignored fuelled my enthusiasm. I hope it shines a light on stories untold and muted and hope to remind gays of Iran and everyone else outside of the country that we exist and thrive.
