Former aide to Iran's Rouhani apologizes for posting pro-gay family notice

The US government outlet Radio Farda, which reports on the Islamic Republic of Iran, first reported on Monday  that on May 15 Shahindokht Molaverdi “reposted the U.N. poster that depicts various forms of families including homosexual families on her Telegram account. She removed the controversial post later and issued an apology for ‘carelessly republishing a post.”’

The UN poster caption read:"The structure of family has changed in the past few decades but the United Nations still considers it as the main division of society" and said given the coronavirus pandemic this year, it is important to underline social policies to support vulnerable families at times of crisis.”

Pro-Iranian regime social users took to twitter to slam Molaverdi and showed the US poster that displayed lesbian and gay parents. The twitter handle of Dr. Khalilinia, who claims he has a PhD in Islamic mysticism, wrote repeatedly “I hope this not true,” adding “Homosexual propaganda on Shahindokht Molaverdi's official channel.”

It is unclear if Molaverdi was aware that she posted a pro-LGBTQ poster. She served the Islamic regime as vice president in women's and family affairs from 2013-2017, when the death penalty had been applied to men for violating the country’s anti-gay laws. A 2008 British WikiLeaks cable said Iran’s clerical regime has executed 4,000-6,000 gays and lesbians since the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran.

Molaverdi resigned from the Rouhani administration in 2018.

The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia is observed on May 17.

Writing for Radio Farda, Maryam Sinaiee said  that so-called “Iranian hardliners” launched a campaign against Molaverdi for "promoting homosexuality." However, the entire Islamic Republic of Iran system has never showed dissension among different politicians or policy makers regarding the regime’s lethal homophobia.

Last year, Iran's foreign minister Mohammed Javad Zarif defended and endorsed the execution of gay people. Zarif said in defense of his regime's execution of gay people: "Our society has moral principles. And we live according to these principles. These are moral principles concerning the behavior of people in general. And that means that the law is respected and the law is obeyed."