Editor,
On his recent visit to the U.S., Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed, "In Iran, we don't have homosexuals like in your country."
The Columbia University crowd burst into laughter. I laughed, too. I figured the educated Columbia audience was laughing because they realize that homosexuality has been a part of human nature for thousands of years. Perhaps they laughed because homosexuality is taboo in our culture and they were uncomfortable with acknowledging that homosexuality is alive and well in the U.S. Maybe it was the one point on which they figured they would be in agreement with Ahmadinejad, and they wanted to welcome his statement with joyful appreciation. Perhaps they laughed like I did because they thought it was a funny statement coming from a politician. Could you imagine even the most conservative Republican saying such a thing? The gay community would be outraged and the media would fan the flames.
Still, all politicians want to claim, "I am not gay." Governors, senators and local officials have been run out of office when their sexual preference for other men has been exposed. Maybe Ahmadinejad's statement brought back memories of childish banter such as, "My country is better than your country," or, "You're a faggot and I'm not," meant as an insult whether the recipient is gay or not.
I began to seriously contemplate his words and realized they were not very funny. Certainly, Ahmadinejad was correct in his analysis that there are not as many homosexuals in his country. A politician always knows the demographic of his or her constituency. I wanted to ask him why this was true. Was it because they have serious human rights issues in his country? Are homosexuals being killed like the Jews and homosexuals in the Holocaust?
Oh, wait. According to Ahmadinejad, there was no Holocaust. Perhaps Ahmadinejad would position himself as being in favor of genocide to all those whose ideology is abhorrent to him, and toss the gays in, too. We can just deny the whole thing ever happened.
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I am still frustrated with the attitude toward homosexuality in our own society. However, progress is slowly being made. A recent Daily Lobo letter had one student say that he didn't mind homosexuals in his midst as long as he didn't get hit on by a gay man. I suspect there are many women in his life who have said the same about his advances on them. Of course, all a woman has to do is advise him that she is not interested for whatever reason, "but thanks anyway." It's the cordial thing to do. It's like ordering a Sonic burger - the employee asks if you want mustard or mayo, and you give your preference. They don't get mad because you're a mayonnaise guy and he's a mustard man.
When this student can respond with "no, thank you" and see it as a flattering gesture, even though he is not interested, then homosexuals can truly live with the same liberties held by heterosexual people. Until then, we still have Ahmadinejads in our midst. Granted, most are not so fanatical. That being said, as a gay man, I thank God that I am an American and not an Iranian. God bless America.
Richard Garcia
UNM student
