Arsham Parsi

#ArshamParsi (September 30, 1981 – ): Parsi is an Iranian #LGBTQIA rights activist currently living in exile in #Canada. Born and raised in #Iran, where homosexuality is punishable is illegal and carries a maximum penalty of execution (though this is rarely the punishment given for the “crime”), Parsi found himself isolated as a gay teenager and began volunteering for undergeround LGBTQIA rights groups in Iran. He would assist doctors working with HIV patients, as well as answer emails for a suicide watch group. By 2005, Parsi was found out by the police and fled to Turkey, living there for 13 months before finally fleeing to Canada. In 2008, piecing together various LGBTQIA organizations he had been volunteering for throughout his life, he helped found the #InternationalRailroadForQueerRefugees, a group that assists LGBTQIA Iranians find safe havens within and outside of Iran, based in Toronto. He has been featured in many documentaries on the subject of LGBTQIA Iranians and continues his advocacy in hopes of extended legal protections and safety for LGBTQIA individuals around the world. His autobiography, #ExiledForLove, was published in 2015. In 2018, he was found liable for the defamation of #ShadiAmin, for activities on an anonymous website (which claimed Parsi was in no way responsible for their activities). Parsi claimed of the lawsuit that it was a small price to pay for the safety of LGBTQ+ Iranians. #PrideMonth #LGBTQIA #LGBTQIAPride #Pride #LegendsOfPride #YouCannotEraseUs