Homosexuality in Iran

I was reading in the New York Times about the Iranian Prime Minister and his denial of gay people existing in Iran. The Iranian government prohibits homosexuality and can punish this by death. Here is an article that I found describing the deaths of 2 gay Iranian teenagers. I can’t believe that a government would be so horrible to innocent human beings. In the article, many Iranian homosexuals are interviewed. Its interesting to read about them and how hidden they keep their sexual preference. Most don’t even admit it to their families in fear of being shunned. Many homosexuals marry into a heterosexual relationship in order to cover their true identity. The law against homosexuality comes from Koran, which states homosexuality as a sin. The law is very harsh, and strict. It even mentions in the article, that if men dress to femininely, they can be arrested. The police are on the look out for homosexuals and are treated as criminals. I also find it interesting that they encourage sex changes. Transsexuals are seen as being sick as if diseased, but are allowed in the Iranian society. But because of the religion, homosexuality is prohibited. Authority figures have tried to ban different websites dealing with homosexuality, but because of the ease of the Internet, new sites are created daily that allow Iranian homosexuals to meet others. I just can’t believe that in such modern times people need to hide their true feelings towards other human beings. Its even worse that how one person feels can be punishable by the law so harshly.