The Iranian government has recently issued a statement that media outlets must not refer to homosexuality as “homosexuality” — instead, they must refer to it as “sexual deviation.” According to the statement, which was issued by the Ministry of Culture, media outlets must avoid “promoting homosexuality and lesbianism,” noting that doing so could “damage society, especially the young generation.” As such, terms like “sexual deviations” must be used to refer to homosexuality in order to “respect public decency, values and climate.” It is unclear if this ban will extend to other countries in the Middle East, or if it’s limited to Iran.
