"Barbaric laws aside, there's no reason..."

ahmadinejad's denial that gays exist in iran reminded me of this darkly funny bit in my iranian guidebook¹:

Gay & Lesbian Travelers

There are gays and lesbians in Iran, just as there are everywhere else in the world. Unlike most other places, homosexuality is not only illegal, but punishable by hundreds of lashes and even death (although foreigners would probably be deported instead). Barbaric laws aside, there is no reason why gay and lesbian travelers shouldn't visit Iran...

(it then goes on to talk about how easy it is to travel as a same sex pair as long as you avoid any public displays of affection, and that finding the indiginous iranian gay community is pretty tough.)

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1- hey if i get a post out of it, i can tell myself that the book wasn't a total waste of money.