The Australian ambassador to Iran has been summoned to offices in the nation’s capital over an Instagram post the embassy shared in support of the LGBTIQ+ community.
Ian McConville was summoned to the foreign ministry office in Tehran, Iran’s capital, after the official consular Instagram posted a photo and message for Wear It Purple Day, Iran news agency ILNA reports.
Wear It Purple is an annual awareness day which aims to support the LGBTIQ+ community in Australia.
State media in Iran, where same-sex relations are illegal, said the post was “norm-breaking” and “promoted sexuality”.
ILNA quoted McConville as saying the post was not intended to insult the Iranian people and their Islamic values.
He also noted the Islamic Republic was not mentioned in the post, ILNA reports.
The post, originally written in Farsi, remains live on the Australia In Iran embassy Instagram page.
“Celebrating “Wear it Purple Day” with a splash of purple in every corner, and some delicious cupcakes made with love 💜,” the post reads.
“Today, and every day, we’re dedicated to creating a supportive environment, where everyone, especially LGBTQIA+ youth, can feel proud to be themselves.
“Let’s keep championing diversity and inclusion for a brighter, more inclusive future.”
Some of the commenters commended the embassy for its message of support for LGBTIQ+ people in Iran.
Mehr news agency in Tehran, which is a semi-official government agency, reports the director of the Regional Department at the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs “strongly condemned” the post.
“The content published by the Australian embassy is insulting and contrary to Iranian and Islamic tradition, customs and culture,” the diplomat said, Mehr reports.
McConville was appointed ambassador to Iran in April.
LGBTIQ+ communities in Iran have long protested the country’s laws on homosexuality.
Iranian law considers same-sex relations as a crime and it carries the maximum penalty of death.
