Social Stigma, Homosexuality and Transsexuality in the Islamic

In Iran, gay male sex carries the death penalty, but hundreds of people are having their sex changed legally, bolstered by the blessings of members of the ruling Shiite clergy. Iran remains a conservative society, laced by harsh judgments and strict mores. A few clerical decrees is unlikely to change their social attitudes towards these stigmatized groups. Before the Islamic Revolution in 1979, there was no particular policy regarding transsexuals. Iranians with the inclination, means and connections could obtain the necessary medical treatment and new identity documents. To obtain legal permission for sex-change operations and new birth certificates, applicants must provide medical proof of gender-identity disorder. There are now several clinics staffed by psychiatrists and clinical psychologists who are authorized to provide a clinical assessment of the patients requesting a sex change operation. The objective of this study is to examine social stigma as experienced by homosexuals and transsexuals attending a sex clinic in Tehran, Iran. The clinicians in this clinic are co-investigators in this research. To our knowledge this is the first study of its kind among this population. We have currently recruited and interviewed 30 of the total 50 homosexuals and transsexuals for this study using two structured survey instruments. The survey instruments include basic socio-demographic measures, mental health status, sexual history and scales to measure social stigma. Data collection and analysis will be completed by Sep 2007.