The Gist

U.K. To Iranian Gays: Drop Dead

We've spent a good amount of time on the show talking about the many terrible things that happen to gays and lesbians who live in Iran. So, it's surprising (and upsetting) to hear a British official arguing that some gay Iranians seeking asylym in the UK should be deported back to Iran and claiming that it's okay to live there as long as you're "discreet:"

in her letter to Lord Roberts of Llandudno, [British Home Secretary Jacqui] Smith rejected a call for an immediate halt to the deportation of gay and lesbian asylum seekers. "We recognise that the conditions for gay and lesbian people in Iran – and many other countries – are such that some individuals are able to demonstrate a need for international protection," she wrote. "We do not, however, accept that we should make the presumption that each and every asylum-seeker who presents themselves as being of a particular nationality or sexuality, regardless of their particular circumstances, should automatically be ... allowed to remain in the UK.

She added: "With particular regard to Iran, current case law handed down by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal concludes that the evidence does not show a real risk of discovery of, or adverse action against gay and lesbian people who are discreet about their sexual orientation."

First, what evidence is Smith looking at? Last we heard the Iranian government was pretty fond of hanging gays, but might also be open to other options like stoning to death. Maybe Smith is simply agreeing with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that in Iran, they don't have gay people.