The Ayatollah’s Gaze

Growing up gay in Iran, where homosexuality flourishes against all odds

‘Powerfully eye-opening’ Attitude Magazine

The dawn prayer calls echo through the streets. As many make their way to mosques, for some it signals the end of another illegal gay party. Under the cover of darkness, smiles on lips and sweat on foreheads, the gays of Tehran blend back into daily life. Hidden in plain sight, they plan when and where they will meet again.

In an unparalleled true story, Majid Parsa recounts how a childhood of war, prayer and obedience was upended by a teenage sexual awakening and, ultimately, pride. He lifts the heavy veil of persecution to reveal the fabulous and flamboyant gay scene right at the heart of the Islamic Republic of Iran, flourishing under the ever-present shadow of the Grand Ayatollah and morality police.

Eye-opening and at times laugh-out-loud funny, The Ayatollah’s Gaze is a story of self-discovery in a country where sharia is the law.

‘Reveals a hidden life of music, parties and love – daring to exist where it’s outlawed’ Daily Telegraph

‘When I wasn’t laughing with the cast of larger-than-life characters, I was crying and shaking my head in sadness and disbelief . . . an important story for our times, and a testament to how we can find joy in even the bleakest of circumstances’ Iqbal Hussain, author of Northern Boy

Hardback

Published: Wilton Square (November 2025)

ISBN: 9781915584465