THE AYATOLLAH'S GAZE: A Memoir of the Forbidden and the Fabulous, spoiled brat tells his story...it has a MAJOR warning in it

THE AYATOLLAH'S GAZE: A Memoir of the Forbidden and the Fabulous
MAJID PARSA
Neem Tree Press (non-affiliate Amazon link)
$22.95 hardcover, available now

Rating: 3* of five

The Publisher Says: An unflinching exploration of what it means to be gay in a society where homosexuality is punishable by death.

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.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: I flinched. Hard.

This privileged git takes insanely unnecessary risks in a country where he is not the only one who will suffer for them. If it was just him, knock yourself out; it's his family, too, and we are not talking about mere social ostracization as a penalty.

So no, "Majid" you pseudonymous twit, I didn't laugh because I was worried for your family. You don't seem to have bothered to, so I felt the need to point it out.

What makes this read one I don't just want to bury and forget is the clear and present danger represented by the jesus nuts and incels who want to enact the same kind of repressions on US gay men and the entire QUILTBAG community. This is why I suggest reading a sample to ee if you vibe with the style, because it's on Amazon only.

I'm repulsed by the kind of world the christofascist white nationalist people want. Look at what it drives decent people to do simply in order to exist. Then tell me if the forces of oppression and repression do not merit your active resistance.