#behesht

A song from the great artist Googoosh, written by Navid Akhavan, about love (with a video depicting a lesbian couple).

This Iranian Pop Star Is Breaking New Ground By Breaking Islamic Gay Taboos

You might not have heard of award-winning Iranian performer Googoosh. But her latest music video is causing a storm in the conservative Muslim country - and all because of its depiction of a lesbian love story. 

The video for 'Behesht' follows a woman whose partner's identity is obscured until the end of the promo. While the couple celebrate their engagement by laughing and dancing, they are also accosted by a group of men on the subway and are met with hostility by the leading lady's father. It is only at the very end of the clip, when the couple attend a Valentine's Day concert performed by Googoosh, that they are revealed to be two women. 

Googoosh's own story is full of twists and turns and may suggest good reason why she has chosen to speak out in support of the LGBT community. Born in Iran's capital Tehran in 1950, the singer's voice was silenced by the Iranian Islamic Revolution of 1979, which prohibited women from performing in public. But despite her music being banned by the state, she stayed in her home country until she was granted a visa to travel abroad and thus kick-started her musical career.

Since then, she has experienced something of a renaissance, as fans old and new discover her music. The supposed 'controversy' behind the video for 'Behesht' (which means 'Heaven' or 'Paradise') may seem slight by modern Western standards, but in the Middle East such expressions of same-sex love and affection can be punishable by imprisonment or even death. Which is why this video is all the more remarkable. Googoosh is essentially standing up not just for a minority, but for a group who don't even have the right to express themselves, much like she didn't in those 21 years of artistic gagging. The move is gutsy and unprecedented - not just because of the storm that's swept in as a result, but because Googoosh also risks dividing her fan base. 

Azer.com compares Googoosh's popularity in Iran to the likes of Elvis and The Beatles in the 60s and 70s. With that kind of public reach, surely the video's message will help sway some opinions, even if it doesn't fully change their minds. It's not Googoosh's responsibility to continue the debate, but what she has done is start a conversation through her music and shone a light on the homophobia deeply rooted in traditional Islamic culture as a result.

LGBT Iranians may have just found themselves a new icon. 

You can buy Googoosh's music on iTunes and learn more about her on her Facebook page. 

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