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Arsham Parsi has two birthdays: one when he was born in Iran, and the other when he arrived in Canada on May 10, 2006. Growing up in Iran was not easy for him. Early in his childhood, he recognized that he was "different." When he realized during his teenage years that he was attracted to other men, his life became even more complicated.


"I’m from Iran, and I’m gay. Back then, I thought I was the only person on the planet with these feelings. I thought I was a sinner and that something was wrong with me. I felt very alone with my feelings and didn’t know what they were until I was able to access the internet, where I found others like me.

"Years ago, after I left Iran but before I came out as gay to my family, my mom asked me why I was helping with gay rights. “There are lots of causes you can be an activist for,” she said. It was a big question for them." - Arsham Parsi 

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