Iranian Cleric Claims COVID Vaccine 'Turns People Gay'

Now, the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine is essential when it comes to beating this virus...

One of the theories being claimed is that the vaccine "turns people gay."

Safe to say, it has solicited a strong reaction...

Now, we're all aware that 2020 was nothing short of terrible.

A horrific number of people have tragically died from the virus as a result...

And even more alarmingly so, the United States of America is one of the worst affected country in the world.

However, some amazing news was brought to us back in November 2020.

The vaccine that American multinational pharmaceutical corporation, Pfizer and German biotechnology company, BioNTech had been working on for the last few months was finally ready.

Things were looking up!

However, despite the exciting vaccine news...

There are still many people who don't trust it.

Speculation regarding the vaccine has been rife...

Some are even claiming that it has a tracker in it to follow your every move.

And now, one man has claimed that it "turns people gay," causing outrage online...

Ayatollah Abbas Tabrizian made the claims on the messaging platform Telegram, where he has almost 210,000 followers.

As per The Jerusalem Post, Tabrizian, a cleric, took to Telegram to write, "Don't go near those who have had the COVID vaccine. They have become homosexuals."

Despite being a shocking claim, it's one that comes as no surprise as Tabrizian has made many other claims about Western medicine.

Sheina Vojoudi, an Iranian dissident who fled the Islamic Republic of Iran due to repression, spoke to The Jerusalem Post and said, "Like other clerics in the regime, also Tabrizian relates all the shortages [shortcomings] to sexuality. The clerics in Iran are suffering from lack of knowledge and humanity."

LGBTQ+ and human-rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell also added, "Ayatollah Tabrizian combines scientific ignorance with a crude appeal to homophobia."

"He's demonizing both the vaccination program and LGBT+ people without a shred of evidence," he continued.

"By seeking to scare the public into not getting vaccinated against COVID-19, he is fuelling the pandemic and putting lives at risk."

"Typical of many Iranian religious and political leaders, his bizarre, irrational claims scapegoat LGBTs and put theological prejudice before scientific knowledge."

Homosexuality is currently punishable by execution in Iran.

For more on the pandemic, keep scrolling...