lambda1-300x206Los Angeles (United States): A study on same sex desire and transsexuality in contemporary Iran has been shortlisted for the 26th annual Lambda Literary Awards.

“Professing Selves: Transsexuality and Same-Sex Desire in Contemporary Iran” is the book by Afsaneh Najmabadi and published Dukeby  University Press, the Lambda Literary Foundation said.

The book is a significant study because Iran legally allows gender reassignment surgeries but homosexuality and gay sex is punished with the death death penalty.

The awards are given out to LGBT authors in a variety of categories ranging from serious nonfiction to science fiction gay poetry to lesbian erotica to LGBT graphic novels.

They were started in 1989 by Deacon Maccubbin. The Los Angeles-based organization, whose mission is to “nurture, celebrate and preserve” LGBT literature, received 746 submissions from 352 publishers for this year’s awards, known as Lammys. Submissions came from established publishers, academic presses, new LGBT-focused publishers and self-published authors, the wehoville.com reported.

“Today is a day to celebrate the richness of our literature and to give hearty congratulations to our outstanding shortlisted authors and their publishers,” said LLF Executive Director Tony Valenzuela. “The deep commitment to advance our community’s literature by our highly qualified volunteer judges who read and deliberate on the submitted books – and often anguish over the selection of finalists – make the Lammys possible.”

Nearly 200 works in 24 categories were chosen by more than 90 literary professionals, including booksellers, book reviewers, librarians, writers and previous Lammy winners and finalists.

Source: wehoville.com