The former theocratic dictator of Iran defended the execution of gay people in Iran:
As an expert of Islamic sciences I tell you that capital punishment is accepted in Islam, but it has conditions that are so stringent that executions should almost never happen. If in fact they are happening in Islamic countries it is because, if it happens excessively in Islamic countries it is a problem of bringing those religious rulings into practice ...
In regards to the issue of gay people as well as the issue of adultery, the conditions that are required for capital punishment are so strict that it is virtually impossible to meet ... Of course this is my opinion and a lot of people don't accept my opinion, but I was asked for my opinion so this is what I believe ... In many Islamic countries homosexual relationships as well as non-consensual heterosexual relationships have been punishable ... There are also others, there are others in the world that have similar views namely important sects of Christianity ... So yes you are correct homosexual activity is a crime in Islam ... And crimes are punishable ... The fact that could crimes be punished by execution is debatable ... And that we must differentiate between punishment and violence."
Just so we know who we're dealing with. I graduated from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. I'm appalled they would give a platform to an Islamist theocrat like Khatami.