‘Not just the Straits, but also the gays in Hormuz’: Strange comments from ‘No King’ protesters go viral | World News

On March 29, 2026, “No King” protests swept the United States and parts of Western Europe, attracting thousands of people to oppose President Trump’s foreign policy, especially the escalation of tensions with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz. Organizers define it as a movement for democracy, peace and civil rights. Presumably, for someone, it is all of these things. For street interviewer Lionel, known online as No Cap On God (@Nocapongod_), it’s also an opportunity to ask some very simple questions. The answer that followed was shared by everyone from regular Twitter users to Ted Cruz.

from ‘Homosexuals in Hormuz‘Iran supports LGBT’ claim: Wild comment goes viral

On the face of it, Lionel’s opening strategy was ridiculous. He approached a protester and asked if it was “a little homophobic” that the world’s attention was focused on the Strait of Hormuz instead of gay people in Hormuz.Protesters immediately agreed. Completely. Without hesitation.“Yes, I agree. Yes, of course,” she said, before launching into a thoughtful explanation that “historically, gay people have been severely discriminated against, and that’s wrong on so many levels. Even in war.”To be clear: Homosexuals do not exist in Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz is a truly important waterway, through which approximately 20% of the world’s oil supplies pass. It has been at the center of U.S.-Iran tensions for months. There are no gays in Hormuz. They were not treated unfairly. They are a pun.Protesters did not appear to consider this possibility. Instead, she called for government reforms and public education to address this fictitious crisis and address real geopolitical issues with the same conviction.Impressively, Lionel kept a straight face throughout. Whether the same is true for the Strait of Hormuz is less certain.If the first protester set the tone, a male ally who identified himself as straight upped the ante significantly.After learning of the plight of homosexuals in Hormuz (which was not true), he declared that he was constitutionally and morally obligated to take action.“I’m a man of integrity. I’m an ally, man,” he said, with the serious tone of someone who has announced his intention to run for office. “They are going to the Strait of Hormuz, but they are not willing to protect the gay people in Hormuz. That’s not cool. “At one point during the interview, a small group began chanting: “Free the gays in Hormuz! Gays will refuse to allow themselves to be left behind!”The slogan was apparently spontaneous. This is obviously sincere. Apparently, no one involved thought to ask where exactly the gays in Hormuz were, what they needed to get rid of, or whether they had been consulted about it.The ally also offered to suggest that the region “will definitely turn into an island of fire,” a suggestion that hints at a level of urban planning optimism rare in Middle Eastern foreign policy discussions.

People at anti-war protests call Iran a feminist paradise

Lionel then turned his attention to a man waving an Iranian flag and asked him what he thought of the United States’ complicated relationship with Tehran.“I think America hates them because Iran is so feminist,” the man explained.One companion enthusiastically agreed, adding, “There’s no place like Iran,” which is America, where women can drive, vote, be seen in public without a mandatory dress code, and seek legal recourse without the permission of a male guardian.In contrast, Iran is currently one of the most restrictive countries on the planet regarding women’s rights. The country has seen years of protests by Iranian women demanding basic freedoms, often met with brutal repression. The Women, Life, Freedom movement that emerged after the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022 remains one of the most important feminist uprisings of modern times. None of this appears to be the message protesters are encountering.The conversation didn’t stop there.When Lionel asked about LGBT rights in Iran, a nearby protester said Ayatollah Khamenei was “very pro-LGBT” and there was even internal discussion about the next supreme leader being a “homosexual.”Background: Homosexuality is illegal in Iran and punishable by death. The Islamic Republic has executed individuals for same-sex relationships. As far as anyone knows, the Ayatollah has not expressed pro-LGBT sentiments. No one fought back. No one checked the facts. Lionel just moved on to the next question.

Guillotine part (non-violent part)

Perhaps the most structurally interesting part of the interview was when Lionel asked a particularly energetic protester what he thought should happen to his political opponents.Protesters have ideas.Donald Trump will be the first, he said. Stephen Miller was second. However, the guillotine should be intentionally blunted before use so that the miller can “warm up.” Ivanka Trump was mentioned. Eric Trump was mentioned. Melania Trump received partial probation with unspecified conditions. Discussions about who would use what blade specifications in what order went on for a surprisingly long time, culminating with the protester affirming without irony that he believed in nonviolence.“Yes,” he said when asked directly.It is worth noting that in most philosophical traditions, calling for someone to be executed by guillotine and believing in nonviolence are considered mutually exclusive positions. This protester seems to have found a way to hold both at the same time, which is either a remarkable feat of cognitive flexibility or a sign that the issue has not been adequately addressed.Lionel did not point this out. He thanked the man and moved on.

Venezuela, Cuba and China Fan Club

Elsewhere at the protests, a series of separate conversations about preferred systems of government were taking place, notably all taking place at an event in a country that allows such conversations to take place freely in public.One protester said she admired China’s political system because Chinese citizens enjoy health care, housing and education. When Lionel asked her if she was willing to sacrifice some democracy for these interests, she responded that the United States was not very democratic anymore, pointing to the arrests of activists as proof.She then simultaneously mentions that she is a lesbian and would not date a capitalist. These two facts are connected only by proximity, but together they paint a portrait of a person with very clear values, and one who seems comfortable narrowing her dating pool significantly.Another protester defended Cuba and Venezuela, arguing that if socialism was destined to fail, the United States should allow these countries to fail naturally. Without apparent self-awareness, he noted that he worked for a company and had recently spent $16 on a salad at Sweetgreen. His proposed solution: The government should simply serve salads.Depending on your economic politics, this is either a radical reimagining of the welfare state or a very expensive way to lunch.

Complications in Venezuela

The protests, which Lionel seemed to navigate with the practiced ease of a man who is no longer surprised by anything, also included a group of Venezuelan demonstrators who were there to protest the Maduro regime, a stance that brought them into direct conflict with nearby communist contingents.One protester declared, “Those Venezuelans are traitors,” while real Venezuelans demonstrated just meters away, demanding the liberation of their country from a government the protester seemed to admire.The irony of calling people traitors for opposing an authoritarian government that oppresses them while attending a protest against authoritarianism was not remarked upon by anyone present.Lionel moved on.

What does this actually tell us?

Frankly, it’s easy, and tempting, to view this video purely as comedy. Objectively speaking, this is very interesting. The Hymn of the Homosexuals of Hormuz is itself a piece of accidental performance art that no satirist could have scripted.But there is definitely something worth studying behind it.These are not fringe characters. They were ordinary people who showed up, presumably with good intentions, to protest something they felt strongly about. The problem is that “feeling strongly” and “knowing what you’re talking about” are completely different things. Protesters who can’t find the Strait of Hormuz on a map are passionate about foreign policy. Protesters who believe Iran is a feminist utopia are marching for women’s rights. Protesters who called for the guillotine confirmed their belief in nonviolence.This disconnect is not unique to one side of the political spectrum. Street interviews conducted at any major protest, of any ideological stripe, will tend to yield a certain percentage of people who are more concerned with the energy of the movement than with its specific details. What makes Lionel’s footage so worth sharing is the unique style of false confidence it displays, the complete absence of doubt, even while agreeing that a fictional waterway is oppressed.Ted Cruz shared this video. Britt Hume called similar shots “priceless.” The right flexes its muscles.

Lionel and the Art of Silence

What makes No Cap On God’s interview style particularly effective, and particularly damaging, is what he doesn’t do.He doesn’t argue. He doesn’t correct. He didn’t giggle visibly, and he didn’t editorialize. He simply asks the next question in the same flat, sincere tone, creating a space for people to confidently fill the silence with whatever they believe to be true. In its own way, it’s a masterclass in letting a subject reveal itself exactly on its own terms.Hormuz’s gay bits work not because Lionel has set a trap, but because there is no need for a trap. He made a ridiculous point, and his interviewees took it sincerely, elaborated on it, chanted it, and pledged to support it.At the same time, the Strait of Hormuz remains a real geopolitical flashpoint with real consequences for global oil supplies, regional stability and the lives of people, including LGBT people living under an Iranian government that some protesters describe as progressive.Homosexuals in Hormuz could not be reached for comment.They don’t exist.