I didn’t want to talk about it later. I knew myself; I knew that I would hide behind later.

It was like, I don’t know, I was in control and not in control at the same time. Like an invisible hook was pulling me into this new place where I didn’t want to be quiet. Not anymore. Not for one second longer.

Interrogation Room 38

Roya Azadi

IT WAS SO public. People were sleeping. But Amir, he was insistent. His hands were shaking. He was saying, “No, not later. Now.”

I said, “Amir, please. Sit down and we will talk about this when we are home.”

Interrogation Room 38

Soraya

THAT’S WHEN AMIR said, “The whole reason I left home was because I was afraid to have this conversation. I’m not afraid anymore.”

Interrogation Room 39

Afshin Azadi

THE OTHER PASSENGERS were staring. I wanted my family to be safe, and I knew how it must have looked for us to be raising our voices on an airplane. And so I tried comforting Amir. I tried rubbing his arm—

Interrogation Room 38

Roya Azadi

AMIR KNOCKED HIS arm back.

Interrogation Room 37

Amir

IT WAS A REFLEX, I think. I could tell my dad was just trying to keep the peace, put on a happy face. It didn’t feel genuine.

Interrogation Room 38

Roya Azadi

YOU HAD MENTIONED someone who said they saw my husband and son get “violent” with each other. They were not violent. But it was enough for a woman in the row in front of us, a young white woman in a magenta athletic sweater, to get up and interfere. She got between Amir and my husband.

Interrogation Room 38

Soraya

MY DAD AND that woman got into an argument. She was really pushing his buttons, and I could see he was trying to control his temper. Other people started to turn around and watch.

At one point my dad said something about Amir I really didn’t like—I’m not going to repeat it—and that was when I got involved. I told Dad if he said that again, I wouldn’t speak to him for the rest of my life. I’m pretty sure he was going to shut up after that, but that was when the flight attendants came and we got in trouble.

Interrogation Room 39

Afshin Azadi

THE WOMAN WAS yelling at me. She was calling me backward. She said some very unkind things about my religion. I tried my best to stay calm, to ask her to please not interfere, because it was a family matter, and we would prefer to deal with our problems in private. But then the woman said—

Interrogation Room 37

Amir

“YOU THINK IT’S a problem that he’s gay?” She yelled this really loudly. Then Soraya started screaming at my dad. I guess maybe she actually believed he had said that, even though he hadn’t. The woman had twisted his words. He definitely didn’t say that. But it was too late.