Panic and anxiety gripped members of Turkey's lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and queer muni when several thoand monstrators marched Istanbul last weekend to mand a ban on what they nsir gay propaganda and to outlaw LGBTQ anizatns.
Contents:
- ISTANBUL: A GAY-FRIENDLY DTATN TURKEY
- EVERYTHG YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BEG GAY MLIM UNTRI
- IN TURKEY, ’S NOT A CRIME TO BE GAY. BUT LGBT ACTIVISTS SEE A RISG THREAT.
- IS ISTANBUL GAY FRIENDLY? 2023 TRAVEL GUI & TIPS
ISTANBUL: A GAY-FRIENDLY DTATN TURKEY
The official fictn, Brian Whaker explas, is that gay people don’t exist the Middle East. They do – and for many of them, attus of fay and society are a bigger problem than fear of beg persecuted * istanbul gay laws *
However, ’s important to remember that Istanbul is pal of an Islamic untry; for all s liberal aspects, Turkey is chg s way closer to Middle Eastern valu daily, and this is havg a knock-on effect on LGBT rights Istanbul that gay travelers to the area should take to nsiratn.
EVERYTHG YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BEG GAY MLIM UNTRI
Turkish police attacked and arrted hundreds at the Istanbul Pri March last weekend, a sweepg display of vlence and discrimatn agast lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) people, as well as journalists attemptg to report on the June 26 event. The number of arrts 2022 is three-tim more than the arrts durg the prev seven Istanbul Pri march bed. Thirty-four of those arrted were youth, acrdg to Kaos GL, a Turkish LGBT rights group. * istanbul gay laws *
Currently, there are no anti-discrimatn laws Turkey that protect LGBT people om discrimatn the public sphere or employment, although opposn parti have tried to troduce bills providg legal protectn for gay and transgenr people. The social suatn for members of the gay muny is better smopolan Istanbul than ral areas but whether or not people feel fortable g out to their fay and iends is extremely ntext-pennt and still pos a number of risks.
Istanbul has a fairly thrivg gay scene, wh pulsg dance floors, gay bars, and hamams; but many lols who participate are livg a double life, beg unable to be open wh their fai or at work for fear of the negative impact uld have on their future. The shift towards nservatism Turkey as a whole do not bo well, but Istanbul’s long-tablished liberal character uld hold firm agast a risg ti of anti-gay feelg and hopefully ph that ti back. Gettg to know people is one of the bt thgs about travelg and that’s particularly important a place like Istanbul, where the gay scene is not always ‘ your face.’ Headg to Taksim or Beyoğlu to start a night out a gay bar is a good way to get chattg to lols and then plan your night om there.
IN TURKEY, ’S NOT A CRIME TO BE GAY. BUT LGBT ACTIVISTS SEE A RISG THREAT.
From Istanbul to Izmir, thoands of Turkish activists took to the streets prott to memorate lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) Pri month June. Turkish thori rpond wh a seri of attacks agast LGBT rights activists, lawyers, and journalists; Kaos GL, a Turkish LGBT rights group, reported that the ernment banned 10 LGBT-related events and taed over 530 people jt 37 days. * istanbul gay laws *
The social suatn for members of the gay muny is better smopolan Istanbul than ral areas, where honor killgs still occur; but whether or not people feel fortable g out to their fay and iends pletely pends on their own ntext and would still mean a number of risks.
Istanbul and some of the most tourist-iendly areas, such as Bodm, have a fairly thrivg gay scene, wh pulsg dance floors, gay bars, and hamams; but many lols who are volved the gays scene by night are livg a different life by day, as they are not able to be open wh their fay or iends, and certaly not at work, where they uld worry about the impact would have on their future.
IS ISTANBUL GAY FRIENDLY? 2023 TRAVEL GUI & TIPS
* istanbul gay laws *
Even Ankara and Izmir, Turkey’s pal and most Wtern-leang cy rpectively, don’t have anythg that close to beg scribed as a ‘gay scene’, so while they’re tertg plac to vis, gay travelers shouldn’t expect a party. On 13 September 2018, was reported that the Turkish Rad and Televisn Supreme Council (RTUK) fed cy of Bursa Broadster AS TV 17, 000 Turkish liras for showg mic vio ”Secrets” by Pk – that featured ”erotic dance figur of a homosexual nature” – durg hours when children and young people uld watch and be negatively fluenced [R1.
On 24 November 2017, the Beyoglu district ernor’s office reportedly banned a one-day ftival that had been set to showse short films on gay issu on Saturday, claimg the event would not be allowed to take place, a bid to ”protect public orr and safety, others’ rights and eedoms, and to prevent crime” [R2. On 19 November 2017, was reported that the Ankara ernor’s office had banned all events by lbian, gay, bisexual, trans and tersex rights groups s pal cy to protect ”public secury” for an ”fe” perd wh effect om 18 November [R2.