The crease the number of visible gay and trans people is sometim treated as a cursy or a e for ncern by crics, but ’s not a surprise. It’s normal.
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‘WE’RE AGAST LGBT’: ERDOğAN TARGETS GAY AND TRANS PEOPLE AHEAD OF CRIL TURKISH ELECTN
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 lgbt trans *
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. The Legal Suatn In Gay Turkey. Homosexualy is not illegal Turkey: between adults, same-sex sexual activy was ma legal the Ottoman Empire 1858, and sce morn Turkey’s foundatn 1923 has always been legal.
The age of nsent for homosexual sex is 18, the same as for heterosexual sex.
It is not illegal to be gay or trans Turkey, but acceptance is not easily achieved. Nil Köksal speaks wh lears the untry's LGBT muny about their fight. * istanbul lgbt trans *
However, there are some rather ambiguo bans the crimal on “offens agast public moraly” which n be terpreted agast LGBT people and homosexuals are banned om ary service. 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.
Dpe homosexualy beg legal, life as a member of the LGBT muny Turkey and Istanbul n be extremely challengg. A report published by Human Rights Watch 2008 outled the daily threat of vlence and discrimatn faced by gay and transgenr people, wh sufficient reactn om police and the thori.
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.
Activists vowed to march Istanbul's Taksim Square spe ernor's ban on gay pri observanc for third year a row * istanbul lgbt trans *
So What Do This Mean For Gay Travelers? Generally speakg LGBT rights Istanbul are fairly well-tablished and is a very gay-iendly cy, although most of the gay life happens doors or at night.
* istanbul lgbt trans *
Gay travelers should be discrete, but as public (and daytime! For the most part, gay travelers should feel fortable venturg all over the cy and not let any fear lim their adventur.