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.
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IN TURKEY, ’S NOT A CRIME TO BE GAY. BUT LGBT ACTIVISTS SEE A RISG THREAT.
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. * gay rights istanbul *
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. 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. 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.
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. * gay rights istanbul *
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. 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.
* gay rights istanbul *
For the most part, gay travelers should feel fortable venturg all over the cy and not let any fear lim their adventur. The ma gay district is around Taksim where there are plenty of gay clubs, bars, and rtrants.
Print Recep Tayyip Erdogan vilified gay people durg his re-electn mpaign, llg them a threat to society and rallyg nservativ agast them. It has left people feelg threatened, and alone. * gay rights istanbul *
Trendy Beyoğlu is also at the foreont of liberal enclav, and gay travelers will feel pletely fortable hangg around there. As wh most plac the world, gay upl or sgle gay travelers hopg to meet people should not n to any problems if stayg ternatnal, upsle hotels. Otherwise, Istanbul offers a range of queer-iendly hotels and hostels, maly the areas mentned above – the gay quarter of Taksim, or Beyoğlu.
Asi om the wealth of historic and cultural sights, there is a relatively thrivg gay scene Istanbul wh plenty of bars, clubs, f, and rtrants to choose om.
Daytime activi would maly be the top attractns; ’s at night that the gay scene Istanbul tly alive. In most clubs LGBT people will be wele; there are also plenty of gay clubs wh a specifilly LGBT foc. There is also a range of hamams, but as a tradnal Turkish experience they are equented by everyone, so travelers should not assume they are specifilly gay foced.