Is Istanbul Gay Friendly? - Guid Istanbul Tours

Contents:

• THE MAGIC (AND GAY TURKS) OF ISTANBUL!
• GAY & LGBTİ+ FRIENDLY CLUBS ISTANBUL 2023
• GAY ISTANBUL ISTANBUL CY GUI
• IS SAFE FOR A GAY MAN TO VIS TURKEY ON HIS OWN? - ISTANBUL FOM
• IS ISTANBUL GAY FRIENDLY?
• TIPS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELERS ISTANBUL
• TURKEY: PORTUGUE TOURIST SAYS HE WAS JAILED FOR LOOKG GAY
• I’M 43 – BUT I’M MA TO FEEL LIKE A DOSR BY YOUNGER GAY MEN
• JAGS' MAXEN IS FIRST MALE AMERIN PRO SPORTS ACH TO E OUT AS GAY
• KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY
• ISTANBUL GAY MAP
• IS ISTANBUL GAY IENDLY? - ISTANBUL FOM
• THE BT GAY IENDLY HAMMAM ISTANBUL - ISTANBUL FOM

THE MAGIC (AND GAY TURKS) OF ISTANBUL!

In tradnal Ottoman practice, the termology of “gay” and “straight” was largely absence om disurse, as explaed by scholar Serkan Görkemli. There, zenn equently perform (whout a sexual element) for straight-intified male dienc says filmmaker Mehmet Bay, whose 2012 feature Zenne Dancer explor the iendship between an Istanbul zenne dancer, a German photographer, and a gay “bear” om the nservative Urfa provce. Back when Bay and his llaborator Caner Alper started rearchg zenne 2006, they saw as a “vanishg culture” – found only ral areas and a few unrground gay clubs Istanbul.

Even among Istanbul's sizable gay muny, for whom zenne dancg might have particular ronance, “people would rather watch drag shows or go-go boys. But the past half-, zenne dancg Istanbul has gone mastream: bolstered by the media attentn paid to Bay and Alper's film as well as the succs of gay crossover clubs like Chanta: which ter their zenne shows to a largely heterosexual, female clientele.

GAY & LGBTİ+ FRIENDLY CLUBS ISTANBUL 2023

When he was 15 or 16, a iend enuraged him to start dancg publicly, but the only work he uld fd was a seedy gay nightclub Istanbul's Aksaray district. Like many gay Turkish men, Segah found a gree of eedom Istanbul – wh s active, out gay muny – that do not necsarily exist outsi the cy.

While the Turkish ernment do not crimalize homosexualy – nor do provi LGBT dividuals wh any formal protectn om discrimatn – cultural attus toward homosexualy are largely negative; acrdg to a 2011 poll nducted as part of the World Valu Survey, a full 84 percent of Turks intified gays and lbians among their least sirable neighbors. And although Istanbul particular has beg creasgly welg to gays – Istanbul's annual Gay Pri para is the largt any majory-Mlim untry -- the risg thread of Islamism the Turkish ernment is slowg progrs for LGBT rights. In 2013, Turkey’s prime mister at the time, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, cricizg the adoptn of a Turko-Dutch boy by a Dutch lbian uple, publicly lled homosexualy a “sexual preference, which is ntrary to the culture of Islam.

GAY ISTANBUL ISTANBUL CY GUI

The Turkish ary's approach to homosexualy reflects this cultural ambivalence. Out gay men are nsired exempt om mandatory ary service on the grounds of mental illns.

IS SAFE FOR A GAY MAN TO VIS TURKEY ON HIS OWN? - ISTANBUL FOM

In practice, they are often forced to provi gradg pornographic imag of themselv or be subject to a rectal examatn to “prove” their homosexualy. “They realize [that I'm gay]”, he says but 's not somethg they ever openly talk about.

He rells only once beg heckled wh slurs by a homophobic dience member.

Gay Rights.

IS ISTANBUL GAY FRIENDLY?

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.

TIPS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELERS ISTANBUL

The age of nsent for homosexual sex is 18, the same as for heterosexual sex.

TURKEY: PORTUGUE TOURIST SAYS HE WAS JAILED FOR LOOKG GAY

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.

I’M 43 – BUT I’M MA TO FEEL LIKE A DOSR BY YOUNGER GAY MEN

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. 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. The ma gay district is around Taksim where there are plenty of gay clubs, bars, and rtrants. Trendy Beyoğlu is also at the foreont of liberal enclav, and gay travelers will feel pletely fortable hangg around there.

JAGS' MAXEN IS FIRST MALE AMERIN PRO SPORTS ACH TO E OUT AS GAY

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. In fact, the current climate, snas and hamams will actively avoid beg labeled as ‘gay-iendly, ’ so is better jt to enjoy the as cultural experienc unls you are wh someone the know.

KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY

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.

We also have a handy list of gay travel hook up apps you uld try….

ISTANBUL GAY MAP

Compared to almost everywhere else the Middle East (Tel Aviv asi), Istanbul is one of the most liberal ci gay travelers n vis. There will fely be opportuni for partyg and fun, as well as seeg the glori the cy has to offer; the gay scene feels like a muny. Overt displays of affectn will be unwele (for gay and straight upl), and some areas might be better to avoid.

IS ISTANBUL GAY IENDLY? - ISTANBUL FOM

Tek Yön is Istanbul’s most well-known gay club, and s clientele are a ltle more diverse than the younger hip typ at Sahika Teras.

THE BT GAY IENDLY HAMMAM ISTANBUL - ISTANBUL FOM

The mic Tek Yön isn’t as good eher, but ’s a good place to go if you want to get a good cross sectn of Istanbul’s gay muni. There are also other gay clubs such as Cheeky, Love, SuperFabric and others, but I prefer the mood elsewhere.

I’ll be producg daily vio blogs om there as a rrponnt for In the meantime, let me tell you about the younger men Istanbul look gay. All the Gay Turks (left), staffg their booths, llg out hey sir!