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.
Contents:
- TURKEY LGBT: POLICE E FORCE TO BREAK UP GAY PRI RALLY ISTANBUL
- TURKISH GAY PRI MARCH DRAWS THOANDS
- TURKEY: ISTANBUL GAY PRI MARCH BANNED OVER 'SECURY' NCERN
- ISTANBUL GAY PRI ACTIVISTS STAGE ANNUAL RALLY FIANCE OF BAN
- TURKEY GAY PRI PARA MARCH DRAWS THOANDS ISTANBUL
TURKEY LGBT: POLICE E FORCE TO BREAK UP GAY PRI RALLY ISTANBUL
* turkey and gay pride *
From Istanbul to Izmir, thoands of Turkish activists took to the streets prott to memorate lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) Pri month June. In March 2021, after the ernment received wispread domtic and ternatnal cricism for whdrawg om the Council of Europe Conventn on Preventg and Combattg Vlence agast Women and Domtic Vlence (known as the Istanbul Conventn), officials rpond wh an anti-LGBT statement and clared that they whdrew om the nventn bee is beg hijacked by groups to normalize homosexualy. Homophobic ernment statements like the have reverberatg effects the public sphere, where LGBT rights groups have documented a dramatic rise anti-LGBT rhetoric the news.
On Thursday, a majory of European Unn lears vowed to ntue batg discrimatn agast the LGBTI muny a jot letter amid a standoff wh Hungary, whose parliament last week approved a bill that bans the distributn of material schools emed to promote homosexualy or genr change. This is a siar suatn to gay right Indonia and Malaysia and shows no signs of lettg up.
Unfortunately, this is havg a very real and visible effect on LGBT rights Turkey that gay travelers to the area should take to acunt when planng a trip.
TURKISH GAY PRI MARCH DRAWS THOANDS
Istanbul's lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr (LGBT) pri march will go ahead on Sunday even though the ernorship of the Turkish cy banned cg secury ncerns, the anizers of the event said on Friday. * turkey and gay pride *
Unlike many Mlim untri, Turkey do not technilly outlaw homosexualy. In fact, same-sex sexual activy was legalized the Ottoman Empire 1858 and homosexualy has been legal sce 1923 when morn Turkey was found. Addnally, homosexuals are banned om ary service.
This is spe the efforts of some opposn parti who have attempted to troduce bills that would allow gay and transgenr people legal protectn. Although homosexualy is technilly legal, life as a member of the LGBT muny Turkey n be extremely challengg.
A report published by Human Rights Watch 2008 showed how gay and transgenr muni face a threat of vlence and discrimatn on a daily basis. No person thory wish to speak out support of the gay muny.
TURKEY: ISTANBUL GAY PRI MARCH BANNED OVER 'SECURY' NCERN
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. * turkey and gay pride *
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.
So What Do This Mean For Travelers In Gay Turkey?
ISTANBUL GAY PRI ACTIVISTS STAGE ANNUAL RALLY FIANCE OF BAN
The thori Turkey's biggt cy, Istanbul, ban a gay pri march planned for 26 June, cg "secury and public orr" ncerns. * turkey and gay pride *
Public displays of affectn between heterosexual upl are owned upon as well, so any travelers would be advised to be discrete, not jt gay travelers. Generally speakg, gay travelers should feel fortable gog all over the untry and not let any fear lim their adventur. The ma gay district there is around Taksim and Beyoğlu is also an extremely forward-thkg area.
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.
Gay travelers the untrysi should take extra re to be discreet.
TURKEY GAY PRI PARA MARCH DRAWS THOANDS ISTANBUL
Gay upl or sgle gay travelers hopg to meet people should not experience any issu if they are booked ternatnal, upsle hotels.
Serviced apartments or Airbnb are also acmodatn optns that will save gay travelers havg to n the gntlet of a 24-hour receptn. Asi om the glori, gay travelers will have to go to specific areas to fd anythg like a gay scene.
As outled above, Istanbul or the beach rorts are the bt plac for gay travelers to go to if they’re lookg to party all night. There is also a range of hamams, but they are equented by everyone bee they are such a tradnal Turkish experience, so gay travelers should not assume they are specifilly gay foced.