Fun Fast Facts
- Homosexuality legalised in 1858 as part of the Ottoman Empire (Tanzimat).
- Pride had 30 people in 2003, and more than 10,000 last year. First in Muslim majority country.
- Currently, three Muslim couples are demanding back children who were adopted in Europe via same-sex adoption.
- In 2009, a football referee came out as homosexual and was banned from refereeing football matches.
- In 2008, a Turkish student was killed in the first publicised gay honour killing.
LGBT-friendly organisation: KAOS GL
- LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) rights organisation founded in 1994.
- The organisation has been publishing the journal KAOS GL (now a quarterly publication) since its founding.
- Organised the first annual LGBT march in Ankara on May 2008.
- Advocate for human rights.
- Assist LGBT refugees re-settle.
LGBT-friendly organisation: Lambda Istanbul
- LGBTQ solidarity.
- initiated a project to protect and strengthen the rights of LGBT people in prison.
- Found in 1993, operates on a principal of non-violence.
- Member of ILGA (International Lesbian and Gay Association).
- Promote gay awareness about AIDS and sexual health event.
W3JOY interviewed: Nevin Öztop, from KAOS GL
Regarding the Turkish government attempting to revoke some-sex adoption in the Netherlands:
The Turkish media makes it looks like this lesbian couple in the Netherlands took over this child without the permission of the parents, and that is how the Turkish media is trying to manipulate this situation.
We don’t know what the parents did [to hurt their child], but there is much manipulation in the media regarding that.
Our Prime Minister is going to another country and trying to ruin the lives of gay and lesbians outside of our country.
In the end, human rights was forgotten on the table.
On gay life in Turkey:
Turkey holds on of the highest numbers of hate crimes in the European Council each year.
Laws are being used to punish the LGBT community, like the public morality, like obscenity, like jeopardising the peace…these articles can be used easily to punish LGBT people.
We focus on the economy and wartime, we don’t focus on the lives of women and LGBT. Socially speaking, it’s a complete taboo.
On discrimination in the workplace:
Someone can be fired from their workplace if their employer decides they are going against LGBT morality.
When the law was drafted, we entered the words ‘sexual identity’, but the government removed that.
The anti-discrimination bill is not the only one that refuses to mention LGBTs, also the Constitution…
The law that protects foreign people living in Turkey….it used to include LGBT peoples and now it doesn’t.
Published on: Apr 30, 2013 @ 2:57
W3JOY interviewed: Alice Aslan, Author of Islamophobia in Australia
Right now there are no discrimination laws, I think they are trying to push for the laws which recognise homosexuals and also laws against discrimination.
We are aware that Muslim homosexuals, they don’t have rights and they need support. We are also aware of the widespread homophobia in Muslim countries.
Society is very conservative, so society is not comfortable with homosexuality in general.
We wanted to challenge stereotypes…we wanted to show that people with Muslim backgrounds can get involved in the Mardi Gras parade to inspire other Muslims to be part of it as well.
I think there is no general education or awareness about what homosexuality means.
By and large, they wouldn’t know what homophobia means.
in the 1990’s it was difficult to hold conferences, but then these organisations became established. I think it’s great that they exist.
We set up an online group for gay and lesbian Muslims…we wanted to inspire young people to feel confident and comfortable about their identity.
Since they are very much prejudiced, they [the police] can find different excuses to discriminate against people with different gender identities.
There is much hope, if people want to change things, I believe they can in Turkey.
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Published on: Aug 21, 2012 @ 9:32
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 38:38 — 35.4MB)