Friday 10 April 2009

Turkey: LGBT Pride week and march, Pink Istanbul, homophobia and transphobia

1. LGBT Pride Week in Turkey in June
The 17th Gay Pride Week will take place in Turkey from 22 to 28 June. The Hormone Tomatoes anti-homophobia (anti-transphobia) awards will be presented, and a Gay Pride March will take place in Istanbul.

A survey to find this years recipients for the Hormone Tomatoes awards. is being carried out by the Lambda Istanbul organisation. In previous years, institutions like the Turkish Armed Forces, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) and the Vakit newspaper, as well as individuals from show business, politics, and journalism have been nominated.
(Bianet)

2. “Pink Istanbul” event against homophobia and transphobia (Istanbul, 4 April)
The Pink Amsterdam event which was organised previously to draw attention to homophobia and transphobia in Amsterdam and Istanbul came to Istanbul for the first time. There was a conference and a night of music with DJs and musicians.

(Bianet)

3. "Attacks and murders in Eskisehir, Bursa and Edirne in Turkey" (statement by LGBTT Rights Platform, a collective of LGBT groups in Turkey)

A transsexual woman was attacked and beaten in Eskisehir. A transsexual woman was found her head cut in Bursa. A man has been killed by his friend on the claim that he asked for sexual intercourse.
(Transgenders in Armenia)

4 comments:

artmika said...

Violence against LGBT people continues in Turkey. Bianet reports that yet another transgender murdered in Turkey.

Transgender Melek Murdered in Ankara

Friends of murdered transgender and Pink Life LGBT support Association Melek K. (25) protest mounting violence and attacks in recent months. Melek was murdered on 10 April, at her home in Ankara, Kavaklıdere.

As the group light candles in front of her house, Pink Life member Buse Kılıçkaya stated, "they will gather here every Friday until the murderers are brought to justice."

"Authorities consociate by failing to fulfill their duties. As long as the mentality which fails to find the murderers, awards them with unlawful reductions in sentences reigns, no one would believe that these murders are singular incidents."

Activists demand legal and practical precautions to protect hate crimes.

Lawyer Senem Doğanoğlu reminds that violence towards transvestites and transsexuals are on the rise since the murder of Dilek İnce on 10 November last year. "An attack in every three days and a murder in every 15 days are reported" said Doğanoğlu. She blames the rise on the polarization of the society and notes that "LGBT individuals are the first to suffer from social violence."

artmika said...

Transsexual Melek’s killer arrested. Overall, ten murders of LGBT people in Turkey since November 2008

Details...

artmika said...

Turkey MP Questions Government on LGBT Murders.

DTP MP Akın Birdal files a query for PM Erdoğan. He asks if the government plans to amend the constitution to include a clause for equality for LGBT individuals."Does your government plans to amend the Article 10 of the constitution as to include LGBT individuals?"

Democratic Society Party (DTP) MP Akın Birdal files a query for PM Erdoğan at the parliament demanding an explanation to mounting number of attacks against gay and transgender citizens in recent months.

Birdal criticizes the silence of the government on the incidents and notes that without a dedicated department on hate crimes within the Police, it's impossible to fully investigate the motive behind those murders and attacks.

Birdal's other questions outlined at the query are as follows:

How many attacks were committed against LGBT individuals during the last year?

Is there any efforts to introduce and define hate crimes at the Penal Code?

Do you plan to amend Article 122 of the Penal Code in order to avoid discrimination against LGBT individuals?

artmika said...

Turkish court granted Lambda Istanbul LGBT NGO permission to continue operating, but uphold previously set discriminatory condition.

Lambda Istanbul granted permission to continue operatingand

Court: Lambda Istanbul can continue operating