Category Archives: LGBTQ Protests

The New York Times: With a Burst of Color, Turkey’s Public Walkways Become a Focus of Quiet Protest

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In Istanbul, known as the city of seven hills, dozens of public stairways crisscross centuries-old neighborhoods, giving pedestrians a way to avoid heavy car traffic on the streets. Those walkways generally attract little notice, but that changed last week, when a retired forestry engineer decided to paint the Findikli stairs in the central district of Beyoglu in all the colors of [...] → Read the full article…

Al-Monitor: Turkey’s Stairway to A Democratic Heaven

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The crumbling, concrete street stairs in an Istanbul alley have become the latest battleground for the colorful pluralism of society and the “gray” authoritarianism of politicians in Turkey. It was Aug. 26. After a four-day effort and using almost 40 kilograms of paint, Huseyin Cetinel proudly gazed upon his colorful accomplishment. With the help of his son-in-law, Cetinel had managed [...] → Read the full article…

İnsan Haber: LGBT “There is no violence where the state isn’t present”

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Next ‘chapullers’ of the ‘Chapullers Tell the Story of Gezi’series are LGBT individuals… They have been one of the trending topics due to their Gezi slogans and their discourses.  Two of those chapullers, Şehriban and Harun, told insanhaber.com how they have taken their place in Gezi. One of the groundbreaking elements of Gezi Resistance was LGBT individuals.  They put their [...] → Read the full article…

The Daily Beast: Turkey’s Violent Homophobia

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by John Beck Jul 1, 2013 3:48 PM EDT Thousands in Istanbul peacefully celebrated a gay-pride march yesterday, but LGBT individuals in Turkey often face terrible physical danger. John Beck reports on their struggle. For a brief moment, Istanbul’s Taksim Square was transformed yesterday. The riot police, clouds of tear gas, and barricade-building protesters that characterized the past month’s unprecedented unrest were gone. Instead, [...] → Read the full article…

The New York Times: Protests Squelched, Gay Rights March Brings Many in Turkey Back to the Streets

At least 20,000 demonstrators marched in support of better treatment and equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. When the first gay rights parade was organized here in 2003, only a few dozen people dared to take part. But on Sunday, at least 20,000 people joined the march, many of them holding rainbow flags and chanting slogans denouncing [...] → Read the full article…

LGBT – Press Release

LGBT group in Istanbul made a deceleration/ speech at gezi park Istanbul to the demonstrators on June 9th. The signs of the group that are visible read “My child is a homosexual”. The speaker is identified in the video info as “Independent transsexual individual Asya”.  The chanting at the end is the LGBT group together with the audience say “There [...] → Read the full article…

LGBT Organizations in Turkey Participate (and are accepted) in Gezi Park protests

Here is a look at gezi protests from GLAAD, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation:  The article by Hannah Moch from June 7th covers the unification that the different and sometimes rival groups experiences as they are united to protect gezi parki. There are opinions from protestors saying the gezi movement has allowed people from different groups to listen and [...] → Read the full article…