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Being gay in Turkey

July 2, 2016

The LGBT community in Turkey faces constant harassment. In late June the authorities banned the annual Gay Pride parade. Gay rights activist Görkem defied the ban and took to the streets with his friends.

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Türkei Istanbul Teilnehmer der verbotenen Schwulen und Lesben Parade
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Suna

Being gay in Turkey

The LGBT community in Turkey faces constant harassment - by right-wing radicals, religious fundamentalists and basically anyone opposed to a liberal society. That appears to include the government. Even though homosexuality is not a crime in Turkey (unlike in a number of other Muslim countries), the authorities tend to curtail the rights of the LGBT community. The most recent example of this was the ban on the annual Gay Pride parade in late June. The official reason was that the timing of the parade during Ramadan would offend conservative Muslims, while the governor of Istanbul also cited security concerns. The police were instructed to do whatever necessary to prevent the event taking place. Gay rights activist Görkem Ulumeriç and his friends refused to be cowed by the threat of violence and even arrest. They believe the LGBT community in Turkey has a right to be seen and heard. Did they suceed in celebrating gay pride despite the ban?