Girish Mahajan (Editor)

LGBT history in Turkey

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
LGBT history in Turkey

This article is about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) history in Turkey.

Contents

Ottoman Empire

During the Ottoman Empire, homosexuality was decriminalized in 1858 as part of wider reforms during the Tanzimat.

19th century

  • 1858 – The Ottoman Empire (predecessor of Turkey) decriminalizes homosexuality.

    • 20th century

  • 1993 - Lambda Istanbul is founded.
  • 1994 - KAOS GL (Ankara) is founded.
  • 1994 - ÖDP bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity within the party. Demet Demir of the ÖDP becomes the first transgender candidate to run for political office in Turkish history.
  • 1996 - LEGATO is formed.
  • 1997 - In April, Lambda Istanbul becomes the first Turkish LGBT NGO to be invited by the government to a government conference, namely the National Congress on AIDS; Hamam, a Turkish film featuring a gay romance, is released internationally and broadcast on state television.

    • 21st century

  • 2003 - The first ever gay pride parade in a predominately-Muslim country is held in Istanbul, Turkey. 30 people are in attendance.
  • 2008 - 26-year-old Ahmet Yildiz is shot and killed by his father in Turkey's first gay-targeted honor killing.
  • 2008 - Gay pride is first observed in Ankara.
  • 2010 - Çukurova Homosexuals Initiative is founded with members from Adana, Mersin and Antakya.
  • 2013 - First pride parade in Izmir and in Antalya
  • 2014 - The 2014 Pride march is considered as the biggest until now, with more than 100.000 participants. And turned out to be one of the biggest LGBT Pride march ever in Southeastern Europe. Politicians of the biggest opposition party, CHP and another opposition party, BDP also lent their support to the demonstration.
  • 2015 - For the first time, Turkish authorities banned the annual Gay pride parade. The police used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons against the marchers.
  • 2016 - The Pride march was banned by the authorities.

    • References

    LGBT history in Turkey Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA