European Commission

The term “Gender Identity” cannot be removed from the “Commission for Equality and Fighting Against Discrimination’s Draft Statute”

Source: Kaos GL, “Ayrımcılıkla Mücadele ve Eşitlik Kurulu Kanun Tasarısı Taslağı’ndan “Cinsel Kimlik” İbaresi Çıkartılamaz!”, (“The term “Gender Identity” cannot be removed from the “Commission for Equality and Fighting Against Discrimination’s Draft Statute,”) 2 February 2012, http://www.kaosgldernegi.org/etkinlikdetay.php?id=7248

We have just learned that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) removed the term “gender identity” from the Commission for Equality and Fighting Against Discrimination’s Draft Statute.

We, the LGBT Associations who work on human rights for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans (LGBT) people in Turkey, demand the re-inclusion of the term “gender identity” to the draft statute of the Commission for Equality and Fighting Against Discrimination.

Removing the term “gender identity” from the draft statute, prepared in order to protect citizens against discrimination, is to legitimize the discrimination and human rights violations committed against LGBT people. The removal of “gender identity” shows us once again that the homophobic approach of the State Minister Aliye Kavaf who stated that “homosexuality is an illness,” reflects the AKP government’s politics.

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Discrimination Continues, The Government Violates EU Acquis!

Source: Ali Erol, “Ayrımcılık Devam Ediyor, Hükümet AB Müktesabatına Uymuyor!” (“Discrimination Continues, The Government Violates EU Acquis!”) Kaos GL, 10 October 2012, http://www.kaosgl.com/sayfa.php?id=12476

The European Commission released the Annual Progress Report on Turkey today, stating that LGBT people continue to be subjected to discrimination on the grounds of gender identity and sexual orientation.

In the chapter covering Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans people; the Progress Report underlines the exclusion of the “sexual identity” category from the Draft Bill of the Anti-discrimination and Equality Council. The Report states that the planned bill is not compatible with EU acquis and emphasizes that the discrimination continues.

The main points of the European Commission 2012 Progress Report on Turkey that calls for the Turkish government to protect LGBT people from discrimination and violence are as follows:

The Anti-discrimination and Equality Council must abide by EU acquis

“An anti-discrimination law which would include the provision of founding an anti-discrimination and equality council is still missing. A bill was presented to the Parliament but the Parliament Committee excluded the regulation, which provides the prevention of discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation. The existing legal framework is not on the same level as the EU acquis and discrimination continues against individuals belonging to sexual, ethnic and religious minorities.”

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