Sedef Çakmak

Is society ready for homosexuals?

Source: Çiçek Tahaoğlu, “Toplum Eşcinsellere Hazır mı?” (“Is society ready for homosexuals?”) bianet.org, 16 January 2014, http://www.bianet.org/bianet/siyaset/152847-toplum-escinsellere-hazir-mi

                                      

“Sooner or later, a faggot will be president. Let’s give up resisting this progress.” “Society was ready for heterosexual politicians, look what happened!” “There is no division between society and homosexuals.”

LGBTI people have never been this visible in local elections before! Six LGBTI pre-candidates from Istanbul alone took action to be involved in the city councils of different political parties.

Okan Bayülgen once asked the mayor of Ankara, Melih Gökçek: “When will we have a homosexual mayor in Turkey?” He received the answer, “Never, I hope. There should not be one.”

LGBTI visibility in politics has always been discussed with arguments such as “Is society ready for homosexuals?”

bianet asked the pre-candidates: “Is society ready for homosexuals?”

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LGBTI Pre-Candidates Run For Municipal Assemblies

Source: “LGBTI Pre-Candidates Run For Municipal Assemblies,” bianet, 15 January 2014, http://www.bianet.org/english/gender/152845-lgbti-pre-candidates-run-for-municipal-assemblies

bianet interviewed various pre-candidates of the upcoming municipal elections with LGBTI background who raised their voices to have their say on their surroundings.

As the municipal elections are approaching, discussion focus on various party municipal assembly pre-candidates, men and women, from various parts of the country. bianet interviewed various pre-candidates of the upcoming municipal elections with LGBTI background who raised their voices to have their say on their surroundings.
bianet asked the following question: “How will your pre-candidacy affect/ contribute the policies of municipal assemblies of your electoral districts?

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SPoD and Representatives of the LGBT Political Representation and Participation Platform Visited the CHP Leader

Source: “SPoD ve LGBT Siyasi Temsil ve Katılım Platformu Temsilcileri CHP Genel Başkanını Ziyaret Etti,” (SPoD and Representatives of the LGBT Political Representation and Participation Platform Visited the CHP Leader,”) 21 November 2013, http://www.SPoD.org.tr/turkce/SPoD-lgbt-ve-lgbt-siyasi-temsil-ve-katilim-platformu-temsilcileri-chp-genel-baskani-kemal-kilicdaroglunu-ziyaret-etti/

Following the Local Administrations Political School for LGBTs that ran between 11 and 17 November 2013, the Social Policies, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association (SPoD) continue their work to increase the political participation of LGBTs and visit political parties. Following the meetings with the politicians of the Democratic Party of the People (HDP) in the HDP extraordinary congress in October, the SPoD and the representatives of LGBT Political Representation and Participation Platform met with the Republican People’s Party (CHP).

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Avcılar-Meis Housing Complex: Violation of the Right to Housing

Source: Sosyal Politikalar, Cinsiyet Kimliği ve Cinsel Yönelim Çalışmaları Derneği. (Social Policies, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation Studies Association) LGBT Hak İhlalleri: Emsal Dava Analizleri (The Rights Violations Against LGBT People: Selected Case Analyses.) Istanbul: Punto Baskı Çözümleri, 2013. Available at: http://www.spod.org.tr/turkce/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/emsal-dava-analizleri-son1.pdf

Subject of Investigation

Action for annulment of the administrative act with a stay motion at the Administrative Court and implementation and whether these procedures have been conducted according to the law and justice.

Scope of Investigation

Küçükçekmece Public Prosecutor’s Office Investigation File No: 2012/38854 and Istanbul Eighth Administrative Court action for annulment of the administrative act with a stay motion File No: 2012/2027

Procedures of Investigation

The suspect Hürriyet Aydın, who settled in Avcılar Meis Housing Complex after the seven prior complainants, began the provocation and was joined by many people in behaviors that led to harassment, provocation, and violence towards seven clients who had been living in the complex for many years. This behavior got more violent with time and was presented to the public by some media agencies leading to events that would further provoke the public and constitute a hate crime.

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