Soma

LGBTI rights are trade union rights!

Unionists from eight countries and representatives from LGBTI organizations met in Ankara this weekend for the Kaos GL symposium.

Source: Ömer Akpınar, “LGBTI rights are trade union rights!”, kaosGL.org, 16 December 2014, http://www.kaosgl.com/page.php?id=18255

The 3rd Symposium Against Discrimination that was organized by Kaos GL Association spread the message that “LGBTI rights are trade union rights!”

Activists joined in the budget protest on Saturday, mobilized by the Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions (DISK) and the Confederation of Public Workers’ Union (KESK), asking for a “budget for people, rather than palaces.”

20141213_101526

“LGBTI people are subjected to self-censorship at workplace”

The 3rd Symposium against Discrimination was opened by Ulrike Lunacek, co-president of the European Parliament’s Intergroup on LGBTI rights, via a video message.

Lunacek emphasized that the European Union’s chapters 23 and 24 should be opened in accession negotiations with Turkey, which focus on judiciary and fundamental rights, and justice, freedom and security.

Stating that laws are not enough to tackle discrimination, Lunacek stressed that LGBTI people are subjected to self-censorship in the workplace.

“How come a police officer can be fired based on his sexual orientation in 2014 in Turkey?” asked Lunacek, pointing at the importance of heterosexual allies in the fight for LGBTI equality. Below are some highlights from the sessions of the symposium.

(more…)

A social selfie as reflected in Seda Sayan

Source: Birgül Demirtaş, “Seda Sayan aynasında sosyal selfie, (“A social selfie as reflected in Seda Sayan,”) Birgün, September 14, 2014,  http://www.birgun.net/news/view/seda-sayan-aynasinda-toplumsal-selfie/5467

Seda Sayan drew significant and rightfully widespread anger by hosting Sefer Çalınak, who murdered his two spouses, on her TV show and by presenting and advertising him as a killer with a smile[1]. However, we should approach this not as an individual issue but as part of the social hysteria that we live in. To treat the events as a case of calculated social hysteria that worships power and authority and that believes whoever holds power will provide us with clues about the bigger picture.

Indeed, the case of the police officer who took selfies[2] while a civilian was attempting suicide on the Bosphorus bridge on September 1st2 is directly related to the Seda Sayan phenomenon. Both [incidents] involve actors who are inured to death and who try to find fame and reputation even in an atmosphere of death. To try to get higher ratings while normalizing women’s murders by men is quite equivalent to the situation of the police officer who tried to increase his popularity by advertising to the world that he was witnessing a suicide.

(more…)

“What Would Be Different If A Gay was Slapped There?”

Source: Çiçek Tahaoğlu, “Tokat Yiyen İbne Olsaydı Ne Değişecekti?” (“What Would Be Different If A Gay Man Was Slapped?”) Bianet. org, 27 May 2014, http://bianet.org/bianet/lgbti/155961-tokat-yiyen-ibne-olsaydi-ne-degisecekti?bia_source=newsletter

The mashup photo of Taner Kurucan, a Soma resident who was allegedly slapped by PM Erdoğan during his visit, and Yasin Keskin, an LGBTI activist holding a banner “Even if we are gay,” went viral online. Bianet interviewed Yasin Keskin as the mainstream media articles and comments covertly legitimized the violence against him as he was gay.

Yasin Keskin, the real owner of the photo taken at Gay Pride, filed a criminal complaint to the Antalya Prosecutor’s Office in order to determine the distributors of the photo and to prevent further publication of the images. The criminal complaint has been submitted to the İstanbul Prosecutor’s Office.

“The comments under the released photo on social media include threats and hateful phrases.  I’m 29 years old and have spent 29 years under the oppression and violence of society against homosexual people. I have been exposed to violence many times during my struggle and now I am scared of going to Istanbul, even of going out,” LGBTI activist Keskin told Bianet.

“When I went to the courthouse, people said that they saw the photo. People that I don’t know have sent messages on social media. If anyone recognizes me while walking on the street, I could be exposed to a lynching attempt. We are living in a country in which homophobic and transgender murders occur frequently,” he added.

38zoX0

 

(more…)

LGBTI people march against Hate Crimes and Worker Deaths

Source: Yıldız Tar, “LGBTI’ler Nefret ve İş Cinayetlerine Karşı Yürüdü,” (“LGBTI people march against Hate Crimes and Worker Deaths,”) bianet.org, May 18, 2014, http://www.bianet.org/kadin/lgbti/155764-lgbti-ler-nefret-ve-is-cinayetlerine-karsi-yurudu

The ninth Anti-homophobia Meeting organized by Kaos GL concluded with a march against homophobia, transphobia, hate and workplace murders.* Thousands joined the march dedicated to the hundreds of workers who were killed in the Soma Mine. Signs such as “Soma: We know the Murderers” and “Either we will be emancipated together; or we will rot together” were carried at the protest that began at the Ankara University’s Cebeci campus.

510

Those who joined the protest included representatives of LGBTI organizations from Ankara, Istanbul, Mersin, Adana, Diyarbakır, Kars, Dersim, Malatya, Antalya, İzmir, Eskişehir and Antep as well as representatives from HDK (the Democratic People’s Congress), ESP (The Socialist Party of the Oppressed), SYKP (the Socialist Reconstitution Party), SDP (the Socialist Democracy Party), SGD (Socialist Youth Associations) and ÖGK (Free Young Woman). LÖB (High School Students Union) and IHD (Human Rights Association) were present with their uniforms. And the red flag finally reached out for the rainbow.

(more…)

Are you the one booing? First he was slapped by the PM, then they said he was GAY

Source: Haluk Temel, “Are you the one booing? First he was slapped, then they said he was GAY”, (“Sen misin yuh çeken: Hem tokadı yedi hem de GAY oldu”), Radikal Blog, 18 May 2014, http://blog.radikal.com.tr/Sayfa/sen-misin-yuh-ceken-hem-tokadi-yedi-hem-de-gay-oldu-60183

Two days ago in my blog I wrote that the real catastrophe would involve what we would go through after the blast. I still think so.

Yes, it is true that a massive catastrophe took place under that mine [Soma].

But what about the things that happened above the mine? Were those normal? Kicks, slaps, declarations such as “do not push your politics through the dead”, which were only followed by more politics.

Let us accept the fact that what we have witnessed in the past four days have been as saddening as what happened inside the mine, in terms of social significance. How sad is it that we are split even during a moment of disaster!

All of us are, to some extent, able to vocalize our thoughts and feelings in relation to this accident and the more than 300 hundred people who died. But what about the ugliness that ensued? Are we fully capable of expressing our thoughts on those? No. Even as you try to collect the sentences you are about to form, you experience strain in the creases of your brain. You are unable to form sentences. Because it is harder to talk about a humanity that is dead – or on the verge of dying – than it is to talk about dead bodies!

You may find it easier to comprehend what I am saying when I explain below the last deeds of those who accused us of “involving politics in the matter” when we criticized the prime minister’s slap and his adviser’s kicks.

That group’s most recent accomplishment was to declare that the citizen slapped by the prime minister is “GAY.” They came up with fake photos and spread this news online. One of the people involved in this disgusting scheme is not just a layperson. He is the CEO of ANAR, the main social research company that serves the AK Party, İbrahim Uslu. The infamous puppets of AK Party set out to denigrate the young man who was slapped by the prime minister. For this, they found an image on Google, made a sloppy modification to it and made him look like he was “gay.” The puppets engaged in this deceit in order to motivate supporters of the AK Party. The CEO of ANAR, İbrahim Uslu, offered his support by sharing the photo online. When Uslu saw the fake photo, he added a flashy caption that read, “See who the person is who claims that the prime minister slapped him? Pay attention to the logo on the microphone. They are now in a position to need these people’s help” and he shared the photo on Twitter. He thought he was pleasing the crowds as he did this. Perhaps he wanted to appear to be the man who provided a sneak peak backstage. Who knows?

38zoX0

Tweet by ANAR Research CEO Ibrahim Uslu: “Look who the man who claimed that the Prime Minister slapped him? Look at the logo on the microphone! [referring to TV channel Kanal D owned by Aydın Doğan] They are now in need of these people’s help.”  

Headline reads: “The man who claims that the Prime Minister punched him: Both Taksim and Soma?”

The banner on the left reads: “Even if we are gay,” a widespread slogan for Turkey’s LGBTI community. 

(more…)