RTUK has issued a 13,600 TL (5,440 USD) fine to the Moviemax Premier channel that broadcasted the movie “The Normal Heart” about the HIV epidemic in 1980s.

Source: “RTÜK’ten “Normal Kalp” filmine ahlâksızlık cezası!”, (“Immorality penalty to the movie “Normal Heart” from RTUK”), kaosGL.org, 4 February 2015, http://kaosgl.org/sayfa.php?id=18635

The Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTUK) issued a 13.600 TL fine to Moviemax Premier channel broadcasting via Digiturk for featuring the Emmy awarded movie “The Normal Heart” using an “+18” smart sign and screening the film after 01:00 am.

RTUK: Media Sponsor of “public morality”!

RTUK’s expert report, which considers this movie as “damaging society’s sense of shame and forcing the limits of public morality”, contains the following statements:

“In the film, two men appear kissing lip to lip and nude. Clips of the love and sexual life of gay men, who are hardly accepted in the social living space, are displayed on screen and are considered cases of damaging society’s sense of shame and forcing the limits of public morality.”

Actors such as Julia Roberts, Mark Ruffalo and Matt Bomer star in the movie adapted from the play with the same name. The movie presents a campaign started against the HIV epidemic that didn’t attract any media attention initially since it was thought that it only affected gay men. The New York Times shared news concerning the epidemic in 1981 with the headline “Rare Cancer Seen In 41 Homosexuals“. The movie “The Normal Heart” draws attention to the fact that information unshared due to social prejudices prevents access to the right to health.

RTUK’s homophobia continues at full throttle in 2015

RTUK issued a fine of 12,353 TL (5370 USD)  in the new year to Genç Tv (Youth TV) because two women are seen kissing in the musical video “One More”, and issued a warning to PowerTV because of the “passionate touching” in the musical video “Don’t Stop The Party”.

RTUK had also fined the Channel MGM for showing the movie “Illegal in Blue” for the appearance of a lesbian relationship with an amount of 12,353 TL (5370 USD).

RTUK wants to deceive children with delivery stork fairy tales

RTUK’s intolerant attitude towards sexual knowledge might also affect the Planet Child channel broadcasting over satellite and other digital platforms. RTUK wanted to fine the channel for including words like “pregnant, sperm, ovulation, sex” in the animated cartoon “Titeuf”. Expert reports state that sexual matters are not appropriate for children.