LGBTI+ communities across Turkey came together to mark November 20, the Transgender Day of Remembrance. Turkey currently ranks 48 among 49 countries in ILGA’s Rainbow Index and the Penal Code of the country still has no law defining hate speech or hate crime. With rampant impunity in the cases of violence against trans individuals, as well as LGBTI+ individuals and women, activists continue to demand recognition of transphobia as a political issue. Here is a summary of the events organized in different parts of the country:
İZMİR
The İzmir November 20 Platform gathered on the streets in the central district of Alsancak, with a candle lit poster reading: “The scales of justice weighted with transphobia take the lives of trans people. The perpetrators are all people and structures that maintain the cis-hetero-patriarchal system!”
Photo: Kaos GL
İSTANBUL
For Transgender Day of Remembrance on 20 November and World Children’s Rights Day, Bosphorus University Women’s Research Club (BÜKAK) along with Campus 404 and CİTÖK (Comittee to Prevent Sexual Harassment) held a screening of the documentary “My Child” which was accompanied with talks from the film’s director Can Candan, trans rights activist Doğukan Karahan and LADEG+ founder Sema Yakar.
Photo: BÜKAK Twitter Page
Across the districts of Şişli and Kadıköy the CHP municipalities put up posters designed by Aslı Alpar with the trans flag and reading, “Alışın, buradayız” (Get used to it, we are here) or “Bir arada, buradayız” (We are together, we are here).
Photo: KadirKaraasu’s twitter page
The weekend was dedicated to November 20, with a wide array of events organized by Pink Life LGBTI+ Solidarity Association in İstanbul. This year’s programme centered around the struggle against Trans Exclusive Radical Feminism (TERF) as LGBTI+ communities in Turkey witnessed an online debate initiated by a group of trans exclusive feminist academics. The programme also included panels on the struggle of intersex individuals for human rights, transfeminism, visibility of trans individuals within the LGBTI+ movement, and current conditions of trans sex workers. On Saturday night, the “Dilek İnce Award for Struggle Against Hate Crimes” award ceremony took place and the award went to trans activist Aligül Arıkan who lost his life in 2013. His friends accepted the award on his behalf. Pink Life Association had opened a library in his memory earlier this week. The night continued with a party against TERF’s. On Sunday night, the community came together to commemorate Devran Çağlar.
Photo: November 20 Transgender Day of Remembrance Schedule,Pink Life LGBTI+ Solidarity Association website
ESKİŞEHİR
Eskişehir Anadolu LGBTİ+ announced a declaration on November 20, calling for resistance to hatred. The declaration was signed by Anadolu LGBTI+ Trans Studies Commission, Cosmos Gender Studies Workshop, Democratic Women Movement, Eskişehir School, Women’s Defence Network, Özgür Genç Kadın, Tepebaşı Youth Assembly, University Students Women Collective, Yaşam Bellek Özgürlük Derneği.
ANKARA
ODTÜ LGBTI+, LGBTI+ student collective of Middle Eastern Technical University, came together to commemorate Esra Ateş, Hande Kader, Simge Sezer, Gökçe Saygı and all of the unknown victims of transphobia.
Photo: ODTÜ LGBTI+ Solidarity official twitter account
Dersim (Tunceli)
Women Assemblies of Dersim Municipality put up posters against violence against trans individuals on billboards around the city to mark November 20. The municipality posters read “Long live life, against hate! November 20 Transgender Day of Remembrance”.
Photo: Kaos GL
Antalya
Human Rights Association (İHD) Antalya Branch and BİZ Antalya (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Research Association) went out on the streets with the slogan “Long live life, against hate!”. After their press statement, the group went on to call out names of victims of transphobia, followed by the slogan “We won’t forget!”
Photo: Gazete Patika
Kocaeli
Activists against transphobia organized a meeting in Kocaeli, demanding recognition of trans murders as a hate crime.
Photo: Gazete Patika