LGBTI Activism

LGBTI rights movement in Turkey

“Propagating anti-LGBTI+ policies is against the principle of secularism”

The Confederation of Public Employees’ Trade Unions (Kamu Emekçileri Sendikaları Konfederasyonu, KESK): “It is not possible to think that hostility towards women’s liberation and LGBTI+ individuals’ existence is separate from the dominant male-oriented, heterosexist viewpoint.”

Source: “Propagating  anti-LGBTI+ policies is against the principle of secularism” (LGBTİ+ düşmanı politikaları ülkenin en kılcal damarlarına kadar taşımak laiklik ilkesine aykırıdır) Kaos GL, 7th of May, 2020 https://www.kaosgl.org/haber/lgbti-dusmani-politikalari-ulkenin-en-kilcal-damarlarina-kadar-tasimak-laiklik-ilkesine-aykiridir?

In relation to the Friday khutbah of the Directorate of Religious Affairs, which pointed out LGBTI+ individuals and people with HIV as the target for hate, the Confederation of Public Employees’ Trade Unions (KESK) Executive Board has issued a statement. The board said: “It is not possible to think that hostility towards women’s liberation and LGBTI+ individuals existence is separate from the mentality which defines women only within the family and through men, seeing interpersonal relations only as the way of breeding and the reproduction of labour power and “nation” which is defined within a nationalist-conservative framework, and the dominant male-oriented, heterosexist viewpoint.”

The full statement of KESK is as follows:

“The statements of Ali Erbaş, the Head of the Directorate of Religious Affairs, targeting homosexuals, people with HIV, and extramarital relations in the Friday khutbah and making them the scapegoat for the pandemic, are clearly disgraceful and hateful towards a certain section of society and points them out as the target for the masses.”

“In the Article 10 of our Constitution, it is regulated that everyone is equal before the law regardless of language, race, colour, gender, political opinion, philosophical belief, religion, sect and similar reasons. The khutbah of the Head of the Directorate of Religious Affairs constitutes a crime of hate and discrimination in the Article 122 of the Criminal Code, as well as a violation of the principle of equality regulated in that article.”

“After the reactions to the crime committed by the Head of the Directorate of Religious Affairs, the point we have reached today has ceased to be only that of a hate crime by a civil servant, but also that the belief principles of a religion have been given more power than the constitution and law. Instead of acting against this crime, which was committed directly by the person holding the title as a head of a government institution, the government also supported the crime with the statement that “any attack towards the Directorate of Religious Affairs is deemed to be made against the state”; and investigations have been initiated against the bar associations whose duties are to protect and promote human rights; the bar associations have been accused of hostility towards Islam and targeted directly by the government. The worst part of this [the government’s] statement is the discourse stating that the state is now a theocratic state and identifying the state with the Directorate of Religious Affairs. This discourse is a clear violation of the principle of secularism protected by the second Article of our Constitution. ”

“The Article 4 of the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey lists the Articles that can not be replaced and about which even an offer to replace cannot be made. One of these articles is “The  Republic  of  Turkey  is  a  democratic, secular and social state governed by rule of law”. Neither the President nor the Head of the Directorate of Religious Affairs, who identify the state with themselves and the religious affairs, is above the Constitution. Every institution and establishment can be criticized and the Directorate of Religious Affairs is not above that. Presenting the criticisms towards the Directorate of Religious Affairs as hostility to Islam is to cover its ideological function, to lead hatred and hostility from a section of society against those who criticize the Directorate, and to cause new Çorum and Maraş massacres.”

“The Directorate of Religious Affairs today is clearly a fatwa institution that works to legitimize the policies of the government; it desires to be free from all kinds of criticism by being sanctified and to wear some kind of immunity armour. The Directorate of Religious Affairs, which is affiliated with the Palace [the government], sees itself above the laws and the constitution and plays an important role in the religionization of all social bonds and relations through the fatwas it gives, just as the President’s orders are seen as laws. ”

“On one hand, the Corona pandemic in Turkey, just like all over the whole world, has increased the effects of the economic crises that we deeply suffer from. Unemployment and poverty have spread, the people have been unable to bring bread home. The right to access healthcare and education has been commodified through the mentality of “receiving service according to your money” due to the marketization of public services. The health and future of the people are in danger due to the fact that they cannot reach these services, and monthly receiving 1168 TL is deemed to be enough for employees who have been forced to take unpaid leave. On the other hand, the Directorate of Religious Affairs violates the rights of the people with its budget of 11,5 billion TL, which exceeds the budgets of the 8 other ministries and several executive institutions. With its luxury spending of 2,6 million TL for luxury cars and 1,8 million TL for the fuels of these cars over the last 3 years and with its donation campaigns promising acceptance into heaven, it works as an ideological tool in order to spread illegal, misogynist, anti-child, and anti-LGBTI+, but pro-capitalist policies and to make these policies be accepted by society without any reaction. 

“How is this happening?

“Through the khutbahs at the mosques by the mufti’s office, saying that strikes are not permissible in the religion and that “any act of decreasing the profit and profitability shall cause the employee to hold a serious religious responsibility”, after the employees were fired because they were members of the labour unions,

By saying that the massacre in Soma was fate and natural and prevented the people to claim their rights,

By obliging the contribution to the donation campaigns under the name of the fight against the pandemic and asking the receipts for the donations to be sent to the mufti offices,

By giving fatwas saying that 9-year-old girls and 12-year-old boys can get married,

By saying that the lust a father feels for his own child is not illicit by the religion, but the shaking hands with women is a sin,

By writing in the Encyclopaedia Islam, which they issued themselves, that stepfathers can have [sexual] relationship with young girls,

By stating that feminism is immorality and recommending women “to look for the wrong in themselves…”

“The Directorate of Religious Affairs functions as an ideological tool for AKP to reshape society with the religious rules of one sect through its giant budget consisting of the taxes collected from the public by violating the Constitution’s Article 136 which determines its duties and responsibilities, as well as the principle of secularism. It is not possible to think that hostility towards women’s liberation and LGBTI+s existence is separate from the mentality which defines women only within the family and through men, seeing interpersonal relations only as the way of breeding and the reproduction of labour power and “nation” which is defined within a nationalist-conservative framework, and the dominant male-oriented, heterosexist viewpoint.”

“The state must be neutral and equidistant to all religions. The ties that make up the society cannot be based on a religious understanding of the sovereignty of a single sect. The ties that make up the society can be defined by a secular and rational standpoint based on equality and the peaceful coexistence of differences. This is the requirement of the principle of secularism, and only in this way can freedom of belief be guaranteed.”

“LGBTI+ individuals exist, women exist; they have the right to live freely, as equal citizens of this society. Being completely distant to science, seeing the pandemic as a divine punishment, and functioning to support AKP’s pro-capitalist policies which are hostile to labour, women, children, and LGBTI+ individuals, to spread them throughout the country, to prevent the reactions about them, and to legitimize them, the Directorate of Religious Affairs violates the principle of secularism and is one of the biggest obstacles to equal citizenship and basic rights and freedoms.”

“We strongly condemn the attacks on Ankara and Diyarbakır Bar associations which have made statements on the government’s attitude clearly violating the principle of secularism, the rule of law, and the independence of the judiciary, which are protected by the Constitution, in order to fulfil the requirements of the secular and social state, to protect and improve human rights and freedoms. We do not accept that the law is being made a threat and an intimidation tool for those who criticize AKP policies and the Palace regime and for those who do not think the same way as the government. The government, which cannot tolerate any view and criticism other than itself, must stop using law as a stick to discipline the organized parts of the society.”

“We call on all the state institutions and administrators, especially the government, to comply with the constitution and international agreements, and to respect the rule of law. We will support the struggle to establish a secular, democratic, rule of law that respects human rights, and will fight against the governing mentality that is based on discrimination, hatred, grudge and enmity among different parts of the society, and which seeks to religionise all social relations.”

“Targeting and investigating organizations that criticize hate speech against LGBTI+ must come to an end”

Here is the press statement Solidarity Network for Human Rights Defenders – Turkey* has written following the homophobic Friday sermon of the Director of Religious Affairs and the prosecution of his critics.  da-03

 

“In days when Turkey and the world is struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, we are experiencing extraordinary times with thousands of people are losing their lives every day. Amid such crisis, the respect for human rights, the work of rights defenders and their existence are of utmost importance in terms of facilitating solidarity among citizens.

The Directorate of Religious Affairs had used discriminatory statements against LGBTI+ and those who are HIV positive during its Friday Sermon on April 24, 2020. The Directorate clearly conducted hate speech and targeted the individuals and groups associated. At a time when society as a whole is under risk of the pandemic, the main duty of the state respecting the rule of law is to protect the rights of all its citizens.

The Directorate of Religious Affairs is targeting a certain sector of the society while violating the Constitution, laws and international conventions that Turkey is signatory to. This is unacceptable. Moreover, targeting and investigating rights organizations that condemn the statements which undermine basic human rights and the rule of law is a clear manifestation of the accelerating pressure and harassment on the civil space in the last couple of years in Turkey. The main precaution should be fighting against hate speech and discrimination, not judicial and administrative harassment against those who remind public institutions of their responsibilities. It is against the rule of law that the branches of judiciary that are defined impartial did not take action after state officials targeted those who criticized these discriminative and hostile statements.

Turkish Constitution’s Article 136 defines the scope of the duty of the Directorate of Religious Affairs clearly. According to this clause; “Directorate of Religious Affairs, within the general governance and under the principles of secularism, carry out its duties defined within the specific law by staying out of all political views and thoughts and by aiming for national solidarity and integration.”

It is clear that the sermon in question does not comply with the abovementioned framework of the Directorate’s duties.

After the sermon on April 24, 2020, it was expected that the Ministry of Religious Affairs would be reminded of the scope of its duty and an investigation would be launched against those who do not comply with it. Instead, an investigation was launched against bar associations, lawyers and citizens who condemned the statement targeting the LGBTI+ with false information and hate speech. This attitude covers up the actual crime and its investigation while providing an environment that encourages hate speech.

Ankara and Diyarbakir Bar Associations condemned the discriminating statement that harbored hate speech. We, the rights defenders, see the investigations launched against Ankara and Diyarbakir Bar Associations for “insulting the religious values of a section of a society” per Turkish Penal Code’s Article 216/3 as a new cycle of increased attacks against human rights defenders.

The Council of Europe’s Istanbul Agreement, which Turkey is a signatory, prohibits discrimination against sexual orientation and sexual identity under its Article 3. Furthermore, the European Court of Human Rights, as the decision-making body of European Convention of Human Rights, has ruled in the past that it prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The raison d’être of human rights organizations is to stand up against the targeting of citizens based on their sexual orientations and against policies and statements that criminalize them and to struggle against these attitudes.

We stand in solidarity with the LGBTI+ organizations and rights defenders that are threatened and face investigations. We demand an immediate halt on targeting the citizens and an end on these unlawful investigations.  We base our demands first and foremost on the Turkish Constitution and on the international agreements that Turkey is a signatory of.

As human rights defenders, we are worried about the social impacts of the above mentioned sermon because we have repeatedly observed how hate speech conducted by state officials transition into hateful practices and moreover into hate crimes which heavily ended with impunity. The tradition of not launching an administrative or judicial investigation against officials making statements with hate speech followed suit after the aforementioned sermon. In the light of impunity and the public concerns, rights organizations shared their statements and criticism with the public and exercised their responsibility of correcting false information dispersed by the state.

The mentality of hatred that identifies a section of the society with sickness will make the struggle against the pandemic unsuccessful and ineffective when we are losing tens of people daily. In addition to the hardship we are going through, in order for the hate speeches to end targeting LGBTI+ rights defenders and organizations, an investigation should be initiated against those individuals and institutions.  Scientific and correct information within the frame of human rights law should be shared with the public immediately.”

Solidarity Network for Human Rights Defenders – Turkey

Association for Monitoring Equal Rights, Citizens’ Assembly Turkey, Civic Space Studies Association,Civil Rights Defenders, Foundation for Society and Legal StudiesHuman Rights Association İstanbul Branch, Human Rights Agenda Association, Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, Kaos GL, Life Memory Freedom Association, Media and Law Studies Association, SPoD LGBTI+, Punto24 Association for Independent Journalism, Research Institute on Turkey, Truth Justice Memory Center, Turkish-German Forum of Culture

 

*Solidarity Network for Human Rights Defenders – Turkey is a network of human rights organisations which insists that defending human rights is a universal right. The Network is committed to strengthen solidarity and communication among its members and to challenge all forms of repression and harassment against human rights defenders.

 

Pembe Hayat is going to broadcast live every day at 19:00!

Pembe Hayat Association activists are going to broadcast live on various topics every day at 19:00 in order to bring together LGBTI+s who are at home during these Corona-infested days! Today (March 18), in the first broadcast, Derin Akıllı is going to talk about her experiences during the transitioning process!

Source: “Pembe Hayat is going to broadcast live every day at 19:00!” Pembe Hayat, 18th of March, 2020 http://www.pembehayat.org/haberler/detay/2331/pembe-hayat-her-gun-1900rsquoda-canli-yayinda

The activists of the association, who are going to broadcast live every day at 19:00 in order to reach LGBTI+s who are at home in these days of quarantine due to the Coronavirus and to enable LGBTI +s to support each other, are going to chat with Pembe Hayat’s followers to talk about many topics from hilarity to transitioning.

Derin Akıllı, who is going to be live in the first interactive broadcast, is going to talk about her experiences during the transitioning process.

 Do not forget to visit the Instagram account of Pembe Hayat at 19:00 every day!

QueerFest Quarantine begins!

During these Corona-infested days, QueerFest is getting ready to be your guest!

Source: “QueerFest Quarantine begins”, Pembe Hayat, 18th of March, 2020 http://www.pembehayat.org/haberler/detay/2332/kuirfest-karantina-basliyor

As the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic fills the lives of all of us with scenes from science fiction movies, we go through masked days where we quarantine ourselves, do not leave the house, and everyone smells of different kinds of cologne (mainly lemon). We all know that the process of quarantining ourselves at our houses will continue until a vaccine is discovered.

Precisely at this point, the festival of queers, QueerFest, is happy to announce “QueerFest Quarantine” to the queers who have locked themselves in their houses.

The films for which permissions have been obtained as part of QueerFest Quarantine will be available to the audience on certain hours every Sunday. In this way, QueerFest will be a guest in your home in these Corona-infested days.

On Sunday, March 22, “QueerFest Quarantine” is going to meet you with its first movie.

You can follow the details at http://www.pembehayatkuirfest.org!

 

Bitopya: Another universe is possible for the bi+ people!

Bitopya is a new platform founded by Umut Erdem. Umut has been writing about monosexism, normativity and bisexuality in contributions to the bi+, vegan and feminist struggles. In this interview, we walk together on the path to Bitopya (bitopia): The invisibility of bi+ existence, the pressing necessity for accesible and correct information on bisexuality in order to get rid of the stereotypes that reign over both the LGBTI+ movement and the heteronormative society , different layers of rescuing sexuality from the hegemony of norms…these are all the stations we will stop by. As LGBTI News Turkey we are excited to follow Bitopya in its journey and would like to thank Umut for taking their time for this interview!

First of all, we would like to get to know you and the crew.

My name is umut erdem (they/them). I’m the founder of Bitopya ☺. I have been actively pursuing bi+politics for a long while. I have been producing content on this subject and in 2019 I became one of the organizers of Bi+ Pride İstanbul which was the first of its kind to take place in Istanbul. We realized the Bi+ Pride together with dear Zeynab Peyghamberzadeh, another bi+ activist. I also organized a Bi+ Visibility Workshop during Pride Week in İzmir last year. In 2018, I prepared a Bi+ pamphlet together with Gözde Demirbilek, under Kaos GL’s roof.

 I live in Istanbul, I earn my living working in a private institution. I am a feminist and a vegan, I also do activism in these fields. Bitopya itself is a field of activism for me. The website was realized thanks to transfeminist activist Ecemen who helped me build the site. Ecemen had also created the website lgbtisagligi.org. This gave us the opportunity to work together. For now, I’m translating the texts about bi+ politics and bi+ healthcare, the ones which I read before and thought “these must definitely be translated to Turkish”. Yet I also need other pairs of eyes to check the translations and to contribute. I can’t really call it a crew but there are definitely collaborations. My friends with whom I exchange ideas and talk about bisexuality and bi+ politics have an important role in the creation of Bitopya.

Umut, your name will definitely ring a bell for our readers from Turkey, how did you come up with the idea to build the website? 

The idea of the website was mine. I personally really needed a true bi+ digital platform. This was my main motivation to realize it. Bisexuality is already an easily erased, invisible position, furthermore, both the lgbti+ and the feminist politics regard it as an intersection rather than an entity of its own. On social media, bisexuality is often targeted and there are many negative, judgemental and biased content, even hate speech about bisexuality. Therefore, I imagined a universe where we can respond to all of this. 

The need to increase the visibility of bi+ politics in Turkey was also a great motivation. I applied to sivildüşün and their support helped me realize the project. Since I know English, I aim to put bi+ people in the agenda of lgbti+ and feminist politics by translating articles about the bi+ politics and bisexual health published abroad. I thought that it would be a big step forward to create a source of information to battle against both the invisibility and the bias, stereotypes, hate speech and dire lack of information about the bi+. I can say Bitopya was born out of the passion to create a universe where we can try to oust monosexism and biphobia out of our lives, ways of thinking and acting; just like we have been struggling against discrimination, patriarchy, and heteronormativity. 

As its name aptly expresses, bitopya carries the aim to expand the horizons through new imaginings for bi+. What do you think is the work and role of digital activism?

It is surely not just tweeting ☺. It doesn’t matter how much that tweet is faved or retweeted. I find the power of social media significant, but I doubt that one tweet or one long flood of political discourse are digital activism. My questioning of the scope of digital activism pushed me to create the website. In my opinion, digital activism should carry the aim to counter the disinformation on social media and promote a healthy platform for debate, dialogue and contact. I’m also motivated to do digital activism for bi+ politics resisting hate speech against the bi+ people. I see so many biphobia ridden tweets written by users who would not accept their biphobia. I am trying to make the digital media a safer place for bi+ people, against monosexism and biphobia. This is what digital activism means for me as well. It is to carry out work of awareness-building without creating opposite poles, without siding with violence; caring for information exchange, healthy communication, equality and inclusion instead.  

How is the “B” and the “+” faring in the LGBTI+ movement of Turkey? How would you describe the hardships of being bi+ in Turkey? Is it any different around the world? 

It is as if bisexuality amounts to nothing. It might sound too tough but this is how it seems. We have just begun to walk on the paths opened by the subjects themselves. If it weren’t for them, no one would think about it. Of course there is a history to it all and it has only become possible to speak about bisexuality through the struggle of the bisexual feminists under the feminist movement, not just the LGBTI+ movement. 

People have been trying to build paths to bi+ politics and bisexuality specifically since 2015. We can say that 2019 has been more promising. But only thanks to the resilience and rebellion of the subjects themselves….The erasure of bisexuals continues, because there are only a handful of people struggling against the lack of information and prejudice. Due to this lack of knowledge, people overlook the fact that bisexuality is a range, an umbrella identity and existence. We try to put it in the literature as “bi+”. We try to put monosexism in literature. 

This is a new struggle of course. Our awareness as subjects is also quite new. Because it is ignored to such an extent that we got used to existing and practicing politics within an intersection of different ways of being.And then there is phobia and hatred. Such atmosphere prevents you from noticing the internalized biphobia. It is quite tragic. I for one can not separate the “+” from bisexuality. The politics of Bitopya is never independent or detached from “+” and trans politics. Because it carries the aim to expose the relationship and intersection of the systems built on binaries and on social consensus. This is why it is a difficult but not an impossible struggle. The steps we take to rid our thinking and judgements of those binaries, to think outside the binaries, to develop arguments and to refrain from generalizations will prioritize “B” and “+” in LGBTI+ movement. 

There is this supposed aim to not fall in the trap of gender binaries in general but I don’t think it’s practiced in reality. Language and politics are still built on the binary of homosexual vs. heterosexual. Bi+ politics criticizes this very binary and relates it to the other constructed binaries. If in fact the critique of binaries was carried out, no one would take the bait of homosexual/heterosexual binary.

There are hardships that begin with the moment of coming out as a bisexual: being invalidated, others’ expectations of proof, not being taken seriously and being showered with disapprovals. The negative experiences in relationships and the traumas have a great impact on your existence and your desire. You take your share from the hierarchy which sides with experience over desire. You can not come out. It all goes back to before you come out anyway. All the hate speech, prejudice, stereotypes, judgements and vilification conditions you and prevents you from finding a representation. In any case there can not be a representation which says “yes, this is bi+”. At least it can not be monolithic. 

Under  such circumstances you experience the absence of characters which identify as bisexual on media or encounter stereotypical representations unfortunately. You are eliminated by being sweeped under one roof. “Gay marriage”, “gay couple”, “lesbian films”, “gay representations”. Bisexuality is never imagined. Why would something laden with so many prejudices and disavowal be imagined anyway? Let’s say you did come out, then you are labeled as supporting binary gender. I’ve encountered this interpretation so many times. You are never queer enough, you are always so binary. Who has the right to come up with these judgements? The idea of bisexuals as being one homogenous group dominates the perspectives. I thought we were advocating for diversity? Let’s face it, we hit a wall when it comes to the matter of bi+ people☺. 

You suffer from not being able to reflect on monosexism or to make it an item in the agenda; you are assigned an orientation based on the person you are with, and depending on that you are either let in or cast out of the lgbti+ community. You are either perceived as a privileged person living their life stepping on others or as someone who suffers too if you are with a person of same gender at that particular moment. I don’t think you can disrobe your privilege depending on who you are with. It’s not like “bam” now I’m not privileged, because my partner is not of the same gender or is not regarded as normative, or “voila” I’m privileged now because my partner is of another gender identity. How can that be? Is this a game of musical chairs? We need to question this fixed, generalizing, clearly delineated way of thinking.

The situation is no different elsewhere in the world. Although I feel like there would be local differences, as far as I can follow, it is all quite universal: The invisibility, ostracization, exposure to negative bias, the binary thinking mechanism in society and the movement. The translations in Bitopya are not in vain  

79671384_112825300218046_2849442992505225216_o

Bitopya website design and illustrations are made by Ecemen.

Since we are already in outer space, looking back at the world, let us also ask: An important mission of Bitopya is translation. You and LGBTI News Turkey have a common issue: To build a bridge between the bi+ folks in Turkey and around the world. What do you think is the significance and function of translation? What is the potential of the exchange that the internet provides for the LGBTI+ movement?

If we consider the fact that many LGBTI+ people use the internet and express themselves online more, we can see that our work is quite important. We have the potential to reach a lot more people. We can reach out to those who don’t breathe the same air with us or live in the same neighborhood. On its own the internet is a means that brings so many people together on a common ground. Yet we see that it also becomes a disadvantage when the social media is misused. 

That coming together also musters strength through polarization. Bitopya aims to disseminate its politics and its discourse without falling in that trap. A great lack of knowledge about bi+ politics reigns in Turkey. This is why it is crucial for me to follow what’s going on around the world. There are lots of sources in English but Turkey is unaware of that content, which makes Bitopya itself a responsibility. Not everyone knows English, therefore I wanted to translate the sources in English to Turkish. It was very vital that we have a particularly bi+ source and platform, otherwise bi+ existence is easily overlooked and not reflected upon. I thought that it was necessary to fight against the misinformation and hate speech disseminated on the internet, by creating such a platform. This is a choice after all. I hope it will reach a wider audience. 

Creating such a platform leads to international solidarity and communication as well, because the translation is not just a service for the readers in Turkey or a means of action, it leads to a contact with the owner/author of the translated content. Then that person also shares Bitopya. Next thing you know, Bitopya does not only reach Turkey anymore☺.  

Providing the transformation of language is another vital issue. It takes extra work to think about how to translate the English terms to Turkish and how to localize them while breaking the binaries reproduced in language.  My wish is to be able to introduce a link from the website against any misinformation or hate speech circulated on the internet, and to render Bitopya’s content widespread. I believe that this way people will no longer have a chance to ignore it anymore. We see the first steps in this path and I believe it will grow stronger. 

Let us briefly talk about the sections on the website too: Bi+ politics, bisexual health and bisexual history. How did these titles come about? Are you thinking of adding new titles? Will we see original content too? We are very excited!

It’s quite exciting for me too ☺, I’m happy that it resonates with you. The section “bi+ politics” introduces bi+politics pursued abroad to Turkey and to Turkish. “Bisexual health” provides articles about the impact of monosexism and biphobia on bisexual healthcare, to the health conditions that may be overlooked under the banner of LGBTI+ health and to the bi+ people’s access to healthcare. 

Bitopya also introduces videos published by the #StillBisexual video campaign with Turkish subtitles. This section will continue to be updated as well. #StillBisexual is a video content campaign developed by activist and writer Nicole Kristal in 2015. Bisexuals share various stories about their orientations at #StillBisexual and the hashtag aims to fight the negative bias and myths about bisexual, in order to develop an awareness about bisexuality as a range of existences.   

One of the reasons why bisexuality is lesser known is because its history is lesser known. Moving forwards with that idea, Bitopya aims to create awareness through the translation of the bihistory page. There will of course be additions. There are some ideas waiting to be realized in video format. I also want to dig deeper in bi+ history of Turkey. I’m not sure what you mean by original content but there will be new stuff for sure. Stay tuned!☺. 

Some of our readers may share the dreams of Bitopya and may wish to contribute to the site, especially our English speaking readers.  How can they contribute?

We will develop Bitopya together in fact. Maybe they can come up with an idea about how they can contribute when they look into the website. There can be help with translation. They can send articles either in Turkish or English. When we receive a text in a language other than English or Turkish, we need help with translation, so if you are fluent in other languages you are welcome to help. We had translated an article Zeynap wrote in ILGA before, about bisexual asylum seekers. It is very valuable to hear more about this issue. We are open to contributions in design and illustration. Our horizons are wide open as to how to grow together. I do not want to approach Bitopya as an editor, I see it as a platform shaped by togetherness, contact and sharing. 

79372400_110232777143965_7376598578464030720_o

Bitopya’s logo is also designed by Ecemen.

It’s hard not to notice how beautiful your logo and web design is. Who is the designer? We definitely have to credit their contribution. 

Ecemen designed the website as well as building it. It is surely a work of the harmony between our imagination and ideas. I always say, if it weren’t for Ecemen, there wouldn’t be Bitopya.☺ 

We would like to thank Umut for taking their time for the interview. If you would like to get in touch with Bitopya, send an e-mail to [email protected]

Don’t forget to follow bitopya.org ! Sharing is caring!

Social media accounts:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bitopya/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BitopyaOrg

Instagram: https://instagram.com/bitopya

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHhuPAUXMwf34utc4YlCATA

 

How is the trans sex workers’ right to work being violated in Turkey?

On the occasion of the 3rd of March International Sex Workers’ Rights Day, for the KaosGL readers, we have compiled the details of how the right to work, which is one of the fundamental rights of trans sex workers, is being violated and how this violation can be combated. 

Source: “How is the trans sex workers’ right to work being violated in Turkey?” (Türkiye’de trans seks işçilerinin çalışma hakkı nasıl ihlal ediliyor?), Aslı Alpar, Kaos GL, 3rd of March, 2020 https://www.kaosgl.org/haber/turkiye-de-trans-seks-iscilerinin-calisma-hakki-nasil-ihlal-ediliyor

According to the Constitution’s relevant article on the right to work, “work” is defined as “the right and duty of everyone”.

The same article includes the following statement: “the state takes the necessary measures to increase the quality of the employees’ lives, to protect the employees and the unemployed in order to improve working life, to support the work, to create an economic environment suitable for preventing unemployment, and to ensure peace of work.”

However, when it comes to sex workers, the right to work, which is one of the fundamental rights in the Constitution, is violated. Trans sex workers are exposed to discrimination based on gender identity as well as violations of the right to work.

So, by what means do the laws, those who work for the implementation of the laws, and the law enforcement forces violate trans sex workers’ right to work?

1 – The Law of Misdemeanours

The law of misdemeanours is a law defining various misdemeanours “in order to protect the social order, public morality, public health, environment and economic order.”

In this law, there is no article that defines the work of sex workers as misdemeanours. However, by using this law, law enforcement officers frequently impose administrative fines on sex workers who find customers on the street.

It is possible to fight against the fines imposed by the articles 32, 36 and 37 of the Law through the Criminal Court of Peace. You can use this link to reach an example of the petition that should be written against administrative fines, which was prepared by the Pembe Hayat LGBTI + Solidarity Association.

2 – The Law of Highway Traffic

Another tool used to violate sex workers’ right to work is the Law of Highway Traffic and the Highway Traffic Regulations enacted in relation to this law. Administrative fines are imposed on sex workers by using the first paragraph of the Article 68 of the Law, which regulates the rules for pedestrians.

The relevant article states, “The pedestrians who are on pedestrian roads, crossings or highways when necessary, are prohibited from acting in a way that will prevent or endanger the traffic.”

Sex work is not prohibited in the Turkish Criminal Law. In order to arbitrarily prevent sex workers from their works, the Law of Misdemeanours and the Law of Highway Traffic are being used to punish sex workers, although these laws do not contain the relevant provisions.

3 – Fines to the business cards

Business cards used by sex workers were sent to court under the article 226 of the Turkish Criminal Law, which regulates “obscenity”. After removing their photos, which had been seen as obscene images, from the cards, the sex workers faced another problem after the state of emergency.

The article 227 of the Turkish Criminal Law, which is one of the bag bills enacted during the state of emergency, was amended under the Law on the Amendment of Some Laws and the Criminal Procedure Law No. 6763 published in the official newspaper on December 2. According to this article, “prostitution” is not taken as a crime, but it is forbidden to advertise “prostitution”.

4 – Tracking on social media

Another practice that usurps the sex workers’ right to work is tracking on social media and law enforcement forces raiding houses. By hiding their identities and acting like a client, these officers make contact with the sex workers who use social media to communicate with the clients after the ban on business cards. Then, they go to the sex workers’ houses and impose fines. 

5 – Red tagging the houses, closing the streets

Another violation tool of the administration is to seal the houses with red tags and to close the streets.

Bornova Street in İzmir, where trans sex workers often work, for a while was closed every night the law enforcement forces and the trans people’s right to work was violated. Trans sex workers, whose rights and freedoms are restricted unlawfully in the closed street, are deprived of the procedural security granted to persons in case of detention, and the “medical examination” that must be carried out in custody is skipped.

Red tagging the houses where the trans sex workers work and live leads to another violation of the rights. In addition to being left homeless, the sex workers whose work and housing rights are being violated as a result of the red tags at their houses are not able to work until the tags are lifted.

 

Illustration: Aslı Alpar The person on the illustration says “Turkish Penal Code does not consider sex work to be a crime”.

March 3rd at Kadıköy: Trans Sex Workers, the City’s Residents and Owners

Kadıköy City Council’s LGBTI+ Assembly met with trans sex workers: “We are complaining about the police to the police. There are so many penalties,which one can you object to?”  

Source: “March 3rd at Kadıköy: Trans Sex Workers, the City’s Residents and Owners” (“Kadıköy’de 3 Mart: Trans Seks İşçileri Kentin Sakini ve Sahibi”), Cem Öztürk, KaosGL, March 4, 2020, https://www.kaosgl.org/haber/kadikoy-de-3-mart-trans-seks-iscileri-kentin-sakini-ve-sahibi

Kadıköy City Council’s LGBTI+ Assembly came together with trans sex workers on March 3, International Sex Workers Day at Kadıköy.  

While taking into consideration the subject’s visbility and freedom of speech, the panel discussed trans sex workers’ rights violations, their demands regarding the city and, as the city’s residents and owners, the ways in which living spaces could be made more safe and free. 

Aiming to ensure that the trans community can effectively participate in local politics, the participants discussed what could be done around common agendas.  

Law of Misdemeanors

The event started with the moderator explaining the structure of Kadıköy City Council LGBTI + Assembly and the work they do. Regarding the violations of rights, the participants stated that even though there is no prohibition on sex work in criminal law, the police still penalize trans women, citing the Law of Misdemeanors, and claim that trans sex workers looking for customers on the street “disturb the environment” and are “complained about”. They stated that this unlawful practice has become a systematic violation of the rights of trans women.

One of the participants said, “I get fined almost every night. There are times when they fine me more than once on the same day. Recently, when doing identity checks, they take criminal action against us without any explanation. The police report our identity information to the police station and take action. We find out about this much later. So much so that without being aware, I had accumulated 15 different fines, which is equivalent to about 2-3 thousand liras. It is not possible for me to pay this. I cannot file a complaint since no petitions have been given. Because I haven’t paid, I keep getting notices sent to my home. Sometimes, just to not get a fine, I refuse to give my identity card. But then, they forcefully take me to the police station.” 

“ Once your identification information is taken, you become blacklisted”

“The number of those who work on the streets has decreased due to police bullying. Many trans women now find customers online. But the police still follow us. That’s why we let each other know who the police are in the online dating applications and only accept customers by reference” added one participant. Another participant said “Even if we are not working and go out after 12 a.m., we still get a fine. One night after returning home from a walk with my boyfriend and dog, I was injured by a police officer in front of my door and broke a bone. The attacker was acquitted at court. Actually, it doesn’t have to be night time. Once I went out to the bakery during the day. A police officer stopped me in front of the bakery. Even though he saw the two loaves of bread in my hand, he still gave me a fine. He knows me because once your identification information is taken, you become blacklisted.” 

“We complain about the police to the police” 

Taking the floor, another participant said, “We call 155 to complain about the police who infringe on our rights. Ironically, we complain about the police to the police. There are so many penalties, which one can you object to? If I object to every single unjust penalty, that would mean I would be spending my life at the courthouse. Which one can I catch up with? I neither have the time nor the energy.”  

Regarding their demands concerning the city, the participants expressed that they were generally happy and comfortable living in Kadıköy. One participant said “I have been living in Kadikoy for almost 20 years. I feel like I’m from Kadikoy. I don’t go to the municipality, so I don’t know about the kinds of work they do.” “The municipality doesn’t recognize trans people. In other districts, municipalities have started employing trans people. Why not in Kadikoy?” asked another participant. 

What can be done? 

Evaluating the meeting, Kadıköy City Council’s LGBTİ+ Assembly representative said “We organized this meeting to engage with trans sexs workers, make them visible, provide space for their voices to be heard, identify their ongoing problems and make our demands a part of the local government’s agenda. We ensured the safety of the event by extending invitations to the participants via closed social media groups. I’m very pleased with the participation. This was a great meeting and actually a great start. We want to establish Kadıköy City Council LGBTI + Assembly’s trans policies with trans subjects. We attach great importance to ensuring that transgender people are not excluded from city agendas, decision-making processes and active participation in local politics.”

The event reporter said “One of the most striking finds for me was: Trans sex workers are not aware of the services provided by LGBTI+ non-governmental organizations such as psychosocial support and legal advising services. This is because they use the experiences and coping methods they have developed over the years to fight against the violations of their rights that they are subjected to. More work needs to be done on how the services offered by LGBTI + non-governmental organizations can be made more accessible for trans sex workers. Another important demand was about the provision of voluntary lawyers who can be reached at the time of the incident during violations experienced at night.”

“The topic of what we can do together at the local level was particularly productive. To fight against violations of rights, a proposal for legal self-defense workshops was brought forth. Despite all the negativity, we have agreed on how valuable it is to continue fighting and organizing. We have seen again how much the cooperation between local government, civil society and urban citizens is missing when it comes to trans sex workers. As the Kadıköy City Council LGBTI + Assembly, we are aware of our responsibility in this area. Because trans sex workers are also the inhabitants and therefore the owners of this city” said the reporter.  

Bitopya:Bi+lar için başka bir evren, başka bir mecra mümkün!

Uzun zamandır bi+, vegan ve feminizm aktivizmi yapan; biseksüellik, monoseksizm, ve normativite üzerine yazıp, çizen, kafa yoran ve mücadeleye katkı sunan Umut’un açtığı yeni bir mecra Bitopya. Bu söyleşide Bitopya’ya giden yolu arşınlıyoruz:  Bi+ olmanın görünmezliği, biseksüellik hakkında gerek LGBTI+ hareketinde gerekse heteronormatif söylemdeki kalıp yargılardan kurtulmak için doğru bilginin erişilebilir hale gelmesinin gerekliliği ve cinselliği normların tahakkümden kurtarmanın farklı katmanları….hepsi uğrak noktalarımız oldu. LGBTI News Turkey olarak Bitopya’yı heyecanla takip ediyor ve Umut’a teşekkür ediyoruz!

Öncelikle sizi ve varsa bitopya ekibini tanıyalım. 

İsmim umut erdem (they/them). Bitopya’nın kurucusuyum . Uzun zamandır aslında bi+ politika yapıyorum. Yine çoğunlukla bu konuda içerik üretimi yapmış olsam da 2019 yılında İstanbul’da ilk kez gerçekleşen Bi+ Pride İstanbul’un yürütücülerinden biriyim. Sevgili feminist bi+ aktivist Zeynab Peyghamberzadeh ile birlikte gerçekleştirdik. İzmir’de de Onur Haftası kapsamında Bi+ Görünürlüğü Atölyesi gerçekleştirdim, yine geçen sene. 2018 yılında da Gözde Demirbilek ile Kaos GL çatısı altında Bi+ broşürü hazırladık. İstanbul’da yaşıyorum, geçimimi şimdilik özel bir kurumda çalışarak sağlıyorum. Feministim ve veganım, bu konularda aktivizm yapmaya çalışıyorum. Bitopya da bir aktivizm alanı tabii benim için. Sitenin hayata geçebilmesi siteyi inşa eden sevgili transfeminist aktivist Ecemen sayesinde oldu. Kendisi lgbtisagligi.org’u da yapmıştı. Birlikte çalışmış olduk. Şimdilik Bitopya’da, zamanında görüp okuyup “bu yazı kesinlikle Türkçe’ye çevrilmeli” dediğim bi+ politikaya, biseksüel sağlığına ilişkin yazıları Türkçe’ye çeviriyorum ama çevirilere bakacak, katkı sunacak başka gözlere de ihtiyaç duyuyorum. Bir ekip diyemem şimdilik galiba ama “birlikte çalışma” hali kesinlikle var. Genelde biseksüellik ve bi+ politika üzerine konuştuğum, fikir teatisinde bulunduğum, fikirlerine güvendiğim arkadaşlarımın da Bitopya’nın yaratımında büyük rolleri var.

Umut, Türkiyeli okuyucularımız arasında senin adına aşina olanlar elbet vardır, siteyi kurma fikri nasıl oluştu? 

Site fikri benden çıktı. Bi+ öz bir dijital mecraya çok ihtiyaç duyuyordum kendi adıma. Bu sebeple hayata geçirmek istedim. Biseksüelliğin hali hazırda görünmez, silinir pozisyonda olmasının yanı sıra hem lgbti+ hem feminist politikada bir bütünden çok kesişim kümesi olarak görülmesi, sosyal medyada biseksüelliğin hedef gösterilmesi, hakkında üretilen olumsuz ve nefrete varan yargılamalar sebebiyle bunlara bir cevap niteliği taşıyacak bir evren yaratma tahayyülüm oldu. Bi+ politikanın Türkiye’de daha görünür olması gerekliliği de büyük bir motivasyon oldu Bitopya’yı kurmamda. Sivildüşün’e başvurdum, onun desteğiyle gerçekleşti. İngilizce bildiğim için özellikle yurtdışında takip ettiğim bi+ politikasına ve biseksüel sağlığına ilişkin yazıları Türkçe’ye çevirerek Türkiye’deki lgbti+ ve feminist politikanın gündemine bi+’yı sokmayı amaçladım. Hem görünmezlik hem de [bi+] hakkında yaratılan önyargı, kalıp yargı, nefret ve had safhada var olan bilgisizliği yenmede bir bilgi bankası oluşturarak büyük bir adım atabileceğimi düşündüm. Patriyarka, heteronormativite gibi sistemler ve ayrımcılık biçimleriyle mücadele ettiğimiz gibi monoseksizm ve bifobiyi hayatlarımızdan, düşünce ve eyleme biçimlerimizden çıkarmaya çalışacağımız bir evren yaratma tutkusuyla Bitopya doğdu diyebilirim.  

Bitopya adından anlaşılacağı gibi bi+lar için yeni bir tahayyül, başka bir alan, bir ufuk genişletme amacı taşıyor. Sizce dijital aktivizmin işi nedir? 

Sadece bir tweet atmaktan ibaret değildir bence ☺. O tweet’in ne kadar fav ve rt aldığı da fark etmez. Sosyal medyanın gücünü önemsiyorum ama bir tweet’ten ya da flood’dan ibaret olan politik söylemler ne kadar dijital aktivizmdir, kuşkuluyum. Buna dair sorgulamalarım da beni site kurmaya itti doğrusu. Dijital aktivizm, sosyal medyada hızla yayılan bilgi kirliliğinin önüne geçme amacı taşıyarak teması, diyaloğu, tartışmayı önemseyen sağlıklı bir zemin yaratmanın peşindedir bence. Bir de bi+ politikaya ilişkin dijital aktivizm yapma motivasyonum, dijital alanda bi+’lara yönelen şiddet dilinden kaynaklı. O kadar çok bifobiyle örülü ama bunu asla kabul etmeyen kullanıcıların elinden çıkmış tweet’ler görüyordum ki. Dijital alanın, bi+’lar için, monoseksizme ve bifobiye karşı daha güvenli olmasına çalışıyorum, benim için dijital aktivizm bu demek aynı zamanda. Bilgi paylaşımını önemseyen, sağlıklı, iletişim odaklı, eşitlikçi, kapsayıcı, nefrete, şiddete taraf olmayan bir zemin yaratarak, taraftarlaştırmadan farkındalık çalışmaları gerçekleştirmektir dijital aktivizm kanımca.

Türkiye’deki LGBTI+ hareketinde B ve + ne alemde? Türkiye’de bi+ olmanın zor yanlarını nasıl tarif edersiniz? Dünyadaki durum farklı mı?

Biseksüellik özelinde konuşursam yok hükmünde gibi bir şey aslında. Belki ağır oldu ama öyle sanki. Yeni yeni özneler sayesinde kat edilmeye çalışılan yollardan geçiyoruz. Özneler olmasa pek kimsenin düşüneceği yok gibi. Bunun tabii bir geçmişi var ve daha çok sadece LGBTİ+ hareketi değil de feminist hareket çatısında, biseksüel feministlerin verdiği mücadeleyle konuşulur oldu diyebiliriz. 2015’ten beri, biseksüellik ve bi+ politika özelinde açılan patikalar örülmeye çalışıldı. 2019 bu açıdan daha parlaktı diyebiliriz. Ama öznelerin dirayeti ve isyanı olmasaydı… Bunun sebebi bir yandan bilgisizlik ve önyargı. Çok az insanın bilgisizlik ve önyargıyla mücadele etme çabasından kaynaklı, biseksüel silinmesi devam ediyor mücadeleye rağmen. İşte bu bilgisizlik ve önyargı sebebiyle insanlar biseksüelliğin, bir şemsiye kimlik ve varoluş olduğunu yadsıyorlar. “Bi+” olarak literatüre geçirmeye çalışıyoruz. Monoseksizmi literatüre geçirmeye çalışıyoruz. Bu mücadele yeni ama tabii. Biz özneler için de çok eskiye dayanmıyor farkındalık. Öyle yok sayılan bir şey ki çünkü, başka varoluşların kesişiminde politika yapmaya, varolmaya çalışmışız. Ee fobi, nefret de cabası. Bu atmosfer içselleştirilmiş bifobiyi fark etmemizi de engelliyor. Bu gerçekten bence acı bir şey. “+” yı da biseksüellikten ayıramıyorum ben aslında tabii. Bitopya’nın politikası, “+” ve trans politikadan kopuk, bağımsız asla değil. Çünkü ikili kurulan, toplumun onayı ve bakış açısına dayanan bir sistemle/sistemlere karşı mücadele esaslı, bu sistemlerin birbiriyle ilişkisini, kesişimini açığa çıkarma amacı taşıyor. Bu yüzden mücadele çetin, zor ama imkansız değil. Düşünce sistemimizi ve yargılarımızı ikilikten çıkarma, o ikilik dışında düşünebilme, argüman geliştirebilme, genelleyici bir ikilik tahsis etmemeye yönelik atılacak adımlar, LGBTİ+ hareketinde B ve +’yı önceliyor olacak. 

Yani sözde cinsiyet ikiliğine düşülmeme gayesi var ama ben pratikte bunun egzersizinin yapıldığına inanmıyorum. Eşcinsel/hetero ikiliği üzerinden kuruluyor dil ve politika. Bi+ politikası tam da bu ikiliği eleştiriyor ve diğer yaratılan ikiliklerle ilişkilendiriyor bu durumu. Gerçekten söylenildiği gibi cinsiyet ikiliği eleştirisi layıkiyle yapılıyor olsa eşcinsel/hetero ikiliği tufasına düşülmez. 

Biseksüel olarak açılma anından itibaren başlanan zorluklar var, geçerli sayılmamak, kanıt beklentisi, ciddiye alınmamak ve olumsuzlamalar yağıyor üstüne sürekli. İlişkilenmelere dair kötü deneyimler ve yaşanan travmaların faturası, sırf senin varoluşundan, arzundan kesiliyor. Arzu ile deneyim arasında kurulan hiyerarşiden ve deneyimin daha üstte görülmesinden nasibini alıyorsun. Açılamıyorsun. Açılmanın öncesi de var aslında, tüm kuşanılan nefret, önyargı, kalıp yargılar, olumsuz yargılamalar, düşmanlaştırma, sana bir şeyi zaten gösteriyor oluyor. Bir temsil bulamıyorsun. Zaten “evet biseksüel, bi+ budur” denilen bir temsil de olamaz. Yani tektip olamaz diyeyim en azından. Böyle olunca medyada vs. kendini biseksüel olarak tanımlayan karakterlerin yoksunluğunu görüyorsun ya da stereotip temsillerle karşılaşıyorsun, ne yazık ki. Bir şeylerin çatısında elimine ediliyorsun. “Eşcinsel evlilik”, “eşcinsel çift”, “lezbiyen filmler”, “gey temsiller”. Biseksüellik asla tahayyül edilen bir şey olmuyor. Zaten böyle olumsuz görülen ve hakkında ön yargı üretilen bir şey neden tahayyül edilsin? Hadi açılıyorsun diyelim, ikili cinsiyetçi oluyorsun. O kadar çok karşılaştım ki bu yorumla. Yok yeterince queer değilmiş, yok çok ikiliymiş. Hangi mertebeye çıkıldı ve böyle yargılar yapılıyor? Biseksüeller tek tipmiş gibi bir algı var. Ee hani çeşitliliği savunuyorduk? Bi+ mevzusunda duvara tosluyoruz, kabul edelim ☺. Monoseksizm üzerine düşünmemenin, bunu gündemleştirmemenin acısını yaşıyorsun ve yanındaki insana göre sana yönelim atanıyor, birileri tarafından da buna göre sen lgbti+ topluluğunun içindesin ya da değilsin. Ya herkesin üzerine basa basa hayatını yaşayan ayrıcalıklarla kuşanmış birisin ya da sen de acı çekiyorsun çünkü o sırada hemcinsinle birliktesin. Ben ayrıcalık denen şeyden, birlikte olduğun partnere bağlı olarak üzerinden kıyafet çıkarıyormuş gibi bundan sıyrılabileceğini düşünmüyorum. Hop şimdi ayrıcalıklı değilim, çünkü partnerim hemcinsim ya da normatif görülen biri değil. Hop şimdi ayrıcalıklıyım çünkü partnerim diğer cinsiyetli. Böyle bir şey olabilir mi? Sandalye kapmaca oyunu mu bu? Bu sabit, genelleştirici, keskin sınırlar çizen düşünce sistemini sorgulamamız gerekiyor. 

Dünyadaki durum da farklı değil. Lokal farklılıklar elbet olur diye düşünsem de takip ettiğim kadarıyla gördüğüm yaşanılan yok sayılma, dışlanma, olumsuz yargılara tabî olma, hem hareketteki hem toplumdaki ikili düşünme tedrisatı çok evrensel. Bitopya’daki çeviriler boşuna yapılmıyor  

79671384_112825300218046_2849442992505225216_o.jpg

Bitopya site tasarımı ve görselleri : Ecemen

Uzaydan dünyaya bakıyorken hazır, bunu da soralım: Bitopya’nın önemli bir görevi çevirmenlik. Bu açıdan  LGBTI+ News Turkey olarak bizimle de ortak bir derdiniz var: Dünyadaki bi+’larla Türkiye arasında bir köprü kurmak. Size göre bunun önemi ve işlevi nedir? İnternetin sağladığı alışveriş LGBTI+ hareketi için nasıl bir potansiyel taşıyor?

 

Çok fazla LGBTİ+’nın internet kullandığını düşünürsek ve hatta kendilerini oralarda daha çok ifade ettiklerini düşünürsek önemli bir iş yapıyoruz. Daha çok insana ulaşma potansiyelimiz var. Aynı havayı soluyamadığımız, komşu olmadığımız nice insana da erişebiliriz. İnternetin kendisi başlı başına pek çok insanı bir araya getiren, ortaklaştıran bir araç oldu ama sosyal medyada bunun nasıl dezavantaja neden olacak şekilde kötüye kullanıldığını da görüyoruz. Bir ortaklaşma, biraradalık yaratırken gücünü nasıl taraftarlaştırmadan aldığını. Bitopya’nın derdi, bu tufaya düşmeden, söylemini, politikasını yaygınlaştırmak. Türkiye’de bi+ politikaya dair büyük bir bilgisizlik hakim. ‘Dünyada neler oluyor’u bu konuda takip etmek benim için elzem. İngilizce kaynakların yaygınlığı ama Türkiye’nin bundan haberdar olmaması, Bitopya’yı bir sorumluluk olarak ortaya çıkardı. Herkes İngilizce bilmiyor, özellikle bunu düşünerek yaygın olan İngilizce kaynakları Türkçe’ye çevirmek istedim. Öz bir bi+ kaynak, alan olması da çok önemliydi, aksi şekilde elimine ediliyor bi+, çok üzerine düşülmüyor. İnternet ortamında yaygınlaşan bilgi kirliliği ve nefrete karşı böyle bir alan yaratarak mücadele etmenin bir gereklilik olduğunu düşündüm. Bu bir yandan bir tercih. Umarım çokça yaygınlaşır. Uluslararası bir dayanışma, iletişim de yaratıyor böyle bir mecra yaratmak. Çünkü çeviri sadece Türkiye’deki okuyuculara sunulan bir hizmet, eylem biçimi de olmuyor, çevirisini yaptığımız yazarla ya da içerik sahibiyle de temas kuruyoruz. O da mesela Bitopya’yı paylaşıyor. Bir bakıyoruz, Bitopya’nın eriştiği yer sadece Türkiye’den ibaret değil artık ☺.  Dilde dönüşümü sağlamak da önemli bir mevzu. Hem dilde yeniden ve yeniden üretilen o ikiliği kırmak hem de İngilizce terimleri, ‘Türkçe’ye nasıl çevirebiliriz’, ‘nasıl yerelleştirebiliriz’ üzerine mesai harcamayı da düşündürüyor. İsteğim, yanlış, nefret içerikli söylemlere karşı pat diye, siteden bir link verebilmek ya da Bitopya’daki her tür içeriğin dolaşıma sokulmasını, yaygınlaştırılmasını sağlamak. Çünkü bir süre sonra inanıyorum ki, insanlar görmezden gelemeyecek, böyle bir şansları olmayacak çünkü. Bunun adımlarını da görüyoruz. Daha büyüyecek bu, buna inanıyorum.  

 

Sitenin bölümlerine de değinelim: Bi+ politika, biseksüel sağlığı ve biseksüel tarihi. Bu başlıklar nasıl oluştu? Yeni başlıklar eklemeyi düşünüyor musunuz? Orijinal içerikler de görecek miyiz? Çok heyecanlandık!

Benim için de çok heyecan verici ☺, sevindim karşılık bulmasına. “Bi+ politika” daha çok yurtdışında yürütülen Bi+ politika’yı Türkiye ve Türkçe dili ile buluşturma amacı güden içeriklerden oluşuyor. “Biseksüel sağlığı” da, LGBTİ+ sağlığı adı altında elimine edilen ve görülmeyen biseksüellerin sağlık koşullarına, sağlık hizmetlerine erişim konusuna, bifobinin ve monoseksizmin sağlıklarına yönelik etkilerine ilişkin makalelere, içeriklere yer veriyor. Biseksüelliğin yeterince bilinmemesinin nedenlerinden biri, biseksüelliğin tarihinin bilinmemesi bence. Bu düşünceden hareketle, bu konuda çalışan bihistory sayfasının paylaşımlarını çevirerek farkındalık yaratmayı amaçlıyor, Bitopya.

Bir de Bitopya’da #StillBisexual video kampanyası çatısında yüklenen İngilizce videolar Türkçe altyazılı ile mevcutlar. Güncellenmeye devam edecek bir bölüm o da. #Stillbisexual yazar ve aktivist Nicole Kristal’ın 2015’te hayata geçirdiği bir video içeriği kampanyasıdır. Biseksüellerin yönelimlerine dair çeşitli hikayelerini paylaştıkları #stillbisexual, biseksüel şemsiyesindeki varoluşlara dair farkındalık geliştirip biseksüelliğin silinmesi, hakkında yaratılan mitler ve olumsuz yargılamalarla mücadele etmeyi hedefliyor.

Yeni eklemeler tabii ki yapılacak. Fikir aşamasında olan ve gerçekleşmeyi bekleyen şeyler var. Şimdilik daha çok video içerikleri özelinde. Türkiye’deki bi+ tarihini deşme fikrim de var. Orijinalden kasıt ne bilemedim şimdi ama yeni şeyler gelecek, takipte kalın ☺. 

Bitopyanın düşlerine ortak olup katkıda bulunmak isteyen okuyucularımız olabilir, özellikle de İngilizce konuşan ve Türkiyeli olmayan okurumuz çok. Size nasıl katkıda bulunabilirler?

Aslında beraber geliştireceğiz Bitopya’yı. Nasıl katkı koymak istediklerine dair bir fikir ya da fikirler siteyi incelediklerinde akıllarına gelebilir belki. Özellikle çeviri alanında katkı koymak isteyenler oluyor. Yazı gönderilebilir, hem Türkçe hem İngilizce dilinde. İngilizce ve Türkçe harici dilde yazı gönderildiğinde, o dillerde çeviri yapabilecek insanlar katkı koymak isterse şahane olur. Zeynab’ın daha önce ILGA’da yazdığı bir yazıyı çevirmiştik, biseksüel sığınmacılarla ilgili. O yüzden o konuda daha çok ses ve söz duymak kıymetli. Tasarım, çizim anlamında katkıya açık olabilir Bitopya. Ufuk geniş Bitopya’yı birlikte yürütmek konusunda. Sadece tahayyülüm, Bitopya’yı sadece editörlük konumunda görmemek, gerçekten paylaşımın, temasın, biraradalığın olacağı bir yer olarak görmek, o şekilde geliştirebilmek. 

 

79372400_110232777143965_7376598578464030720_o

Bitopya logosunun tasarımı Ecemen’in elinden.

Logonuz ve site tasarımınız da pek güzel, gözlerimizden kaçmadı. Kimin elinden çıktı bu tasarımlar? Onu da anmadan geçmeyelim.

Siteyi kuran Ecemen yaptı tasarımları da. Fikir ve hayal gücümüzün uyumu ve sirayeti diyeyim ☺ Hep söylerim, Ecemen olmasaydı, Bitopya da olmazdı ☺ 

 

Bitopya.org’u takibe alın!

 [email protected]’dan iletişebilirsiniz.

Sosyal medya hesapları:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bitopya/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BitopyaOrg

Instagram: https://instagram.com/bitopya

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHhuPAUXMwf34utc4YlCATA

 

Trans woman inmate Ida is on hunger strike

Trans activist Diren Coşkun has announced that İda Koçak, a trans woman inmate, has started a hunger strike after she was denied vegan meals in prison. Today is the eighth day of her strike. Koçak has repeatedly demanded vegan meals which was denied by the prison administration.  Pink Life Association has contacted the psychosocial support unit of the prison and requested information about the current situation. Trans, inmate and human rights advocates have launched a hashtag campaign to raise İda’s voice, with the hashtag #idayasesver .

ERNb9HkXkAAKlFv.jpg
Trans women inmates have been facing many discriminatory practices under incarceration. Diren Coşkun herself was on a death fast in 2018, demanding her right to gender confirmation surgery and an end to her confinement in solitary confinement.  In September 2019, Miray, a trans woman inmate from Alanya L Type Prison, started a hunger strike as the prison administration kept LGBTI+ inmates in solitary confinement based on their gender identity. On August 2019, trans woman inmate Buse mutilated herself after being kept in a solitary confinement in a men’s ward and denied gender confirmation surgery. Similarly, trans woman inmate Esra Arıkan has repeatedly started hunger strikes due to the inhumane conditions of her imprisonment, such as being confined to a solitary cell, physical abuse and torture as well as harassment. After a ten year long battle, Arıkan finally got her gender confirmation surgery and was transferred to a woman’s prison. However, last year on August, Arıkan was once more on strike, seeking proper medical attention.

 

UPDATE: İda’s demands were met the next day (21.02.2020) and she ended her hunger strike after receiving a vegan meal.

ILGA-Europe’s #AnnualReview2019 is now out!

Annual Review 2020 report cover.png

 

ILGA Europe’s annual review covering the period of January and December 2019 is published. The Turkey chapter was drafted in coordination with team members of LGBTI News Turkey. Once more, Turkey ranks 48 among 49 countries, with a score of 5%. You can read the Turkey chapter here and the full report here.

Below we share the press release on the report:

Annual Review of the situation of LGBTI people paints a picture at odds with a widespread notion that in Europe the work is done

Launched today [February 4, 2020] , the 10th edition of ILGA-Europe’s Annual Review details the human rights situation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people across the 49 European countries, and the five countries of Central Asia. Created with LGBTI activists and experts on the ground, the Review also identifies trends, both current and on the rise.

This year’s review, which charts developments during the 12 months of 2019, paints a complex picture that diverges from the widespread narrative that all is well for LGBTI people in large parts of Europe. Central to this is a sharp rise in anti-LGBTI hate speech carried out by public figures across Europe – in countries ranging from Bulgaria, Poland and Turkey, to Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Portugal and Spain – and the very real consequences of this for LGBTI individuals and groups. In many countries across the European and Central Asian regions, and not only those with a documented growth in official bias-motivated speech, there has also been an equally sharp increase in online hate-speech and physical attacks on LGBTI people, many of the latter premeditated and brutal.

The review identifies that this is a pan-European phenomenon, from the UK where the populist narrative surrounding Brexit can be linked to an increase in anti-LGBTI hate crimes and incidents, to the banning of events in many towns and cities on the continent, the prosecution of participants in Pride marches in Turkey, and a growing presence of anti-LGBTI and neo-Nazi protesters in public spaces during LGBTI events across the region.

Alongside the rise in hatred, there is increased movement of people from within the region to countries perceived as less harsh. More LGBTI people left countries such as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan for neighbouring countries where the situation might be perceived as relatively safer. There is also an anecdotal rise in people saying they want to leave countries like Poland for other EU countries.

Reported obstacles in access to healthcare, bullying in schools and the workplace, and LGBTI people being denied services, often with a lack of governmental intervention, all play a part in the overall picture of a Europe where lived experiences for a large part do not match up with the surface message that LGBTI rights and equality have been fully secured.

According to Evelyne Paradis, Executive Director of ILGA-Europe: “It is not all bad news. The issue of bodily integrity for intersex people continues to gain more prominence on the political agenda of governments and institutions. 2019 was a year of positive developments for rainbow families in the region, with an expansion of family rights in a few countries; and important advancements continue to be made on reforming or establishing legal gender recognition procedures, even if in many countries progress is slowing down.

“However, the lived reality of LGBTI people in many parts of Europe and Central Asia is increasingly difficult and for a large part remains invisible, even to organisations like ILGA-Europe. Action is needed. Governments still have so much to do, from adopting laws that guarantee the protection of people’s rights and giving public authorities the means to translate policy into practice across sectors, to leading by example in having a discourse promoting social acceptance and inclusion.

“By making people aware of such a broad and nuanced picture, which is constantly shifting and evolving, the ILGA-Europe Annual Review aims to give a sense of the enormity of issues and areas that affect the lives of people, which will continue to require attention, especially in a context where LGBTI people are being targeted and vulnerability is heightened.”

What’s on Queerfest today? January 25

Don’t miss out on the films to watch today, workshops and talks! All films have Turkish and English subtitles!

EO4MezHXUAEK2P6

French Cultural Center

14:00 Chronic

16:00 I’m Moshanty. Do you love me? followed by a Q&A with Tim Wolff

18:00 Lemebel

Vault 34

13:00 IQMF Shorts

15:00 Mezipatra Shorts followed by a Q&A with Pavel Bicek

17:30 Transfinite followed by a Q&A with Neelu Bhuman

19:30 Shelter:Farewell to Eden

Kıraathane İstanbul

13:00 Queernes #Forever Shorts

15:00 Lover Shorts

16:30 Queer Shorts from Turkey

18:30 Koli Gazes Upon Kolis! Shorts

TALK: WRITING WITH ONE’S BODY, MULTIPLYING IN WRITING

20:00, Institut français

Seçil Epik and  Sevcan Tiftik will discuss how to increase visibility through writing and the potentials which writing brings, following the documentary Lemebel .

TALK: LGBTI+ ARCHIVING – WHY DOES IT MATTER?

20:15, Feminist Mekan

Following the screening of Archivettes, a film on the lesbian bisexual feminist archive collective active since 1970’s, Lara Güney Özlen and Okay Gökmen will talk about LGBTI+ history and archiving.

ROUND TABLE: NON-BINARIES COME TOGETHER!

15.00, SPoD Office

This roundtable aims to bring non-binaries together and increase the visibility of non-binary experiences by sharing and listening the stories.

SOUND FOR VIDEO WORKSHOP

January 25-26, Altyazı Sinema Derneği

This workshop aims to provide insights on how the sound accompanies and enriches the visual narrative. The participants will record, edit and manipulate their own sounds on Ableton Live software for the visual material of their own choosing. The facilitator is Gizem Oruç.

QUEER APPROACHES TOWARDS CIS-HETERO ROLES

January 25-26  14.00-17.00, The Circle

The participants of this workshop are encouraged to bend and disrupt the heteronormativity by queering the cis-hetero roles and their performances in fron of the camera. The facilitator of the workshop is actor Ayça Damgacı.

 QUEER DOCUMENTARY DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP 

January 25 10.30-17.30, Altyazı Sinema Derneği

The workshop focuses on many aspects of documentary making, such as development, production, post-production with instructions on funding, distribution and narrative. The facilitators are Metin Akdemir, Rüzgar Buşki, Burcu Melekoğlu and Vuslat Karan.

What’s on QueerFest today? January 24

You can watch six different selections of shorts as well as “These Peculiar Days”, “The Celluloid Closet”, “Club Splendida”, or “Transitioning” on today’s schedule. Check out our summary for today’s events on QueerFest below.

EO4MezHXUAEK2P6

 

TALK: STORIES TRANSFORMED

January 24 Ocak, 19:00, SALT Galata

Following the screening of Kuir Belgeseller bölümünün dikkat çeken filmlerinden Paternal Rites, Nayuk (Nazlı Mayuk)  and Hilal Esmer will talk about the transformative potential of the survivors’ stories.

TERF ARGUMENTS(?) CACOPHONY

January 24, 20.00, Institut français


Trans Exclusive Radical Feminism (TERF) has become concerning for both the global trans movement and the LGBTI+ movement in Turkey. Following the screening of Transitioning, QueerFest will answer the transphobic discourses through the perspectives of diverse subjects. Activists Beren Azizi and Vanessa Lee Nic will participate in the discussions’ origins and bust all the arguments of this transphobic alliance.

TALK: QUEER PERFORMERS SPEAK!

January 24 18.00, Institut français

The talk will take place after the screening of Queer Shorts from Turkey.

Bulut B.Sezer and Nihal Albayrak will talk about their experiences as queer actors on a heteronormative stage and the struggle that ensued.

 

What’s on 9th QueerFest ? The schedule is here!

kuirfestfilm20kuirfest20etk

Trans Istanbul Initiative is Established

The Trans Istanbul Initiative, formed by a group of trans people who come together at Trans Therapy Group meetings, aims to work towards removing barriers to fundamental rights and freedoms.

Source: “Trans Istanbul Initiative is Established”, (Trans İstanbul İnisiyatifi kuruldu), kaosgl.org, January 2, 2020, https://www.kaosgl.org/haber/trans-istanbul-inisiyatifi-kuruldu

trans-istanbul-inisiyatifi-kuruldu

Referring to the constitution’s 10th and 17th articles on fundamental rights, the initiative lists the most fundamental rights violations in their opening statement. The Initiative invites everyone to show solidarity and organize, “In order to fight against transphobic and heterosexist violence that we experience in all areas of life; together, we are going to create spaces that empower us.”   

“We invite all LGBT+ to empower each other”

The Initiative’s opening statement is as follows:

“According to the 10th article of the constitution, ‘Everyone, regardless of language, race, color, gender, political thought, philosophical belief, religion, sect and other similar reasons, is without discrimination, equal before the law.’ However, the equality clause does not include gender identity and excludes us trans people from constitutional security offering no protection against discrimination.

Again, according to the 17th article of the constitution, ‘Everyone has the right to life, to the protection and development of their material and spiritual existence.’ However, within the existing social, economic, political and legal order, we are first and foremost prevented from accessing our most basic rights, especially our right to life; including access to health, work, housing and education.

To eliminate the obstacles to our fundamental rights and freedoms and to fight against the transphobic and heterosexist violence we are exposed to in all areas of life; together we will create spaces that will strengthen us all. With this aim, as trans people that have come together at the Trans Therapy Group meetings, we planted the seeds of the Trans Istanbul Initiative. The Trans Therapy Group meetings have been held on the first Wednesday of every month in Istanbul since 2013 providing trans people with psychosocial support on transition processes.

 In order to enlarge such empowering spaces that belong to us, we decided to organize under an initiative. With this aim, every month, we will organize trainings, seminars, workshops and various socio-cultural activities for trans people in Istanbul.

 As the Trans Istanbul Initiative, we invite all LGBTI+ to show solidarity, to organize and empower each other. If you would like to organize with us around this purpose and be informed about our meetings, you can contact us at [email protected]. We were here, we existed, we will exist! We are Neither Wrong, Nor Alone!”

You can find the Trans Istanbul Initiative here.

QueerFest Strikes Again: What we know so far about 9th Pink Life QueerFest

9th Pink Life QueerFest is just around the corner. The festival will take place in three venues around Taksim: Vault34, the French Cultural Center and Kıraathane. The festival is titled “Döneriz Elbet” (“We’ll surely be back”) this year, emphasizing the fact that the festival is here to stay.
EN7YHt8XUAEfOaB (1)
The opening party will be at Babylon Bomontiada, featuring the 80’s film star and singer Banu Alkan (“The Aphrodite”). The party will also feature Zahter, Şevval Kılıç, Özgür Kaktüs & Asîde & Deus ex Machina as well as Dudakların Cengi, the lipsync battle, drag show which has long since taken over queer night life in Istanbul. Attendees are expected to wear their Sunday best to pose for the press on the red carpet.
EMell_GXUAEPJ2q.jpg
The second party announced will be on January 25 at Anahit Sahne, featuring DJs Üzüm Derin Solak, Elif KK and Q-Bra and will not be suitable for the faint of heart or the vanilla: The attendants are expected to don their whips, handcuffs and paint the night into “50 shades of queer”!
EN7oWq-XsAEtwD0.jpg
QueerFest has been aiming to be more accessible for audiences with disabilities. As a part of these efforts, the festival organizers announced that there will be sign language translation in all interactive events of the Istanbul festival. The organizers also note that they will continue their efforts to make the festival more accessible next year.