Turkey's LGBT History - 2004
Spring 2004. Meetings and Symposia Held in Various Cities
In the spring of 2004, Kaos GL convened meetings in the cities of Diyarbakir, Ankara, Izmir, and Istanbul in order to unite lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered individuals with human rights activists. University-supported symposia included "To Understand Sexual Identity and Sexual Orientation in Turkey", held May 7, 2004, at Istanbul Bilgi University, and "Turkey, Identity, Queer", held for two days in April 2004 at the University of Bosphorus.
January 2004. Turkish Parliament Justice Commission Proposes Criminalizing "Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation"
On January 29, 2004, Turkey's Parliamentary Justice Commission voted to alter the discrimination clause in the Penal Code to designate "discrimination based on sexual orientation" a crime. It would encompass services, housing, and employment. Turkish LGBT activists praised the proposal. If it had been passed into law, Turkey would have become the first predominantly Muslim country to pass such progressive human rights legislation.
July 2004. Turkish Parliament Justice Commission Rules Out Anti-discrimination Proposal
On July 6, 2004, the Parliamentary Justice Commission decided to replace the discrimination clause in the Penal Code with the existing discrimination clause in the Constitution (Article No.10). While prohibiting discrimination based on language, race, skin color, gender, political opinion, religion, denomination, and similar reasons, the Constitution does not directly refer to sexual orientation.
July 2004. International Group Advocates Penal Code Reform as Part of Turkey
In the spring of 2004, Kaos GL convened meetings in the cities of Diyarbakir, Ankara, Izmir, and Istanbul in order to unite lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered individuals with human rights activists. University-supported symposia included "To Understand Sexual Identity and Sexual Orientation in Turkey", held May 7, 2004, at Istanbul Bilgi University, and "Turkey, Identity, Queer", held for two days in April 2004 at the University of Bosphorus.
January 2004. Turkish Parliament Justice Commission Proposes Criminalizing "Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation"
On January 29, 2004, Turkey's Parliamentary Justice Commission voted to alter the discrimination clause in the Penal Code to designate "discrimination based on sexual orientation" a crime. It would encompass services, housing, and employment. Turkish LGBT activists praised the proposal. If it had been passed into law, Turkey would have become the first predominantly Muslim country to pass such progressive human rights legislation.
July 2004. Turkish Parliament Justice Commission Rules Out Anti-discrimination Proposal
On July 6, 2004, the Parliamentary Justice Commission decided to replace the discrimination clause in the Penal Code with the existing discrimination clause in the Constitution (Article No.10). While prohibiting discrimination based on language, race, skin color, gender, political opinion, religion, denomination, and similar reasons, the Constitution does not directly refer to sexual orientation.
July 2004. International Group Advocates Penal Code Reform as Part of Turkey