Turkey's LGBT History - 2007
January 2007. Systematic Attacks Against Turkish Transgenders Continue
Buse Kilickaya who is a member of Pink Life Association issued a press statement on January 16, 2007 with supports from other LGBT organizations including Kaos GL and Lambda Istanbul to protest the latest violent attacks against the transgender community in Ankara. Transgenders have been facing discrimination and violence from various groups of people and protested the fact that government officials don’t do anything to help them.
February 2007. First legally registered LGBT organization established in Istanbul
An official demand to ban another gay rights association in the city of Istanbul was rejected by a prosecutor on February 2, 2007, allowing the Lambda Association to continue to operate. The decision wasn’t considered suprising given the fact that there are three legally registered LGBT organizations already which are: Kaos GL in Ankara, Pink Life in Ankara and Rainbow Association in Bursa.
March 2007. Turkish Gay Editor Has Been Acquitted
In the second and final trial, the judge rejected to sentence Umut Guner, the editor and publisher of a Turkish LBGT magazine from the charges of peddling "pornography" in his publication, Kaos GL Magazine. Guner could have faced up to three years in prison over 2006 summer's issue of the magazine, which critically analyzed the relationship between homosexuality and pornography in articles by several noted Turkish writers.
April 2007. Turkey’s first gay and lesbians students club established at Bilgi University
“In order to block homophobia and liberalize lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT) by setting a wider area for them within campus borders,” around 15 students came together and founded Bilgi Gokkusagi Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender students club in Istanbul's Bilgi University. They applied to the university administration officially and were approved.
May 2007. The Second International Anti-Homophobia Meeting took place in Ankara
The Second International Anti-Homophobia Meeting started in Ankara on May 15 2007. There were seminars, workshops and film shows to raise awareness against homophobia in all walks of life. Event continued until May 17.
July 2007. Lambda Istanbul, the leading LGBTT organization in Istanbul faces closure
“Lambda Istanbul” faces a threat of being closed down. The Turkish Civil Code states that associations against law and morality cannot be established. Becasue Lambda Istanbul’s title has the words “lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transvestite and transsexual” in it, this association's title and purposes were found to be against the Turkish Civil Code," said the governor's letter sent to public prosecutors and the group, Lambda Istanbul. The first trial held on July 19th, Thursday at 10:00 am.
September 2007. Kaos GL demand the goverment to include protection based on "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" in the new Constitution
Kaos GL Association submitted a petition to the President, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly, the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Foreign Affairs to add the concepts of “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the new Constitution’s article regulating “equality” in order to stop the discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and sexual identity.
December 2007. EU reports show increased awareness of LGBT rights including the LGBT rights in Turkey
Progress reports released by the European Commission last month show improvements in the monitoring of LBGT rights in countries looking to join the European Union. LGBT rights organisation, ILGA-Europe, has praised the EU's increased focus on LGBT human rights, especially in the Turkish and Serbian reports.
Buse Kilickaya who is a member of Pink Life Association issued a press statement on January 16, 2007 with supports from other LGBT organizations including Kaos GL and Lambda Istanbul to protest the latest violent attacks against the transgender community in Ankara. Transgenders have been facing discrimination and violence from various groups of people and protested the fact that government officials don’t do anything to help them.
February 2007. First legally registered LGBT organization established in Istanbul
An official demand to ban another gay rights association in the city of Istanbul was rejected by a prosecutor on February 2, 2007, allowing the Lambda Association to continue to operate. The decision wasn’t considered suprising given the fact that there are three legally registered LGBT organizations already which are: Kaos GL in Ankara, Pink Life in Ankara and Rainbow Association in Bursa.
March 2007. Turkish Gay Editor Has Been Acquitted
In the second and final trial, the judge rejected to sentence Umut Guner, the editor and publisher of a Turkish LBGT magazine from the charges of peddling "pornography" in his publication, Kaos GL Magazine. Guner could have faced up to three years in prison over 2006 summer's issue of the magazine, which critically analyzed the relationship between homosexuality and pornography in articles by several noted Turkish writers.
April 2007. Turkey’s first gay and lesbians students club established at Bilgi University
“In order to block homophobia and liberalize lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT) by setting a wider area for them within campus borders,” around 15 students came together and founded Bilgi Gokkusagi Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender students club in Istanbul's Bilgi University. They applied to the university administration officially and were approved.
May 2007. The Second International Anti-Homophobia Meeting took place in Ankara
The Second International Anti-Homophobia Meeting started in Ankara on May 15 2007. There were seminars, workshops and film shows to raise awareness against homophobia in all walks of life. Event continued until May 17.
July 2007. Lambda Istanbul, the leading LGBTT organization in Istanbul faces closure
“Lambda Istanbul” faces a threat of being closed down. The Turkish Civil Code states that associations against law and morality cannot be established. Becasue Lambda Istanbul’s title has the words “lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transvestite and transsexual” in it, this association's title and purposes were found to be against the Turkish Civil Code," said the governor's letter sent to public prosecutors and the group, Lambda Istanbul. The first trial held on July 19th, Thursday at 10:00 am.
September 2007. Kaos GL demand the goverment to include protection based on "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" in the new Constitution
Kaos GL Association submitted a petition to the President, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly, the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Foreign Affairs to add the concepts of “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the new Constitution’s article regulating “equality” in order to stop the discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and sexual identity.
December 2007. EU reports show increased awareness of LGBT rights including the LGBT rights in Turkey
Progress reports released by the European Commission last month show improvements in the monitoring of LBGT rights in countries looking to join the European Union. LGBT rights organisation, ILGA-Europe, has praised the EU's increased focus on LGBT human rights, especially in the Turkish and Serbian reports.