World

Let’s Look Above, Let’s Look at the Rainbow!

Turkish LGBTI + groups have issued a joint statement against recent attacks and police violence

03/Feb/21

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Let’s Look Above, Let’s Look at the Rainbow!

Turkish LGBTI + groups have issued a joint statement against recent attacks and police violence.

We present the text of the statement.

As the signatory LGBTI+ associations of the following statement, we object to the police violence against students' democratic protests and smear campaigns towards LGBTI+s by public officials at Boğaziçi University!

Attacks against the expression and association rights of LGBTI+s and LGBTI+'s the targeted discrimination and hate speech offenses are unacceptable. Targeting LGBTI+s, their humiliation in the public eye and marginalization of human right defenders is a form of discrimination and it's a crime. Students' right to protest and freedom of expression are inseparable for a democratic society. Closing the Boğaziçi University LGBTI+ Studies Club as a result of the targeting and smear campaigns, and sharing this decision on social media before notifying the club clearly means violation of LGBTI+'s freedom of expression and association.

LGBTI+'s struggle for equality and freedom is a struggle for democratization and human rights, and is an indispensable part of this struggle. We are again calling out the authorities that they must immediately stop violating our democratic rights through smear campaigns. We also call all the other civil society organizations to fight against these hate speeches and crimes against LGBTI+ that may even endanger our lives.

Those of us who struggle against all kinds of attempts to humiliate, embarrass, and criminalize LGBTI+s, #WeWillNotLookDown (#AşağıBakmayacağız), as in Pride Marches. Because there is the sky and the rainbow above that we all find in each other and that is an inevitable part of liberation! To live together in social peace, let's look at the sky, let's look above and let's look at the rainbow!

Signatories:

May 17 Association

Ankara Rainbow Families Association (GALADER)

BİZ Association

Young LGBTI+ Association

HEVİ LGBTI+ Association

Kaos GL Association

Lambdaistanbul LGBTI+ Solidarity Association

LİSTAG (LGBTI+ Families and Relatives Association)

Muamma LGBTI+ Education, Research and Solidarity Association

Free Colors Association

Pink Life LGBTI+ Solidarity Association