As Human Rights Watch takes on the Turkish government, the nation’s queer citizens have been taking to the street. About 100 activists marched in Turkey’s first ever gay pride last Saturday, again proving that we gays can flourish in almost any political climate. So versatile!
But, of course, there were a few hiccups for the parade through Ankara, Turkey’s capital:
The march encountered minor difficulty. The police, who outnumbered the demonstrators, stopped the march and demanded that the rainbow flags and banners be taken down.
Marchers agreed and were then allowed to continue.
Well, it’s a start…
CHURCHILL-Y
Taking down the flag, that a way of showing them!
The only reason Turkey allowed this facade of a ” first ever gay pride” to happen was because they want to make the Europeans think that they are somehow more advanced than there neighbors and deserving of admittance into the union.
Nunyuh
Are you implying that Turkey is *less* advanced than “there” neighbors? Have you ever been to Turkey?
queerunity
why did they have a problem with the flag?
http://www.queersunited.blogspot.com
M Shane
Probably a show of tolerance after all of the Kurds Bush had them kill last month in No. Iraq. I wouldn’t take any show of tolerance more seriously than an attempt to be in the EU
M Shane
There’s an O.k movie out “Screech” about the Armenian genocide of millions by the Turks before WW2. Real brutal lot.
Bill Perdue
The Turkish response was far better that those in Bulgaria, Lithuania, Poland, Serbia, the Ukraine, Russia and other ‘christian’ countries where cops have a nasty habit of disappearing when the jesus jumper skinheads show up with bats and knives.
These GLBT Turks are heroes. It’s a helluva good start.
Shabaka
And Turkey wants to be part of the EU! HA!
V
There’s an O.k movie out “Screech†about the Armenian genocide of millions by the Turks before WW2. Real brutal lot.
Relevance to the story? None, just a racist comment.
M Shane
No 8 . extrapolate, if you can. The Turks have one of the most abominable histories of Human Rights offenses. Not only with Armenians 2 million but massive numbers of Kurds. They had to be driven out of Egypt and much of Europe &No. Africa. My brother taufgt at Robert College, and said that the Turkish troups were the most feared and cruel soliers known.
If you mean that they are racist, you are right
M Shane
Simple relivance: (above) the Turks major hindrance to being in the E.U. is thier horrible history of human rights abuses. One of the worst, butt best hidden.
V
M Shane you are a racist. and slightly ridiculous ((My brother taufgt at Robert College,)!!!
I am well aware that Ottoman Empire is responsible for Armenian mass killings and Turkey is responsible for killing many Kurds, but a bunch of Turkish gays trying to claim their rights in an apparently homophobic regime has no relevance to this past.
I do not even know what to say about your ignorance -“They had to be driven out of Egypt and much of Europe &No. Africa.” Try to read a few books about Roman and Ottoman Empires than having a brief look at your brother’s lecture notes.
Emre
I just discovered this blog and I’m disappointed with your news about Turkey. There are a lot of mistakes on your news. For example, it wasn’t the 1st gay pride in Turkey. The 1st gay pride in Turkey was held in 2003 in Istanbul. The participation in 2008 was around 3000-5000. Moreover, you add your assumptions to your news, too. Especially, you put a lot of things about Islam which shows your opinion. In another news, It says that they tried to shut down Turkey’s only gay group. First of all, It is not the only gay group in Turkey. They didn’t try to shut down the group but they wanted to take out its NGO (non-governmental org.) status. Moreover, even during that time, there was also 2-3 other LGBT NGOs in other cities. Please, put less of your assumptions and check your references twice before putting these news. Someone makes a wrong news, everbody copies it and we start to see wthis wrong news everywhere.
Thank you.