The bar Bigudi is about to open for the evening. One of the fewer and fewer places for queers in Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul. For the first time in 15 years, the owner does not dare to hang out the rainbow flag. The reason: The aggressive atmosphere. – Both me and my parents are very nervous, says Burak Unal to news. The 30-year-old works as a DJ in the bar. He is tall and powerful with a full beard. His parents called him on election night on May 28 after hearing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s victory speech when he was re-elected. In the speech, he said that “LGBT should not be allowed to infiltrate us”. – My parents begged me to leave the country. They said “please go. It’s not safe here for you anymore.” DARK FUTURE: Burak Unal sees no future as a gay man in Turkey. Photo: Åse Marit Befring – Anything can happen The verbal attacks against LGBTQ people have continued afterwards as well. On 21 June, Erdogan referred to this group as “the accident that threatens society’s survival”. The far-right Islamist Yeniden Refah party, with which Erdogan’s AKP party partners in parliament, has said it will ban LGBT unions. – Anything can happen, because politicians only talk about queers, says bar owner Adar Bazbay. Fewer come to the nightclub now than before the election because they are afraid, she says. MAY HAVE TO CLOSE: The pub Bazbay opened 15 years ago, but now the owner fears for the future. Photo: Åse Marit Befring / news Bazbay does not know how long she can stay open. – The police come here often. Many cafes, bars and clubs for LGBT people have closed. I don’t know why we’ve managed to keep it going for so long. Maybe it’s because I’m so stubborn, she says, laughing. But there is a seriousness behind the laughter. – Was put on medication Recently, the government proposed to change the wording of Turkey’s constitution. The reason they cite is a need to protect the family from “threats” and to emphasize that marriage is exclusively between a man and a woman. This could pave the way for further pressure against queer rights. – There is a fear of homosexuals in this country, and we have never been under more pressure. After Islamist parties gained power, I see no future here, says Eren Deniz. He has been subjected to verbal threats many times, but now he fears that it could become violent. The 21-year-old has short-cut bleached hair, a black singlet and a pearl necklace around her neck. FEARS VIOLENCE: Eren Deniz fears that the verbal violence against gays will become physical. Photo: Åse Marit Befring / news Deniz is house hunting and the other day he was asked if he was a “sweeper” when he came to look at an apartment. For him, coming out as gay has cost a lot. He says that his parents sent him to a psychiatrist when he told about his addiction at the age of 14. There he was prescribed strong sedatives, he says. – They pressured me and said that “you are not that kind of person”. The pressure from my family made me sick and depressed, and the pills into a numb zombie. Two years ago, Deniz left home, and since then he has not seen his parents. When news meets him, he says that he does not dare to participate in the Pride celebrations as he usually does. Ban is prohibited Pride parades have been severely cracked down on in Turkey since 2016. The official explanation is that it is to safeguard peace and order, but this year the governor of Istanbul also justified it by saying that no one can “threaten family values”. Dozens of people were arrested when some managed to bypass police roadblocks and organize a short demonstration in the city on Sunday 25 June. POSTPONED: Queers in Turkey do not get a Pride holiday, even though courts believe it is against the constitution. Photo: AP While the authorities in Turkey practice a nationwide ban on Pride, courts in both Istanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Mersin and Adana have over the past three years, through several court decisions, established that the bans are in violation of the constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights . ARRESTED: Dozens of protesters in Istanbul were arrested after the Pride celebration in the city. Photo: Reuters It is not just pride that is being attacked: – No one represents us But in politics it is quiet. Not even any of the six opposition parties that Erdogan said were “infiltrated by queers” during the election campaign have come out in support of the LGBT movement. – I feel that no one represents me or our rights, says Burak Unal. Unlike many others, he has a high education and thus the opportunity to travel abroad. But he does it with a heavy heart. – I love living in Istanbul. I love the city and everyone here.
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– Was sent to a psychiatrist when I said I was gay – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
