Essay on "Being Gay in Turkey"

Essay 13 pages (4332 words) Sources: 10

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Gay in Turkey

Turkey has a predominant Muslim population with the total population being over 12 million. The country has inherited the culture of both Asia and Europe but with Islamization, the Muslim way of life is the recognized way of life in Turkey. In the west there are fears of Turkey's legacies, on many issues. These include human rights, woman rights and gays. In 2004, Erik Jan Zurcher (2004) commented that the inability to integrate Muslims into the EU state and assertiveness of the new generation of Muslims and recent development of terrorism have created a controversy by itself. Thus when Turkey was granted a candidate membership in 1999 into the European Union, and the post 9/11 attack on the U.S. changed the way other countries. As of today Islamic countries are viewed as dangerous and there is an ongoing fear of Islam and the west views Turkey also in this light.

This is therefore a pointer that the issue being discussed need to be looked into the context of History, religion and cultural context of Turkey rather than a western view of what homosexuality is. The definitions themselves differ.

1. Understanding why people in Turkey don't accept gay people? Is this issue due to the fact that it is an Islamic society?

The principal matter that makes Turkey unique is that it has an amalgamation of many cultures. However there is a predominance of Islam and Turkey is considered as an Islamic state. Turkey is a nation with peculiarities -- both politically and culturally. That is because the country is the meeting point of the Asian and European systems. It is the country that borders both Asia and Europe and now is a part of the European Union. From early 1920's Turkey was in the process of aligning with Europe and has modernized its cultural outlook. Yet it is to be remembered that Islam is the dominant religion in Turkey, though its culture has elements of the European, Mediterranean and Eastern cultures. Muslims themselves admit that it is the most secular of Islamic nations. Gay westerners look at Turkey as an esoteric gay destination with folklore buried back into the Ottoman Empire. The Gays in Turkey however express the opinion that the 'West' is freer for them. Looking at Turkey therefore it must be understood that the male Turkish homosexuality is a complex thing and affected by religion, and occidental and oriental cultures.

It is a wrong claim that gay people are not accepted by the people of Turkey. If the facts are examined, it can be shown that the establishment is against gays and other similar people rather than the society. Islamic society is rigid in following the tenets of Islam which has abhorrence for gays. The religious prohibition cannot be questioned or violated, and even though modern Turkey has changed the laws to accommodate the gays, yet the society is hesitant to accept the existence of gays and ways of living other than that which is sanctioned by Islamic concepts. The fundamental reasoning of Islam which sees sex as occurring naturally for pleasure and procreation between a male and a female does not recognize any other form of marital status other than between a man and a woman. Traditionally it is so in all religions, and in Islam sex between men is frowned upon as unnatural.

According to the dictates of Islam, sex can take place only between married couples, and sexual encounters outside is a crime. Homosexuality is also condemned by the religion.

While on the one hand the issue of Islam and homosexuality is yet to be resolved, there are many types of homosexuality that is found in Turkey -- which may be unique to it and these are basically of four types, and not all types are condemned in Turkey. In order to understand the issue in detail it is necessary that the definition and what is considered deviant in the society especially Turkey has to be understood. Like marriage, the issue of homosexuality is also considered a type of contract. For a state that is an amalgamation of two cultures, the definition becomes invariably of prime importance.

The nature of homosexuality in a state that consists of both these types of cultures is different from other countries. The meanings attached to homosexual behaviors in Turkish society are culture specific. Thus it is a social contract initially based upon the needs of consenting same sex adults and is so viewed.

This is one of the major reasons why the gays are discriminated against and the different types of homosexuality found in Turkey relates to the consenting male who plays the part of the female who is put to ridicule and abuse, while the occasional bisexual is let off. The complexities of this mentality are to be borne in mind when the situation of homosexuals is analyzed for Turkey.

2. How does a gay feel in Turkey?

The later part of the years 2009 -- 2010 saw gays and lesbians come out in the open and demand their rights. The process however began back in the 1980s but the current atmosphere seems to have become better in terms of coming out in the open. Still as of now Turkey, according to Michael a. Jones

is a dangerous place for LGBT people. There has been rampant discrimination and violence directed at the transgender community and other gay rights organizations. There is also the incidence of a father who murdered his gay son being termed honor killing. In 2009 and this year 2010, there was no intervention of the European human rights groups for these homophobic activities of the state and the citizens. It can be stated that the Amnesty International took strong opinion to the litigation that is going on to close the gay rights organization known as the Black Pink Triangle Association. Turkey's legal system seeks to nullify the right of the LGBT voices. In 2009 the Human Rights Watch brought to light the murder of Ebru Soykan, a gay activist.

However today there is solidarity between the gays groups and this organizing of the community seems to have had its effects. However in Turkey, the Police and other enforcement officials seem to view the existence of homosexuals and their congregations as a threat to the state, and often suppress these meetings and very often brutally ill treat the gays. This oppression cannot be overlooked, and though there is nothing illegal about being gay, it is still a dangerous way of life.

All is not lost, while on the one hand oppression continues, in Turkey especially the Taksim area has become the centre for Turkey's gay community. Now there are gay bars and clubs and gays from all over are flocking to Istanbul. However, elsewhere life appears to be dangerous. Turkey's gay community lives in a "climate of fear." According to the Human rights commission, transgender and homosexual people face violence both from home and in public and they are brutalized by the police. Homosexuality is now legal in Turkey, but the Governor of Istanbul closed down meeting centers on the grounds of violating public morality. While the community is slowly coming to terms with this class of people the administration is not. There are reported police brutality from the country's transsexual and transvestite community.

Therefore these persons would not be secure and safe and would feel hounded and isolated and always in fear of their life. Acceptance in the society is yet to materialize.

3. What are the things that people should do to be more understanding in this field?

Primarily the analysis of the way of the life of the gays and the types of gays that are found in the society ought to be considered with their needs. Secondly people have to see the issue against the context of religion. On the basis of continuous struggle the gays of Turkey seem to have finally cast out the legal shackles for the gays. However the existence of homophobia in Turkey cannot be ignored. But unlike other nations, the country is set to legislate in taking the freedom of the people with the Istanbul court closing down one of the largest gay rights group on the basis that it was "against the law and morality." While that was happening on one side we also have to consider the fact that in 2008 Istanbul was the host to the biggest 'Gay Pride' parade of the year and the liberals of western Turkey have ensured that some gay groups are free as compared to the other parts of the country. The religious feeling of the masses is a great factor that has been fuelled by the recent Islamic movements. Gay way of life is proscribed, and made punishable but is not treated severely.

It is pointed out by Gary David Comstock (1997) that the Quran mentions homosexualities only five times in its entire length and of these four are from the Old Testament.… READ MORE

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