Istanbul Pride

Istanbul LGBT pride parade in 2012, İstiklal Avenue, Istanbul.
Istanbul LGBT pride parade in 2011, İstiklal Avenue, Istanbul.
Istanbul LGBT pride parade in 2013, Taksim Square, Istanbul.
Istanbul LGBT pride parade in 2008, İstiklal Avenue, Istanbul.

Gay Pride Istanbul (Turkish: Onur Yürüyüşü) is a gay pride march and LGBT demonstration held annually in Turkey's biggest city, Istanbul. The event first took place in 2003 and now occurs each year on either the last Sunday of June or the first Sunday of July, to mark the end of Istanbul pride week. About 30 people took part in the first Gay Pride Istanbul. The numbers have increased exponentially each year, reaching roughly 5,000 people by 2010. The 2011 gathering attracted over 10,000 people, therefore making Gay Pride Istanbul the biggest march of its kind in Eastern Europe.[1][1][2][3][4] The 2012 pride march, which took place on 1 July, attracted between 10,000 to 30,000 people.[5][6][7]

Participants assemble in Taksim Square before marching the entire length of İstiklal Avenue. This is a wide pedestrianized boulevard and one of Istanbul's most important public spaces, the frequent home of bayram and regional festivals.

On 30 June 2013, the pride parade attracted almost 100,000 people.[8] The protesters were joined by Gezi Park protesters, making the 2013 Istanbul Pride the biggest pride ever held in Turkey.[9] The 2014 pride attracted more than 100,000 people.[10] The European Union praised Turkey that the parade went ahead without disruption.[11]

Authorities

The Istanbul Pride parade is not supported by the government and is organized without permission from the municipality.

Organizers

LGBT organizations[12]

  • Bahçeşehir Üniversitesi “Gri (Gender roles and identities)” Kulübü
  • Bilkent Üniversitesi Think colorful! LGBTQ student's Society
  • Bilgi Gökkuşağı LGBT student's Society
  • Hebûn LGBT Diyarbakır Organization
  • İLLET İstanbul anti-authoritarian pleasure and resistance network of feminist women, trans, queer. İstanbul LGBT Solidarity Association.
  • İstanbul LGBTT Solidarity Organization
  • İTÜ Cins Arı LGBT Öğrenci Topluluğu
  • İÜ Radar LGBT Öğrenci Topluluğu
  • Kadın Kapısı (Women's door)
  • Kaos Gay and Lesbian Cultural Research and Solidarity Association
  • LİSTAG – Istanbul group of Families of LGBT
  • luBUnya Boğaziçi Üniversitesi LGBT Society
  • MorEl Eskişehir LGBTT Organization
  • ODTÜ LGBT Dayanışması
  • Pembe Hayat LGBTT Solidarity Association
  • Sabancı Üniversitesi Gender Club
  • Siyah Pembe Üçgen İzmir LGBTT Association
  • Voltrans Trans Erkek Initiative
  • SPoD Social Policies, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association

Other institutions and organizations that contribute to the pride march are:

Political impact

Politicians that have joined Gay Pride Istanbul are mainly from the opposition parties BDP and CHP, and include:

Members of European parliament have also joined the march.[13] They call upon the Turkish authorities to guarantee fundamental rights and civil liberties to all LGBT people.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Tahaoğlu, Çicek (27 June 2011). "19. LGBTT Onur Haftası, Onur Yürüyüşü ile Sona Erdi". KAOS GL. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  2. ↑ "Stonewall'dan Bugüne". KAOS GL. 24 June 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  3. ↑ "Homosexuals demand rights at Istanbul's Gay Pride March". Hürriyet Daily News. 27 June 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  4. ↑ "İstiklal Caddesi 10 bin renk! - Genel". ntvmsnbc.com. 1970-01-01. Retrieved 2012-09-26.
  5. ↑ "EUROPRIDE BID FOR 2015, ISTANBUL". Facebook. 2012-07-04. Retrieved 2012-09-26.
  6. ↑ "Gay Pride İstanbul - 01.07.2012". YouTube. 2012-07-01. Retrieved 2012-09-26.
  7. ↑ "Istanbul Gay Pride Parade 2012". SkyscraperCity. 2012-07-05. Retrieved 2012-09-26.
  8. ↑ "Gay Pride in Istanbul groot succes - TV | Altijd op de hoogte van het laatste nieuws met Telegraaf.nl [tv]". Telegraaf.nl. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
  9. ↑ "Taksim'deki Onur Yürüyüşü'ne BBC yorumu: Bugüne kadar... - Milliyet Haber". Dunya.milliyet.com.tr. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
  10. ↑ http://www.popkedi.com/yosun-pare/100000-kisi-dile-kolay
  11. ↑ (PDF) http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/key_documents/2013/package/brochures/turkey_2013.pdf. Retrieved 2013-12-05. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ↑ LGBTI Organizations
  13. ↑ "ALDE MEPs participate in gay prides in Zagreb and Istanbul :: VVD Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert". Jeaninehennisplasschaert.vvd.nl. 2008-06-25. Retrieved 2012-09-26.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Istanbul Pride.