eşcinsel hakları, insan hakkıdır!

Well, what a surprise: somebody's using a vague and misguided article in the Turkish Penal Code to make life harder for human rights activists. This time, it's an exercise in queer-bashing via the courts. For the past few months, the İstanbul governor's office has been trying to close down Lambdaistanbul LGBTT Solidarity Association, the city's main queer rights association, on the grounds that it constitutes an association "contrary to law and morality." (See the Bianet report--in Turkish--here.)

It seems to be an İstanbul-based replay of the Ankara district governor's attempt to shut down queer magazine Kaos GL two years ago (which I blogged about back then, when I was working at Bianet). The attempt to close Kaos GL failed, and I remain faithful that this foolish project will meet a similar end. The next court date in the closure suit is 18 October. So if you'd like to put in a word in support, here are the people Lambdaistanbul suggests you contact:

• Ministry of Justice Postal Address: T.C. Adalet Bakanlığı, 06659 Kızılay/Ankara – TURKEY
• Ministry of Internal Affairs, email: besir.atalay@icisleri.gov.tr
• The Civil Service Commission on Human Rights Violations, Ministry of Justice, Postal Address: Mülkiye Teftiş Kurulu Başkanlığı İnsan Hakları İhlalleri İnceleme Bürosu, 06100 Bakanlıklar/Ankara – TURKEY
• Human Rights Council of İstanbul Province, Email: insanhaklari@istanbul.gov.tr

I'm sure you can get the point across in English, but if you'd like to use Turkish, you could say:

"Lambdaistanbul LGBTT (Lezbiyen, Gey, Biseksüel, Travesti, Transseksüel) Dayanışma Derneği’nin kapatılması için açılan davası hakkında çok kaygılanıyorum. Eşcinsel hakları insan hakkıdir, ve dernekleşme hakkı engellenemez. Lambdaistanbul'u destekliyorum.

Saygılarıma,
[Your name here]"

(Translation: "I am very concerned about the attempt to close Lambdaistanbul LGBTT Solidarity Association. Queer rights are human rights, and the right to freedom of association should not be restricted. I support Lambdaistanbul. Sincerely, etc." Also, if any more fluent folks want to improve/edit my very inelegant Turkish, please do so!)

Lambdaistanbul is a great organization. I've visited their space in Taksim and met some of the people involved, and they were incredibly kind and informative. I hope that this tiresome ordeal only leaves them stronger, prouder, and more visible. I am delighted that a wide range of feminist, antiwar, anti-racist, and other civil society groups have already made public statements in their support.

On that note, a friend's away message was reminding me all yesterday afternoon that it was National Coming Out Day. This blog hasn't been particularly shy about touching on queer topics, but in case I've been just a little too oblique, I'll make it clear: here, queer*, and absolutely delighted to be so.

*and at some point, we'll have to have a mini-essay on my strong preference for the Q-word.