Thousands march in Turkey to demand ban on LGBTQ groups

• LGBTQ parades have not been allowed in Turkey since 2015.
• Top Turkish officials have called LGBTQ people “perverts” who aim to hurt traditional family values.
• The organizers circulated a video using images from past LGBTQ Pride marches in Turkey.

In the largest anti-LGBTQ demonstration in Turkey, an anti-LGBTQ group marched in Istanbul on Sunday, demanding that LGBTQ organisations be closed and their activities be prohibited.

Several thousand people attended the “Big Family Gathering” protest. Kursat Mican, a speaker for the organisers, said they had gathered more than 150,000 signatures to demand that Turkey’s parliament pass a new law prohibiting what they call LGBTQ propaganda, which they claim pervades Netflix, social media, arts, and sports.

Hatice Muge, a nanny, travelled from Bursa province to attend the gathering.

“People are here despite the rain for their children, for future generations,” she said, pleading with Turkey’s government to intervene. “They should save the family and the children from this filth.”

“Protecting the family is a national security issue,” the group’s banners read.

Since 2015, Turkey has prohibited LGBTQ parades.

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The organisers of Sunday’s demonstration distributed a video featuring images from previous LGBTQ Pride marches in Turkey. The video was added to Turkey’s media watchdog’s list of public service announcements.

The video and demonstration sparked outrage among LGBTQ organisations and other civil rights organisations. The organisers of Istanbul Pride demanded that the governor’s office ban the event and that the video be removed, claiming that both were hateful.

The LGBTQ equality organisation ILGA Europe expressed grave concern about the potential for violence.

“The Turkish state must uphold its constitutional obligation to protect all of its citizens from hatred and violence,” the statement said.

According to the Turkey office of Amnesty International, public service announcements listing the event violated Turkey’s equality and non-discrimination principles.

Top Turkish officials have referred to LGBTQ people as “perverts” who seek to undermine traditional family values.

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