Trans Pride March in Istanbul: We need a law
İSTANBUL (DİHA) - Thousands marched around a massive rainbow flag for this year's Trans Pride March in Istanbul.
The slogan of the Trans Pride March this year was "we need a law," a call for legal protections and recognition of LGBTI rights in Turkey. The Istanbul LGBTI-Q Solidarity Association organized the march in the Taksim district.
The massive rainbow flag and thousands of marchers headed down Istanbul's central İstiklal Street to chants condemning the police and the state. As the march passed the Russian consulate, the crowd stopped to boo against Russia transphobic and homophobic policies.
When the march arrived at Tünel Square, Erdal Ataş, recently elected HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party) representative for Istanbul, pointed out in his speech that it was significant that the mainstream's media targeted LGBTI people the most viciously in their attacks on the recent HDP elections campaign.
Ebru Kırancı of the LGBTI-Q Solidarity Association, speaking on the march's theme of legal protection, condemned the legal order in Turkey that issues sentence reductions to the perpetrators of transphobic hate crimes and trans murders."The state needs to guarantee the basic right to life of the trans community," said Kırancı.
She pointed out that the women and children raped and attacked by ISIS know better than anyone that oppressive powers are currently seeking new victims in the Middle East. "Trans people are, among all these groups, in the position of being perhaps the easiest targets. We have to wake up; the torture executed on trans women's bodies today is the sign of what is to come for all of us. The chains that are on our ankles today will hold all of us captive tomorrow."
(cm/nt)
