Feminists and LGBTi

Uluğ, Ö. M., & Acar, Y. (2015). We are more than alliances between groups': A social psychological perspective on the Gezi Park protesters and negotiating levels of identity. In Everywhere Taksim: sowing the seeds for a new Turkey at Gezi. Amsterdam University Press.

Women’s rights activists (Ankara and Istanbul): The visibility of women

in general during the protests was quite high.6 Women’s rights activists

discussed many reasons for that visibility, including attacks on women,

women feeling their place is restricted in the public sphere and feeling

they have no right to speak. In general, participants discussed their

reasons for protest as being related to the AKP’s aggressive policies

against women and their rhetoric of control over women. They specifically

mentioned bans on abortion and the morning after pill, pressure

on women by the government to have three children, the murder of

women and feeling that they have no safe haven when they are exposed

to violence.

Participants indicated that they were in the streets as women because

this identity had become increasingly important during the AKP rule.

They emphasised that there is no place for women in the AKP’s government.

Participants felt close to the LGBTI movement, the Kurdish

movement, anarchists and the Anti-capitalist Muslims. They also said

that they could stand together with TGB and İP, though they criticised

Kemalists in general. (p. 128)

LGBTI groups (Istanbul): LGBTI participants were in the protests to

indicate that the park and Taksim are an especially important meeting

space for their community. Participants stated that the LGBTI community

could never get along well with the police, law enforcement agencies and

other authority figures, because they have a problem with the ‘patriarchal,

male-dominated, authoritarian, fascist, heteronormative system.’ They

participated in the protests to respond to the state’s violent, brutal and

fascist attitude, and also mentioned specific incidents of attacks on friends.

Participants from the LGBTI movement indicated that they were in the

protests not only with their LGBTI identity, but also with other identities.

One participant stated, ‘identity was of no importance anymore during

the protests.’ They felt close to the Anti-capitalist Muslims, vegans,

feminists, Çarşı, anarchists, activists against armament (Silahlanma

Karşıtları) and the Kurdish movement. However, some of the LGBTI

participants criticised the Taksim Solidarity platform, leftist men from

the ‘1968 generation’ and CHP. (p.130)