09/06/2020 | Writer: Yıldız Tar
An 18-year-old was discriminated against in a pastry shop, they said “You’re not allowed to sit here” and many more sexist and homophobic phrases.
Hate attacks and discrimination against LGBTI+'s continues intensely. After the hate attack in İstanbul Maçka Park last night (June 7th), a non-binary teenager was discriminated against at a restaurant in İstanbul.
“You're not allowed to sit here”
18-year-old Barbaros wanted to drink tea at a pastry shop in 4. Levent district of İstanbul last night. But as soon as they sat down, the waiters came and told them to leave. According to Barbaros, who explained their experience to KaosGL.org, the waiters forced Barbaros to leave the place by saying “You are not allowed to sit here”:
"I said," How so? " He said the boss said exactly this, you can't sit here. I said I'm paying this place to sit here. Eventually, I walked away, saying I'm better than this. Shame on you, I said. After I got up and walked away they said homophobic and sexist curses behind me. They said things like "Fuck you", "asshole".
Barbaros says “I felt like I wasn’t a human being” after the discrimination, they subjected to, and adds:
“I felt as if I wasn't even alive. As if I was a harmful substance, they tried to fire me from there. I can no longer evaluate recent events, hatred, and discrimination. I don't know how I can speak of it. I am very upset, very angry.”
Prohibition of discrimination in access to goods and services
Kaos GL Association Law Coordinator Att. Kerem Dikmen explains examples of discrimination in accessing goods and services, why blocking a person’s access to goods and services just because they are LGBTI+ is discrimination and the related legislation:
“Goods and services are the general names of all kinds of commodities or services related to commercial and individual consumption in daily life. For example, a lawyer provides legal services for a fee. A pharmacist gives medicine for a fee. Whether it is the public authority providing the goods and services does not matter in terms of this right or prohibition.
“The tenancy relationship between a tenant and a landlord, the transportation service bought from a taxi driver, the entertainment service in a cafe, a service in the hammam will constitute the subject of the right of not to be discriminated against in accessing goods and services in everyday life.
“The meaning of this subject in terms of LGBTI+'s is the act of avoiding from providing goods or services to LGBTI+'s with a homophobic or transphobic motivation. In other words, a transaction that everyone can do is inaccessible for LGBTI+'s, or that a house rented to everyone is not rented on the grounds that the tenant is LGBTI +, is an example of this kind of discrimination.”
Translation: Yiğit E. Korkmaz
Tags: human rights
