Erdoğan won "The Genetically Modified Tomato Awards" for the 3rd times

As part of 23^rd LGBTI Pride Week, nightmare of homophoics and transphobics, the Genetically Modified Tomato Awards Ceremony was arranged in Şişli Culture Center. In the ceremony, mass attendance taking place, modified tomatoes were given to people decided by referendum. “This is to be the last time” was said.

Trans activist Şevval Kılıç hosted the ceremony. Trans activists, Emre Özdemir and Arya Uluateşe companied her again. Kılıç, opening up the ceremony by saying that “Position, status-qua, crown come out in the wash but being organized lasts forever” added: “Just like famous astronomer and astrologist Michel Foucault says what is normal is fiction of human. They have understood our fiction this year as normalization but we reject what is normal!”

 

The first award of the night in education part was given to Medeniyet University rector, İhsan Karaman, who showed Bogazici University as a target due to opening up its doors to The Boston Gay Chorus after Zorlu Performance Arts Center’s cancellation of the concert.

 

Ayşe Panuş from KAOS GL Education Study Group, giving the award, said: “Actually, our national education system and National Education Ministry (MEB) should have won this award all together but Medeniyet University Rector, Karaman, has become the champion by a long way. For sure, we will demolish transphobic and homophobic schools one day!” On behalf of Karaman, Beren Azizi from Bogazici University LGBTI Club took the award.

 

In publishing area, in which competition occurs ruthlessly, The Genetically Modified Tomato went to Psychologist Banu Yaşar. Özge Güdül from the Association of Psychologists for Social Solidarity (TODAP) gave the award to the author of the book “Raising girls as a girl and boys as a boy”. Güdül, emphasizing that the candidates were all more homophobic and transphobic then each other when compared, called for a support to“We are not buying homophobic and transphobic books!” campaign they started as TODAP.

 

İlker, the founder of Ayı Sözlük, taking the award on behalf of Yaşar explained himself “I have taken this award proudly, we don’t need repairing treatment as we already neither wrong nor alone, who needs repairing is homophobics and transphobics.”

 

 

In the ceremony, with Madır Öktiş’s adorning, The Genetically Modified Tomato went to Zorlu Center cancelling The Boston Gay Chorus’ concert after targets. Award was presented to Metin Akdemir, the artist working on censorship in cinema on behalf of Zorlu Center, by the host of the concert Bogazici LGBTI.

 

TDK, which came to fore with “available” explanation before and then, after the result of KAOS GL social campaign, it came to light that definition of the word boy was used as “pervert man serving for the pleasure of man sexually” took the award in institution area.

 

Begüm Başdaş from International Amnesty Organization said “Even if there is not any institution we come across that is not homophobic or transphobic, award goes to TDK this year.”

 

 

The award went to Fenerbahçe Sport Club, threatening Angel McCoughtry due to her sexual orientation, after Queer Tango Show.  Kağan Şentürk from LGBTI Pride Week Committee, scoring 4 goals in “Trans vs. Gays” match organized during Trans Pride Week, took the award On behalf of Fenerbahçe.

 

Making an explanation of them not including Yeni Akit and Vahdet newspapers as candidates in media area this year, for both newspapers night’s surprise came with Seda Sayan’s most popular video on Youtube, “Efsane Atar” was screened. The answer to both newspapers, registered with homophobia and transphobia, was given with the screening of the video in a massive display.

 

 

The award in politics area was given to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with the soundtracks of Game of Thrones. He set a record by taking the award 3^rdtimes, due to mentioning Eskişehir People’s Democratic Party (HDP) MP candidate and activist Barış Sulu and targeting him by saying that “We don’t present a gay candidate”.

 

SPoD LGBTI activist Deniz Şapka, presenting the award, thanked to Şişli, Beşiktaş, Kadıköy and Mersin Akdeniz municipalities for signing the text of LGBTI Friendly Municipalities Protocol text and also Ataşehir and Edremit Municipalities for making their insigne rainbow during Pride Week. LGBTI activist Rosida took the award on behalf of Erdoğan.  

 

Şevvak Kılıç said to Diyarbakır MP Altan Tan, who did not want to shake hands with LGBTI activists and then claimed something like this did not happen, that “you’re aware homophobia is a bad thing. While you were claiming something like this did not happen, I wish you would say something against targeting of our LGBTI friends in Malatya. We did not show you as a candidate of The Genetically Modified Tomatoes and did not give you a tomato but we have our eyes on you!”

 

Genetically Modified in entertainment category went to Niran Ünsal who in social media targeted people going to Lady Gaga concert in ITU. Madır Öktiş, presenting the award, said that “Niran is whatever but there were people in Trans Pride March targeting our other friends in a similar way.” “People who are fond of morality are out” came as an answer by the people in the saloon.

 

Görkem Ulumeriç from Bogazici LGBTI, taking the award on behalf of Niran Ünsal, reminding that he talks to his parents, said “I thank in here to my parents, cousins and aunts for raising me like this.”

 

The Genetically Modified went to Switzerland which KAOS GL made a current issue of Turkey again in terms of its homophobia and opposition of refugees. Deniz Gedizlioğlu took the award on behalf of the country, arresting Nigerian gay refugee O. and saying “you can hide your sexual orientation in Nigeria” even though he had possibility of getting into prison for 14 years.

 

 

In all categories, LGBTI people’s names, who died, committed a suicide or killed, last year is remembered one by one after the awards were given. Şevval Kılıç said “even though we like having fun life is not composed of fun. We remember those who died and hug those who are alive.  We will see sunny days all together.”

The ceremony ended with Kafası Karışık Kontrtenor concert.