19/05/2010 | Writer: KAOS GL
This year the third Parade against homophobia and transphobia was hold with the attendance of 200 people in Ankara. With the Parade which was arranged for the 17th of May International Day Against Homophobia the 5th International Meeting against Homophobia has been completed.
On the 16th of May, The Parade against Homophobia and Transphobia was held with the attendance of the people against homophobia and transphobia from Trabzon to Diyarbakır, from Adana to İzmir, all around Turkey, and LGBT people and organizations. Judith Butler who came to Ankara for the closure conference of the meeting also attended the parade. A day before, 300 audiences from Butler's conference marched from Cebeci Campus to Kızılay Sakarya with slogans.
A single placard signed "The 17th of May Initiative of Anti-Homophobia" was carried in the parade.
Just like the previous years, only rainbow flags were waved in the Parade against Homophobia and Transphobia. Throughout the parade, the slogans "Homophobia Kills!", "Transphobia Kills!", "Hate Kills!", "Neither Disease nor Sin Hurray Gay Love!" were shouted.
"No Way to Release Alone, Either altogether or none of us!"
The parade which was coordinated by the 17th of May Anti-Homophobia Initiative, started at 13.00 in the area where Tekel Workers' resistance tents were set before.
During the parade which happened on the line between Türk-İş Building and Bayındır Street, the participants shout the slogans: "Tekel Worker is the Symbol of Resistance", "No Way to Release Alone, Either altogether or none of us!"
"Neither Disease Nor Sin!"
During the parade which continued up to the Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street, Kavaf, The Minister of State for Woman and Family, was called for resign for several times. A short while ago, Minister Kavaf, had made a statement in which she described homosexuality as an illness.
In the press statement of the parade at the end of the 5th "17th of May International Meeting against Homophobia", it was underlined again that the system and its spokespersons' discrimination of LGBT people by stigmatizing them as "diseased" and "sinner" is rejected.
In the press statement made on behalf of the 17th of May Initiative of Anti-Homophobia, it was said that people brought together to stand up to homophobia and transphobia.
In the press statement, in which legal reassurance to provide LGBT people with equal participation to all fields of social life was demanded, it was said that "We say no to those who are dismissing us from the social and political life by denying our existence."
The Slogans Shouted at the Parade against Homophobia and Transphobia:
"No Way to Release Alone, Either altogether or none of us!", "Neither Disease Nor Sin Hurray Gay Love!", "We won't Surrender Homophobia will be Crashed", "We Burned the Ships, We Throw away the masks, No way back!", "Love Love Freedom, Keep Back Hatred", "Neither Crime nor Sin, Hurray Gay Love", "Homophobia Kills!", "Transphobia Kills", "Hate Kills!", "Whose Morality is Public Morality?", "Damn it, Damn it, Damn your Morality", "Ahmet Yıldız is here, where are his killers!", "Dilek İnce is here where are her killers!", "Those who don't find the killers are Accomplices", "We Want a World without Bosses and Procurers!", "We are transsexuals, we are here, get used to it we won't leave!", "Homosexuals are coming marching through the freedom", "At school, at work, in the parliament, homosexuals are everywhere!", "Kavaf, Resign!"
The Complete Text of the 17th of May International Day against Homophobia Press Statement:
Neither Disease nor Sin! Stop Homophobia and Transphobia!
We are ending the 5th International Meeting against Homophobia with our parade today.
17th of May International Day against Homophobia is the day to show action and stand up to all the physical, moral, or symbolic violence related to gender identities and sexual orientations.
We here as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender individuals together with our friends to stand up to Homophobia and Transphobia.
The system and its spokespersons, who are denying our existence, and just because of our sexual orientations and gender identities behaving us as non-human-beings, are now stigmatizing us as "diseased" and "sinner"! We are rejecting it!
Producing hate speech cannot be considered as a "right to critique" or "freedom of speech"! Stop fueling hatred! The stigmatizers and producers of hate speech, are directly responsible from the violence and hate crimes against LGBT people. We know who are responsible.
WE ARE MARCHING AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA, TRANSPHOBIA ND HATE!
BECAUSE
We do not want to die because we are not heterosexual - we want right to life!
Our right to life is extorted as we are homosexual and transsexual, we are exposed to violence and we are victims of hate crimes.
The polis does not find the murderers of homosexual and transsexual people.
In the courts, our killers are given punishment discounts as they killed homosexual and transsexual people.
We are, as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people, still deprived of our basic human rights.
Because we are homosexual and transsexual, our freedom of speech and organizing are surrounded by the blockade of "public morality".
We are suppressed, our participation to social, cultural, economical and political life is obstructed.
Due to our gender identities and sexual orientations, we are not given jobs, fired from our current employments, and with discriminating laws we are prohibited to do our professions.
As Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people, we are real and we are part of the society.
We say NO! to those who reject our existence by retaining us from the social and political life.
We want legal reassurance which will enable us to participate in all fields of social life equally!
We want the realm of Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation to be noticed.
In this society, not only heterosexual people are living, also we are!
No to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Discrimination!
Stop Hate Crimes!
Stop Homophobia and Transphobia!
Original text with photos
Tags: life
