Crip and Queer Seminar: The activism of/for hope: LGBTQ+ campaigns in Turkey

There has been a securitised political landscape in Turkey, especially evident following the Gezi resistance in 2013 and the coup attempt in 2016, which turned into a hostile and even threatening political discourse towards LGBTQ+ individuals. Along with the anti-gender and misogynist discourses, LGBTQ+ representation has been targeted as the enemy of the state that is rooted in external (enemy) lands. Despite the challenges posed by securitisation and anti-gender discourse, the LGBTQ+ movement in Turkey remains driven by hope-based activism, which manifests in both immediate acts of resistance and the pursuit of equality through political and legal means. In that context, our study explores how LGBTQ+ NGOs, such as KaosGL and SPoD, have resisted societal polarisation driven by anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and how they have aligned with other movements during critical rupture points that have altered the dynamics of identity politics in Turkey. 

As two NGOs employing different strategies towards improving LGBTQ+ existence and visibility in society, we analyse the two prominent campaigns: KaosGL's "Hand in Hand Against Hate" campaign focuses on radical public visibility, challenging the state's attempts to erase LGBTQ+ presence and asserting the right of distinguished bodies to exist in public spaces. In contrast, SPoD's "Turkey is Ready for This" campaign prioritises legal recognition and political inclusion, engaging directly with political parties to bring LGBTQ+ issues into the mainstream political discourse. The analysis delves into the distinct approaches taken by KaosGL and SPoD.

Contact

• Sunny Gurumayum sunny [dot] gurumayum [at] genus [dot] lu [dot] se (sunny[dot]gurumayum[at]genus[dot]lu[dot]se)
• Irina Schmitt irina [dot] schmitt [at] genus [dot] lu [dot] se (irina[dot]schmitt[at]genus[dot]lu[dot]se)