Is the Public Ready for LGBTI People?

There was no other moment in Turkey where LGBTI candidates were so visible in the municipal elections scene. 6 pre-candidates in Istanbul have mobilized in various municipal assemblies. 

“I hope it won’t happen. It should happen,” said Ankara mayor Melih Gökçek when famous comedian Okan Bayülgen asked him when Turkey will have a gay mayor. 

The discussion on LGBTI visibility in politics has always been discussed on arguments like “The public is not ready for them”. 

bianet asked Turkey’s municipal assembly pre-candidates with LGBTI background the following question: “Is the public ready for homosexuals?”

“Sooner or later a homosexual will rule the country”

Şevval Kılıç, HDP Şişli Municipal Assembly Pre-Candidate: The public is always ready. This is a geography where people with conscience lived. Nobody can make me believe otherwise. We all know that there are LGBTI people even among the richest artists and administrators. 

This is a discourse seeking a community and vote. LGBTI people are not more stupid than other people. These statements are gaffs that seek the approval of conservative grassroots people. LGBTI people are as educated and qualified as other people. The counter-argument is always something used by conservative people. If you do politics, your aim is already to improve the conditions of people for good. Statements favoring homophobia and transphobia are redundant. Sooner or later a homosexual will rule the country. We have to stop resisting against this progress.

“There is no division between homosexuals and society”

Sedef Çakmak, CHP Beşiktaş Municipal Assembly Pre-Candidate: Right of the bat, I have to say that there is no division between homosexuals and the rest of society! You can never know who is homosexual. It can be the nurse who is pulling blood from your vein or your school teacher or the supermarket guy on the street cornet or the deputy whom you will vote or even your kid or your mother! You can never know somebody’s sexual orientation without asking them. 

Therefore, homosexuals, I mean LGBTI people are a part of this society. There can only be a division between those who accept them and those who don’t.  

If we look from another angle, it is a luxury to be aware on LGBTI matters when people are killed for being one or subjected to hate speech or deprived of their right to education, lodging or work. It is hard to be aware when these people are forced to marry involuntary or when their basic human rights are violated. Every social state has the responsibility to protect the rights of its citizens.

“What happened when the public was ready for heterosexual politicians?”

Asya Elmas, HDP Kadıköy Municipal Assembly Pre-Candidate: For years, they have been repeating that “the public was not ready”. I think this is only a pretext claimed by a heterosexual mentality that wants to block out way. We understand the public best, because we know very well what suffering means. We are asking everyone: What happened when the public was ready for heterosexual politicians? In March, we will all see whether the public ready for LGBTI politicians. 

“The public is ready but politicians aren’t” 

Boysan Yakar, CHP Şişli Municipal Assembly Pre-Candidate: In my opinion, only politicians weren’t ready to receive homosexual in the political scene. However, we are a part of people and we are all together. On the contrary of what one might think, we also take the streets in the morning, we live everywhere in this country. As a target of various discriminations and hatred, we are anticipating the legal repartition of countless hate murders. We are reiterating that this is a basic human right to be restored and we have been taking the streets for 20 years and struggling against it. 

I think politicians must count on us, we are certain that we will do a great job both in state and local administrative affairs! 

“These people have seen Zeki Müren, why not ready now?”

Ebru Kırancı, HDP Beyoğlu Municipal Assembly Pre-Candidate: How come the public is not ready? These people have seen Zeki Müren, why not ready now? It is time to understand that secretly attacking trans people at night must be left behind and accept the human rights of LGBTI people. We are spread throughout various factions of the society, we exist out there and we will keep on existing wherever we are! We should be able to become municipal assembly member as well as a deputy, minister and prime minister. Our ties with the rest of the people are much stronger than you think. 

“Is the public not ready or the government unwilling?”

Çelik Özdemir, CHP Municipal Assembly Pre-Candidate: Conservative discourses, especially pumped by AKP, have a created a group people who hated everyone who didn’t look like them. The only way to overcome this is by providing an education to individuals and groups that will bring them awareness. If we don’t put any effort on these, we will also contribute to the crimes and right violations. Societies which internalize democracy respect minority rights. Moreover, it is easier to live in a society where its individals members respect each other. In order to develop this, we need to ask ourselves individually whether we have the power to achieve this, instead of questioning the whole society. In my opinion, this is rather a question of the government authorities’ willingness to take a step forward on the issue. (ÇT/BM)

Next: What are the demands of LGBTI electorate?