Report on Human Rights of LGBTI+s: ‘2019 Saw an Increase in Torture, Maltreatment’
* Photo: Kaos GL / "Hand in hand to freedom"
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The Ankara-based Kaos GL LGBTI+ association has released its 2019 annual report on the human rights of the LGBTI+ community in Turkey.
Prepared by lawyer Yasemin Öz, the report gives detailed information about the violation of rights faced by LGBTI+s in Turkey in 2019 as well as the practices preventing them from accessing fundamental human rights.
The 90-page report was shared with the public in an online press statement yesterday (May 17) on the occasion of International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.
According to the report, the distribution of cases and violations by categories of rights is as follows: "Five hate murders, 13 hate crimes, six hate speeches, two sexual assault cases, ten violations of prohibition of torture and maltreatment, 34 violations of personal liberty and security, two violations of privacy, 16 violations of freedom of expression.
"13 violations of the right to hold meetings and demonstrations, five cases of discrimination in work life and four cases of discrimination in education.
"13 violations of freedom of travel and housing and right of succession, three cases of discrimination in healthcare and four cases of discrimination in accessing products and services. Three rights violations pertaining to the LGBTI+s in prisons and one violation of rights targeting refugees."
'Positive developments were limited in 2019'
The report has made the following observations about 2019:
"While the violations of rights faced by LGBTI+s were discussed and there was an increase in the legal actions taken against these violations, positive developments were still limited in 2019 as well.
"While there was an increase in the number of violations directly committed by the authorities and legislation officers, there was still a high number of violations arising from the society.
"In any case, it is beyond dispute that noteworthy developments that would ensure the LGBTI+s' access to mechanisms of justice and compensation for the violations they faced were far from the necessary level.
"While Turkey's legal system has no legislation protecting LGBTI+s and no public policy has been developed, policy makers and implementers themselves can increasingly become the actors of rights violations and attitudes of the authorities producing hate speech can be reflected in public policies as an increase in discriminatory practices against LGBTI+s."
'Number of violations similar to 2018'
The report of the association also provides a comparative analysis with 2018 in terms of the number of rights violations. Accordingly;
"The numbers of rights violations were similar in following categories: Hate murders, hate crimes, hate speech, sexual assault offenses, violation of privacy, worklife, education, healthcare, access to goods and services, refugees and LGBTI+ prisoners.
"2019 saw an increase in the violations of following rights: Prohibition of torture and ill treatment, freedom of expression, right to hold meetings and demonstrations, the right of travel and housing and right of succession. There was a marked increase in violations of personal liberty and security."
'LGBTIs is a story of democracy and equality'
Concluding the report, Kaos GL has underlined that despite "the period of intense pressure and bans imposed by the public authorities, the LGBTI+s of Turkey have never abandoned their resistance so that they can develop the fields of their existence."
"The fact that they remain convinced that they can hold up and acquire their rights by developing creative solutions even in the harshest periods of oppression also gives us hope for a more democratic and egalitarian society where everyone will be liberated together with LGBTI+," the association indicated further and added the following:
"The LGBTI+s who have built today in a Turkey where LGBTI+ identities are not denied are also a story of democracy, equality and a road story for all discriminated groups in the country."
'We were, we are and we will be here!'On the occasion of May 17 International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, Kaos GL also released the following statement: "Today is May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexphobia and Transphobia. On May 17, 1990, the World Health Organization declassified homosexuality from the list of mental disorders. "Since 2004, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia has been celebrated to attract the attention of the public, authorities, media, and politicians to the hate, discrimination and rights violations that LGBTI+'s are subjected to. As Kaos GL, we have been celebrating May 17th with various events since 2006. "This year we are entering May 17th with a pandemic. In this period, while calls for 'stay home' and 'life is at home' are being made, staying at home raises the risk of violence for LGBTI+'s who live with their family or had to return to their families due to financial problems. While the LGBTI+'s, who want to avoid discrimination and mobbing in their usual work-life, are showing maximum effort in order to not to make a mistake and lose their jobs, are one of the first workers that under the risk of losing their jobs due to pandemic. "Discrimination in access to healthcare is getting particularly severe during the pandemic for those who are living with HIV and refugee LGBTI+'s; the LGBTI+'s are being targeted by public institution representatives and political actors as no measures are taken for the problems of transgenders who are in the process of gender reassignment, sex worker LGBTI+'s without social security, the refugee LGBTI+'s who are easily overlooked and stripped of their rights even in the usual period. "Yes, it seems like a dark picture, we reiterate our call against discrimination and hatred that we made in our organized struggle since 1994. And we know that the rainbow that will come after the dark days where everyone will find a place for themselves will give hope to all of us again. "Solidarity against hate also grows in this picture. We know that our rights are more than what is imposed on us... Our lives, our identities, our love, our struggle do not recognize the limits that are imposed, we are much more than the limits. We have not asked anyone's permission to exist, and we will not... We were, we are and we will be here! Happy May 17!" |
(RT/SD)