17/12/2024 | Writer: Elif Gölet
In the panel organized by Bursa Özgür Renkler, the family policies of the government were discussed: “We can easily discover the flaws of this structure, which is sanctified as an ideal, from our own personal experiences.”
Özgür Renkler Association and Kaos GL organized the panel “Discussions on Family, Politics and Equality in the Context of Gender” at Bursa Karaman Associations Campus Conference Hall on December 14.
The panel, which brought together rights defenders and civil society representatives, was moderated by Semih Özkarakaş from Özgür Renkler, with Berfu Şeker and Nedime Erdoğan from Ankara Gökkuşağı Families Association (GALADER).
The panel discussed how the conservative family policies of the government since the 2000s have systematically deepened gender inequality and the methods of struggle against it. The relationship between the historical resistance of the feminist movement and the LGBTI+ struggle and the increasing anti-gendering today was discussed extensively.
Berfu Şeker said the following:
"While the government is building its policies on the family, we also see the rise of right-wing populism in the world. This is based on the inequality brought about by neoliberalism. On one side, cis-hetero white men hold all the resources while the other side struggles with hunger, poverty and the climate crisis. This inequality causes anger between groups and this anger needs to be channeled somewhere. At this point, they want to channel the anger to those closest to them. Who is this? Migrants, women and LGBTI+'s"
What the myth of the family fails to cover up
Nedime Erdoğan started the speech by stating that with the rise and strengthening of the LGBTI+ movement, the opposing movement has also strengthened in parallel:
“The family fiction based on the patriarchal system and binary gender constitutes an invisible obstacle to the bond that our families established with us yesterday and the bond we establish with our children today.”
Stating that no one has witnessed or seen an example of the idealized family form, Erdoğan said : “The so-called ideal family form is like a piece of clothing that does not fit this society, that not everyone in this society can wear, and is nothing but fiction. We can easily discover the flaws of this structure, which is sanctified as ideal and seems to be perfect, both from our own personal experiences and from each other's life stories."
After the completion of the speakers' sessions, the panel moved on to the question and answer session. While the questions posed by the participants formed the basis for discussion, the government's policies of inequality and the methods of combating it within the framework of family-oriented discussions were also discussed.
*This news article was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of KaosGL.org and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
Tags: human rights, family
