08/12/2023 | Writer: Selma Koçak
Kaos GL attended HIV/AIDS 2023 Congress. Speaking at the Congress, Defne Güzel explained the negative impact of policies targeting LGBTI+s and their organizations on HIV diagnosis studies.
HIV/AIDS 2023 Congress began yesterday (December 7). Health experts working in the field of HIV in Antalya are taking part in the national congress. This is the seventh year that it has been organized by professional associations working in the field of infection.
The opening conference on the first day of the four-day scientific program of the congress discussed the epidemiology of HIV in the world and in Turkey, the holistic approach to HIV treatment and methods of diagnosis.
Kaos GL Human Rights Expert Defne Güzel spoke at the end of the session on “How Can We Access Diagnosis?”, which was dedicated to family medicine, voluntary counselling and testing centres.
Güzel began by explaining the problems faced by LGBTI+ people and the importance of LGBTI+ civil society in achieving the diagnosis:
“Although LGBTI+s are not allowed to gather even for drinking tea, anti-LGBTI+ hate rallies are being organized”
“LGBTI+s are unable to exercise their right to peaceful demonstration. Even tea&talks and picnic events planned to be held by LGBTI+s, have been banned by governorships and district governorships since 2015. Hate murders and hate attacks are gradually going on. LGBTI+s’ right to work has been violated. Trans people are being forced into sex work. They get the sack as soon as they are visible. Poverty has a great impact on LGBTI+s. LGBTI+ people who live in poverty do not have access to their rights. The more they cannot access their rights, the poorer they become. Estate agents do not rent houses to LGBTI+ people. We are always being mentioned as a threat to the family structure. However we have families too. Families exclude their LGBTI+ children. Being in the family home sometimes means remaining in violence. Intersex people are subjected to sex reassignment surgery against their will. The hormone medication that transgender people need is getting more expensive by the day. Today, on every TV channel, every politician insults LGBTI+ and criminalizes LGBTI+s.”
Güzel also stated that a petition with 150,000 wet signatures was recently sent to parliament calling for the closure of LGBTI+ organizations and a ban on propaganda, and that the closure of LGBTI+ organizations is foreseen in the constitutional amendment and added: “Although LGBTI+s are not allowed to gather even for drinking tea, anti-LGBTI+ hate rallies are being organized by some groups. Such a discrimination we are being exposed to threatens the health, well-being and safety of LGBTI+ people.”
“The existence of LGBTI+ organizations today is at a more critical point than ever before”
Reminding that the Ministry of Health has not been knocking on the door of LGBTI+ organizations, while stressing the importance of reaching LGBTI+ people in HIV treatment and prevention efforts, and that LGBTI+ people often face discrimination in HIV treatment, Güzel continued as follows:
“The existence of LGBTI+ organisations today is at a more critical point than ever before. The In addition to fundamental rights and freedoms, comprehensive diagnosis, treatment and public health work depends on the support of the rights of LGBTI+ people and LGBTI+ organizations, the end of discrimination against LGBTI+ people and the fight against such discrimination.”
Topics such as the HIV vaccine, B=B, HIV and women continue to be discussed during the four-day congress.
Tags: human rights, health, hiv
