08/10/2024 | Writer: Kaos GL
Released on 8 October for International Lesbian Day, the report underscores how discrimination obstructs lesbians* from accessing fundamental human rights.
Kaos GL Association published the Lesbian*s Human Rights Report on October 8, International Lesbian Day.
Aylime Aslı Demir, Defne Güzel, Seçin Tuncel, Janset Kalan, Suay Yüksel, and Deniz Öztürk contributed to the report prepared by Damla Umut Uzun, which involved interviews with 10 lesbian/bisexual women and non-binary activists.
The report highlights that the discrimination, harassment, and stigmatization faced by lesbians* are more intensely felt in provincial areas. One participant shared the following:
“I had to work in the countryside. These things are much more troublesome in rural areas. You cannot be yourself at all. Maybe you can form a small, close-knit group, but there’s no space outside of that where you can truly be yourself. Who can live within four walls?”
The report also addresses the discrimination lesbians* face in employment. It mentions how the pressure of compulsory heterosexuality negatively impacts lesbians* in the workplace:
“When I first came to Ankara after high school, I found a job. They knew I was a lesbian, and my boss harassed me because of it. I ended up leaving. They said behind my back, ‘We fired her because she was a lesbian.’”
Access to healthcare is another area covered in the report. It notes that the layers of discrimination deepen when gender identity or characteristics come into play, complicating lesbians’ access to healthcare services.
Other topics in the report include “Right to Education,” “Right to Housing,” “Access to Justice,” and “Freedom of Expression and Organization.”
The conclusion emphasizes the targeting of LBTI+ and feminist human rights defenders, and how their freedom of expression is restricted. It points out that hate crimes and hate speech against lesbians* are not effectively investigated, due to the inadequacies in Turkey’s legislative protections and preventive mechanisms.
Tags: human rights, women
