03/02/2021 | Writer: Yiğit E Korkmaz
LGBTI+ family groups: “Not even the most basic measures are taken, on the contrary, some state administrators provoke the situation further, paving the way for hatred. If one of our children is harmed by a no-good caught up in these provocations, who will account for it? "
Ankara Rainbow Families Association (GALADER), LGBTI+ Families and Relatives Association (LISTAG), Akdeniz Antalya Families Group, Denizli LGBTI+ Families Group and Izmir LGBTI+ Families Group issued a joint statement regarding the hateful environment and attacks that are organized against the LGBTI+'s over the students that are exercising their right to protest the trustee rector at Boğaziçi University.
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"Our children are neither wrong nor alone, they are the equal, free, and honorable citizens of this country"
The whole statement is as follows:
“As parents whose children are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and +, this is our statement against the recent insults, verbal and physical attacks and targetings towards the LGBTI+'s:
"Our children are neither wrong nor alone, they are the equal, free, and honorable citizens of this country
“The acronym LGBTI+, which we have heard frequently lately, refers to our children who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, and +, who have equal rights like all of us. LGBTI+'s are neighbors for some of you, colleagues for some of you, and relatives for some of you, like us. They are standing among you every day. You go to work together, you greet them on the road, go to school together, stand side by side on the bus, they are in daily life like everyone else, they pay taxes every time they buy something, they are happy, unhappy, maybe they are bored, maybe they are joyful, maybe they laugh, maybe they cry. Long story short, they are one of you.
"LGBTI+ acronym has been used together with 'terrorist organizations' and 'perversion' for a long time, not just in recent days. These discourses mostly hurt us mothers and fathers whose children are LGBTI+. How can the authorities, who are obliged to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of everyone living in this country, target our children who speak the same languages with millions of people, sing the same songs, laugh at the same jokes, dance in the same way, and are human beings like everyone else? How can they marginalize and turn our children into a target of hate?
You have declared the rainbow, which is the symbol of LGBTI+ pride and freedom all over the world, guilty, those seven colors that appear in the sky in every sunshine on a rainy weather. You portray the rainbow flag, which is perfectly normal to be in a university club, as 'captured'. There is no limit to the hate speech and hate crimes against our children in social media, visual and audio media. Not even the most basic measures are taken, on the contrary, some state administrators provoke the situation further, paving the way for hatred. If one of our children is harmed by a no-good caught up in these provocations, who will account for it? Can you bear the conscientious responsibility of such an incident?
“We appeal to those who target our children, who turn them into objects of hate: We, the mothers and fathers and siblings and relatives are always standing with our children. We are all equal, we are all different. The colors of the rainbow are our richness, and yours too. It illuminates your monochrome world too. Let’s stop saying that our children are perverted, terrorists, this, that. As you always say, be the representative of everyone, not just those who think like yourself!
“We appeal to those who want to live in a country where democratic values actually work: The day is the day of unification and solidarity! Let's be with our children who want nothing but a free and proud life. Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is accepted by the world and our country, says 'All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.' It is in our hands to bring this article to life. We invite you all to support our children and to express this out loud!"
Tags: human rights, education
