27/02/2024 | Writer: Kaos GL
On the last day of the festival, Pink Life Queerfest protested against the Ankara Governorship’s ban, stating that “12th Pink Life QueerFest took place without any interruption in the programme despite the ban.”
Pink Life Queerfest released a press statement in response to the Ankara Governorship’s ban order on the festival. On February 25th, festival workers gathered at the Human Rights Association (IHD) Ankara Branch, announcing their determination to proceed with the festival despite the ban.
Pink Life LGBTI+ Solidarity Association was accompanied by several organizations including the LGBTI+ Rights Commission of IHD Ankara Branch, Kaos GL, UniKuir, Ankara Rainbow Families Association (GALADER), Red Umbrella, Young Approaches in Health Association, and the Women for Women’s Human Rights Association during the press statement.
Janset Kalan, who read out the press statement on behalf of the Pink Life Queerfest, stated that they had lodged an appeal against the ban order however had not received a response from the Administrative Court. Kalan recalled the ban decisions by the Ankara Governorship in 2017, emphasizing, “Those who think they can prevent queer people from coming together to watch films should know that QueerFest 2017 Ankara itself is a queer festival that has experienced bans on queer events and subsequent administrative pressure, that has overcome bans every time even though it had to move its main leg to Istanbul, and that has opened new paths every year with the longing for no bans. This is the reason why the 12th Pink Life QueerFest took place without any interruption in the programme despite the ban.”
“12th Pink Life QueerFest took place without any interruption in the programme despite the ban”
The full text of the press statement is as follows:
“To the press, the public and the other components of the struggle for free culture and art,
As Pink Life QueerFest, our festival, which we were planning to organise for the twelfth time this year, was banned by a decision announced by law enforcement officials half an hour before our opening. On the same day, we filed a lawsuit with the Administrative Court for the cancellation of the ban, which was unlawfully issued by the Ankara Governorate Legal Affairs Directorate without any authorisation, and asked for a stay of execution. The next morning, we physically went to the Administrative Court to ask for a stay of execution, but the Administrative Court did not inform us of its decision. We have not received any result yet, even though we explained to the court that the administrative decision, which has no legal basis, cannot be specified and is procedurally inappropriate, will cause irreparable or impossible damage if it is implemented.
As we said in our response to the ban: We do not have a minute for the serial copy of the ban decision. We have memorised your unlawful banning decisions so well that you cannot steal our time. Those who think they can prevent queer people from coming together to watch films should know that QueerFest 2017 Ankara itself is a queer festival that has experienced bans on queer events and subsequent administrative pressure, that has overcome bans every time even though it had to move its main leg to Istanbul, and that has opened new paths every year with the longing for no bans. This is the reason why the 12th Pink Life QueerFest took place without any interruption in the programme despite the ban.
Ans we openly warn you: You cannot prevent QueerFest from returning to Ankara, you cannot imagine a festival city without QueerFest. Our solidarity is greater than the cycle of bans you are trying to imprison us in. The fact that the 12th Pink Life QueerFest took place without a hitch is the biggest proof of this. This is the reason why the number of volunteers and participation in the festival increased significantly after the ban decision: Solidarity barricade against your blockade.
If those who say that we will make the city a festival city promise a festival city without us, the allies of the Lubunya movement will give the answer, as they have done so far. We would like to remind you that in 2018 the QueerFest, which was banned and prevented from taking place, was organised by 18 components of the struggle for democracy under the name ‘We are together’.
It should be known that this resistance is also the resistance of our fellow citizen Ezhel, who said "I cannot be a terrorist when my weapon is music". It is the resistance of the peoples of the Middle East, whose lands are occupied, whose cultural heritage is destroyed and assimilated, and who are subjected to covert and overt genocide. It is the resistance of the workers from whom you profit through the exploitation of their labour. It is the resistance of feminist women who do not leave the streets at night. It is the resistance of nature, exploited for the sake of rent, which still tries to breathe and let us breathe. It should not be forgotten that this movement, which would not stop even if you put it in chains, is not only for queer people, nor for those who are worried about it. QueerFest is only one of the forces of democracy that does not even dream of salvation alone in this crowd.
“Stop dreaming dreams that you have no right to dream”
We remind that the practice of resistance shown by QueerFest, which returned to Ankara despite the ban, is not the first practice of this movement and we call on the decision-makers: Throughout the month of June, you watched as the queers you tried to blockade the cinemas turned the streets into a democracy fashion show by making necklaces out of the chains you tied. We understand from your insistence on this ban, which has twice been lifted by a court decision, that you have mistaken us for a sport of oil wrestling and yourself for a wrestler who cannot get enough of defeat. We will remind you while you forget: We are this society itself! You are the administrators responsible for ensuring that we have access to the opportunities we need to build our own festival culture. Stop dreaming dreams that you have no right to dream.
We know that these days will end and the days will come when QueerFest receives support from the Ministry of Culture, screenings are held in municipal halls, and queer culture and art is free. But until those days come, we will not give up the struggle for existence of every marginalised identity in these countries, and we will be there with our crowds.
From Istanbul to Mersin, from Izmir to Amed, we are very organised and very crowded. We watched our films, chatted and drank our tea in defiance of your ban. There is nothing more normal than us coming together to watch films and drink tea. The war you are waging is a war on life itself. That is why you cannot ban us, stop us and prevent us from warming up the winter!
We cry out tirelessly: Until the earth becomes the face of freedom, our struggle against heterosexism, neoliberal patriarchy, neuronormativity, bitchphobia and lubunyaphobia will continue. Because we know: Liberating Lubunyas will liberate Non-lubunyas,as well!”
What happened?
This year’s Pink Life KuirFest, which was to be held under the theme “Back to Ankara”, has been banned. The Ankara Governorship informed the venues that the film screenings and events that were to take place between 23 and 25 February were banned. On 22 February, the Governorship notified the venues of and announced the ban order on the events stating that the ban had been imposed “for the protection of public order, public health and morals, and the rights and freedoms of others”.
The Governorship’s decision to ban the event alleged that Kuirfest, which has been organized by the Pink Life LGBTI+ Solidarity association 12 years, was being organized “by groups such as Kaos GL”. Additionally, the governorship prohibited “exhibitions, press releases, film screenings, cinema, theatre, panels, lectures, etc. related to LGBT-LGBTI, etc.” in the letter sent to the venues.
Following the ban, KuirFest published an online registration form for screenings and events. Despite the ban, the festival was organized in an alternative way.
Tags: human rights, arts and culture, life
