10/02/2022 | Writer: Yunus Emre Demir
An LGBTI+ association’s representative was elected for steering committee for the first time!
Social Policy, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association (SPoD) was elected to the İstanbul City Council Steering Committee, with the election held on January 22, 2022. We have talked the importance of city councils and the opportunities of cooperation they involve in the civic sphere with Political Participation Field Coordinator Zarife Akbulut, who was elected to the Steering Committee in representation of SPoD.
Municipalities are governed from a heterosexual male perspective
Zarife Akbulut told the purpose of SPoD to take part in İstanbul City Council to KaosGL.org as follows:
“Major objectives of city councils is to institutionalize local democracy. So, we may also say that institutionalization of local democracy depends on the functionality of city councils. On the other hand it is only possible to render democratic participation mechanisms functional by ensuring that city councils comprise all social identities in the city. Our aim with our participation in city councils as the SPoD is to satisfy precisely such a need. Being a part of such structures enable us making the problems experienced by LGBTI+s as subjects of rights in the city visible, reminding that LGBTI+s are part of all these mechanisms as equal citizens of cities and making contact and getting in touch with local authorities for the resolution of our urban problems specific to LGBTI+s. Our primary aim is to conduct studies or actions in order to ensure LGBTI+s take a more active role in the city. This will be an essential experience for SPoD and it will give us an opportunity to develop a better strategy by being in the loop.”
Akbulut also underlined the heterosexual male perspective in the government of municipalities and told: “We may make an effective use of a tool such as city councils to ensure that municipalities will no longer be establishments which are governed from a heterosexual, mail point of view. And this may also ensure the inclusiveness of services and equal treatment for everyone getting service.”
We have to make more effort to provide the representation of social sections who are not represented in the committee
Akbulut, underlines that there are some social sections who are not represented in the İstanbul City Council Steering Committee and it necessary to make more effort to eliminate this situation.
“İstanbul City Council comprises 41 people presently. There are representatives from different rights group at the steering committee which is established on the basis of pluralism. In my opinion it is necessary to be there, for all the institutions under the umbrella of city council, with an egalitarian and cooperative viewpoint, and pluralistic democracy mentality in order to eliminate social discriminations. I think this solidarity has emerged in forming and electing the Steering Committee. We have to keep in mind that more efforts should be made to ensure that the sections of the society who are not / cannot be represented become a part of it as well.”
Reminding that they experienced this solidarity in numerous fields as LGBTI+s who struggle to be recognized, not to be exposed discrimination and to have equal rights Akbulut told: "Growth of our visibility struggle conducted within the context of human rights, expansion of organization areas for LGBTI+s, proliferation of associations and institutions are the most clear samples of it has correspondences in social life.”
“Turkey is ready for this”
Zarife Akbulut says that 41 representatives in the steering committee are able to reflect coexistence and we may live together unless discriminatory policies are interposed in our lives.
“We know from our own experience that common life awareness is high in the areas where there is no intervention by government. We put forward this point in our a campaign for equal citizenship which is conducted, for a while, by SPoD. We say ‘Turkey is ready for this’ within the context of our campaign and we want emphasize that we may exist everywhere, that were not manipulated by political interests and government policies against gender, by talking, by acting with solidarity and sometimes by conducting discussions without prejudices. That is to say, we may get along unless discriminatory policies are interposed in our lives. We think that the society is comprised of these different sections; have different existence but equal on the basis of rights. There is no reason not to be able to live together peacefully for us and in terms of our experiences gained from all aspects of the life for so many years.”
It is not possible to separate us in the cities where we live so closely
Akbulut adds the impossibility of separating people living in the cities as final words:
“We mean that we are people all around, in other words, the citizens living together in the cities, next-door neighbors in the quarter, passengers in the bus, workers or clients in the groceries or supermarkets, people coming across in parks by saying ‘We are the society’. It is not already possible to separate us in the cities where we live so closely. Therefore we believe in such a coexistence in a structure like city councils where there are representatives of communities and various rights organizations.”
Translation: Selma Koçak
Tags: human rights
