25/06/2023 | Writer: Selma Koçak
31th İstanbul Pride Week flied the flag taken over Trans Pride March, which was held despite bans, on Golden Horn Bridge (Haliç Köprüsü) and set the Pride Week in motion.
İstanbul LGBTI+ Pride Week announced that they commenced the 31th İstanbul Pride Week via the transgender flag hung on Golden Horn Bridge.
The İstanbul Pride Week Committee announced the hanging of the trans flag by activists yesterday (June 19) with a note written “This is our response from the Golden Horn Bridge to the new Interior Minister, who tried to prevent our glorious march that doesn’t require permission, and who praised his heroic police to the skies.”
The statement of İstanbul LGBTI+ Pride Week continues as follows: “We experienced it last year as well. Your bans are futile. We salute the Trans Pride Week which came to end with the march, and we announce that 31th İstanbul Pride Week started today and it will be completed with the march on Sunday here: It was ever so, yesterday, today and it will also be like this tomorrow.”
What happened at Trans Pride March?
Although the police blockaded all the ways, 9th Trans Pride March was held on June 18 Transgender Equality Day.
The new İstanbul Governor Davut Gül had targeted the Trans Pride March and the LGBTI+ Pride March days before, by posting a threatening message on Twitter with an emphasis on “family”. Although there was no official ban order from the Governorship, the police closed the Taksim Square and around with barricades. Şişhane and Taksim stations of the M2 Yenikapı -Hacıosman Metro line in the Taksim region, where the march was called for, as well as the F1 Taksim-Kabataş Füniküler Mero line were closed as of 10.00 am “until further notice”.
Police attacked people gathering in Harbiye by showing the unreleased and unofficial ban order on the march claiming that it was issued by Şişli District Governorship. The police, who also attacked the press workers taking footage of the attack, tried to disperse lubunyas (queers) that they didn’t attack by threats of violence.
Gathering for 9th Trans Pride March lubunyas, read the press statement and marched against all the odds.
Tags: human rights
