News
2005-10-13
Request to ban
Turkish gay rights group rejected
An official
demand to ban Turkey's first gay rights association was
rejected by a prosecutor on Wednesday, allowing the KAOS Gay
An official
demand to ban Turkey's first gay rights association was
rejected by a prosecutor on Wednesday, allowing the KAOS Gay
and Lesbian Cultural Research and Solidarity
Association to continue to operate, reports Agence
France-Presse. The decision was hailed by gay rights
activists as a big step in combating discrimination in the
country, which hopes to join the European Union.
The Ankara
governor's office had informed KAOS last month that it had
asked a court to dissolve the group because "associations
against law and morality cannot be established." But
the prosecutor reviewing the demand decided not to
proceed with a court case on the grounds that the
words "gay" and "lesbian" are used both in daily life and
scientific research with no inhibitions and that
homosexuality does not amount to
immorality. "This is a big step in efforts to remove
sexual discrimination in all areas of social life and allow
Turkish homosexuals the equality and justice they
deserve," KAOS said in a statement.
Prejudice against
gays and lesbians remains strong in Turkey, even though
same-sex relationships have never been criminalized as in
other Muslim countries and many gays figure among the
country's top celebrities. Gay activists say most of
them risk their jobs if they disclose their sexual
identity and there are no laws to protect their rights. KAOS
has functioned as an informal group since 1994,
publishing a magazine and organizing activities for
gays and lesbians, who have become increasingly
outspoken in recent years.
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