Bigudi Club () is a lesbian and queer
nightclub and bar located at Mis Sokak No. 5 in the
Beyoğlu
Beyoğlu (, ota, بكاوغلی, script=Arab) is a district on the European side of İstanbul, Turkey, separated from the old city (historic peninsula of Constantinople) by the Golden Horn. It was known as the region of Pera (Πέρα, meani ...
area of
Istanbul, Turkey.
It is the first lesbian-exclusive nightclub in the country of Turkey, established December 2006.
Around 2017, they redefined the space as a queer bar, not exclusively for women.
History
In Turkey, historically lesbianism has not been encouraged or supported, this is particularly true within Turkish psychiatry.
In the 1990s, lesbian organizations in Turkey were established to provide community support, including Sappho's Girls () and The Sisters of Venus ().
Bigudi Club opened in December 2006 by Adar Bozbay and was the first exclusively lesbian venue in the county.
It was previously located a 5 İstiklal Caddesi in Şehit Muhtar, Beyoğlu, Istanbul.
It is now at Mis Sokak No. 5 near the former location, and is situated on a
terrace above an apartment building. Until 2016, the Bigudi Club was the only queer club for women in Turkey, and they struggled with harassment by police.
Around 2017, the nightclub decided to open up to the larger queer community, not exclusively lesbian.
In March 2020 during the
COVID-19 pandemic, the nightclub temporarily closed and was uncertain about the future.
During this time of closure, Adar Bozbay started working in filmmaking and created the documentary film ''Incomplete Sentences'' (2021) (), about the Turkish author and human rights activist
Aslı Erdoğan
Aslı Erdoğan (born 8 March 1967) is a prize-winning Turkish writer, author, human rights activist, and columnist for ''Özgür Gündem'' and formerly for ''Radikal,'' ex political prisoner, particle physicist. Her second novel has been publishe ...
.
See also
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Istanbul Pride
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List of lesbian bars
This is a list of notable lesbian bars
A lesbian bar (sometimes called a "women's bar") is a drinking establishment that caters exclusively or predominantly to lesbian women. While often conflated, the lesbian bar has a history distinct from ...
*
LGBT rights in Turkey
*
Timeline of LGBT history in Turkey
This article provides an overview of the development of LGBTQIA+ representation, as well as rights of the community, in modern day Turkey. In addition, it addresses their contribution and struggles as well as the coalitions they have built from ...
References
External links
Profileon
Istagram
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bigudi Club
Lesbian culture in the Middle East
Buildings and structures in Beyoğlu
LGBTQ culture in Istanbul
2006 establishments in Turkey
2006 in LGBT history
Lesbian bars