KAOS GL, short for Kaos Gay and Lesbian Cultural Research and Solidarity Association ( tr, Kaos Gey ve Lezbiyen Kültürel Araştırmalar ve Dayanışma Derneği), founded in 1994, is one of the oldest and largest
LGBT rights
Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality.
Notably, , 33 ...
organisations in
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
. In 2005, the
Ankara
Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...
-based organisation became the first Turkish LGBT organisation to be legally registered as an
association
Association may refer to:
*Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal
*Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry
*Voluntary associatio ...
, after their application was initially appealed by deputy governor of Ankara. The organisation has been publishing the journal ''KAOS GL'' (now a quarterly publication) since its founding. The group operates the KAOS Cultural Center, which hosts cultural activities, meetings, and showings of films. The centre also houses an
LGBT history
LGBT history dates back to the first recorded instances of same-sex love and sexuality of ancient civilizations, involving the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) peoples and cultures around the world. What survives af ...
library.
The organization has also taken a stance on broader issues of
human rights in Turkey
Human rights in Turkey are protected by a variety of international law treaties, which take precedence over domestic legislation, according to Article 90 of the 1982 Constitution. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR ...
. In 2017, a spokesperson for the organization stated: "AKP started a war against all opponents, not only Armenians. They stop opposition groups coming together and taking collective action. Social justice and peace is under our responsibility".
History
Founded in 1994, KAOS GL is one of the oldest
LGBT rights
Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality.
Notably, , 33 ...
organisations in
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
. Students at
Ankara University
Ankara University ( tr, Ankara Üniversitesi) is a public university in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. It was the first higher education institution founded in Turkey after the formation of the republic in 1923.
The university has 40 vocat ...
including
Yasemin Öz met to discuss LGBTIQ issues and decided to start the group.
Struggle for legal registration
In July 2005, KAOS GL applied for Association status with the
Ministry of the Interior
An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs.
Lists of current ministries of internal affairs
Named "ministry"
* Ministry ...
. Subsequently, Ankara's deputy governor Selahattin Ekremoğlu petitioned a court to close the organisation, referring to articles 56 and 4721 of the Turkish Civil Code prohibiting establishment of an organisation that is against laws and morality. The threat of closure was criticized by the
International Lesbian and Gay Association
The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) is an organization who is committed to advancing human rights to all people, disregarding gender identity, sex characteristics and expression. ILGA participates in a ...
and
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
, who considered it a violation of basic rights and yet another attempt at suppressing civil society in Turkey. On 12 October 2005, Ankara prosecutor Kursat Kayral however decided not to proceed with the case, concluding that homosexuality can't be equated with immorality. While in 2008 similar charges were brought against Istanbul-based LGBT organisation
Lambda Istanbul
Lambda Istanbul is a Turkish LGBT organization. It was founded in 1993 as a cultural space for the LGBT community, and became an official organization in 2006. Clandestine Pride events were held in Turkey starting in 1993, and with Lambda Istan ...
, KAOS GL has been a legally registered non-government organisation (NGO) since October 2005.
March against Homophobia and Transphobia
![Insan hakları heykeli metin yurdanur](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Insan_haklar%C4%B1_heykeli_metin_yurdanur.jpg)
On 17 May 2008, the fifth
International Day Against Homophobia
International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Lesbophobia and Transphobia is observed on May 17 and aims to coordinate international events that raise awareness of LGBT rights violations and stimulate interest in LGBT rights work worldwide. By ...
, Kaos GL and Pink Life LGBTT Association jointly organised the first annual LGBT march in Ankara. Joined by British MEP
Michael Cashman
Michael Maurice Cashman, Baron Cashman (born 17 December 1950), is a British actor, politician, and LGBT rights activist. A member of the Labour Party, he served as a Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands from 1999 to 2014. H ...
and Dutch feminist writer
Anja Meulenbelt
Anja Henriëtte Meulenbelt (born 6 January 1945 in Utrecht) is a Dutch writer and former politician of the Socialist Party (SP).
She wrote ''De Schaamte Voorbij'' (''The Shame is Over''), published in 1976, which was an important piece of second ...
, over 100 gay men and women, bisexuals and transgender people assembled in front of the Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street, marching towards the
parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
. Police, outnumbering the demonstrators, stopped the march, demanding the rainbow flags and banners be taken down. Otherwise, the march proceeded.
In May 2009, Kaos GL organised the second annual march against homophobia and transphobia in Ankara. Around 300 people marched from to the Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street. The demonstration ended with a press statement, which called for the acknowledgement of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transvestites and transsexuals (LGBTT).
Kaos GL has been organising international anti-homophobia meetings since May 2006. The Anti-Homophobia Meeting was first held as a four-day hall event in May 2006. In 2007, together with the central events, "Campus Meetings Against Homophobia" were realized in the three biggest university campuses of the capital, Ankara. The 4th annual meetings took place in six cities, from 1 May to 17 May 2009. The 4th International Anti-Homophobia Meeting started with the 1 May march in Ankara; and ended with the 17 May Anti-Homophobia March again in Ankara. Additional meeting took place also in the cities of Izmir, Eskisehir, Van, Diyarbakir and Istanbul together with Ankara.
See also
*
LGBT rights in Turkey
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in Turkey face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents, though Turkey's LGBT rights are considered to be relatively progressive compared to most other Muslim-majority countrie ...
*
LEGATO
In music performance and notation, legato (; Italian for "tied together"; French ''lié''; German ''gebunden'') indicates that musical notes are played or sung smoothly and connected. That is, the player makes a transition from note to note wit ...
*
LGBT museums and archives
References
External links
KAOS GL home pageKAOS GL news pageKAOS GL magazine
{{Authority control
LGBT political advocacy groups in Turkey
Peoples' Democratic Congress
1994 establishments in Turkey