Haven't we all been youthful idealists at one time or another? We believed we could change the world, heal it, and actually make it a better place like in that old faithful song... We were high on life, ready to take on whatever comes our way, spirits full of hope, compassion and optimism, 'seasoned' with just a tad of harmless anarchy.
And then we grew up...
Our joyful souls and aspirations were infected by either the older generation's cynicism or crushed under the difficulties thrown at us by life itself. Suddenly nothing was as easy as it seemed. Hope by itself, was simply not enough!
Many 'idealists' of the past turn into pragmatic sycophants of society as what they encounter throughout the years almost irreparably break their spirits. But thankfully there is that select few who are so resilient that no matter what happens, they choose not to lose their path.
I would like to introduce you to two young gentlemen who most certainly belong to the latter group. Meet Onur Ozisik and Murat Renay... They are the founders of Turkey's first digital LGBT lifestyle magazine; GZone. To some of you this may not seem like a very important feat, but to do what they do in a country where LGBT perceptions and rights are so ambivalent, these guys are certainly heroes in their own way.
We came together right after the LGBT community had an unsuccessful attempt at having a gay pride parade in Istanbul due to restrictions imposed on them by the government. Once we were done with our somewhat cliche photoshoot at a Turkish bath, we sat down to talk about Turkey's stance on the LGBT community and the things I heard quite literally shocked me. I thought I knew, but apparently I had no idea...
Is Turkey a land of hypocrites when it comes to gay issues? Well... I'm afraid it is...
Both Murat and Onur agree on the fact that it is more difficult to be gay in Turkey compared to the Western world however it is most certainly easier than the East. Are they content with the status quo? Hell no! When has being in limbo ever did any good to anybody?
Turkey might be a haven for the Arab gay men who come here to freely experience their sexuality… However the western gays do not really prefer it here as a tourist destination. Because as you might have guessed, it is not so free after all…
By the way there is also the matter of Syrian refugees who are unfortunately forced to become gay male prostitutes. However that’s a topic for a whole other article. I better come back to the issue at hand without further digressing…
On the same day when the trans pride parade is banned by the government, and the participants are being beaten and shot at with plastic bullets by the police, Bulent Ersoy, one of the most famous singers in Turkey, who happens to be a trans woman, is sitting side by side with the president at an iftar dinner! Talk about irony! Doesn't this make the government and that very singer a couple of hypocrites? You tell me…
While Hillary Clinton in New York and the mayor in London were leading the parades, in Istanbul the community was not even allowed to enter the main street for a peaceful march. Of course come to think of it, in the west the parades are to celebrate the earned rights and freedom whereas over here the LGBT members are still trying to earn the said rights and freedom.
Turkish gay men who are considered to have a ‘disease’ due to their sexual identity are exempt from doing the mandatory military service. "If we are sick people why are they attacking us? Have you ever seen the police throwing tear gas at a group of guys with leukaemia?" asks Onur… My answer is nothing more than a morbid silence.
When we look on the streets and go inside Turkish homes, we see people wallowing in a pool of dichotomy when it comes to totally accepting the gay community. Their actions belie their beliefs and vice versa. Everyone accepts a gay individual as long as that person has a credible social status or simply just money. However if the said person is a sex worker, 'doomed' by his or her sexual identity, he or she is no different than a 'leper' in the eyes of the society.
No matter how educated and 'enlightened' a family is, they are accepting gays as long as they stay away from them. For instance Onur's parents were OK with him having gay friends, but when he came out, it took them a while to adjust.
When I asked the guys what possessed them to spend out of their own pockets to start GZone, their answer was simple... To make a difference.
Apparently they were shunned by the LGBT activists in the beginning as well. "We wanted to integrate activism with the popular culture" said Murat. However this was not an easy task. You can see Barack Obama or Prince William on the cover of a LGBT magazine in the West maybe, but in Turkey public figures don't 'roll' that way.
According to Onur they are having the hardest time finding a male celebrity to be on the cover. Why? Because there is the risk of being 'branded' as a homosexual once you grace the pages of GZone. The celebrities are either afraid of the community or more commonly the government and subsequently reluctant to be featured in the magazine.
However it is not only the Turks that are 'drowning' in this almost inherent fear. Even global brands like Coca Cola, GAP and Durex, which are the 'pillars' of the LGBT movement in so many countries, tend to put on some pathetic blinders when it comes to Turkey. So much so that a male employee was recently let go of GAP just because he was too effeminate.
Is the 'ideal' West turning into just another bigot when it crosses the borders of Turkey? Such a shame, but I believe it is...
"We couldn't even get an appointment to meet with the U.S. Consulate General i to Turkey. All we wanted to do was to introduce our magazine" exclaims Onur! I tried to calm him down by giving the openly gay ambassador, who is married to a Turkish man, the benefit of the doubt and secretly hoping the only reason he did not see them was his busy schedule.
The boys tell me they wanted to name their magazine Gay Zone at first. However it is not possible to reach any website in Turkey which contains the word 'gay'. Because as you guessed it, gay is something to be ashamed of and improper for so many...
Despite all the senseless acts and quandaries, the Turkish LGBT community is coming together to broaden this beautiful country's horizons. Although I consider the prevalent hypocrisy on the issue a 'hate crime' in itself, seeing young minds like Murat and Onur make me feel optimistic about our future...
İzzet Çapa