Gay Turks need more visibility, says politician
24/09/2011
Submitted by
ILGA-Europe
Original article: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/...isibility-says-politician-2011-09-23
For the first time in Germany, a politician who is gay and of Turkish origin has been elected as a deputy to parliament. Hakan Taş, 45 says gay Turks need more visibility
Following last week’s state elections, the Berlin parliament has its first gay member of Turkish origin, Hakan Taş, who will serve as a deputy from The Left (Die Linke) party.
Taş, 45, has been in Germany since 1980. He is a practicing journalist and has been working for many years as a gay-rights activist and a member of the Berlin State Advisory Board for Integration and Migration. He spoke to the Hürriyet Daily News following his election to the Berlin state parliament.
Q: You have challenged the stereotyped image in many people’s minds of a male Turkish politician. What reactions have you have been getting from German and Turkish people so far?
A: People in Germany are used to gay politicians; the mayor of Berlin is gay, as is Germany’s ministry of foreign affairs. Yet having a gay parliament member of Turkish origin is still different for German people. Media outlets have been cautious about writing about me so far, they are now just watching. When it comes to the Turkish side, people here also seem positive. Having gay members in the parliament is not unusual for them, even if the person is Turkish.
Q: What about reactions from Turkey?
A: President Abdullah Gül and his colleagues were here last week. They also congratulated me. That’s a good sign; however, as a person who watches Turkish politics closely, I would like see Turkey make more moves on gay rights, especially in its new constitution.
Q: How large is the gay Turkish community in Germany?
A: As a rough estimate, we assume that some 8 percent of the 2.5 million Turks here are gay. However, not everyone is open about their sexual identity and this is not an easy thing to do. I have been open about my sexual identity since I was 17 but still I come across people who ask me if I am married (to a woman) or if I have a girlfriend. I am working for a society in which such questions do not exist.
Q: What about the picture in Turkey? How does it seem?
A: I always think of the famous classical Turkish musician Zeki Müren, who always drew people’s attention with his clothing, words and style. But even he hid his identity. However I see that lots of people are joining the Gay Pride Parade held in Istanbul every year. Five thousand people were there last year; that’s good news. I have been a first in Germany, as I was open about my sexual identity from the beginning. I hope people follow me. But they need more public figures as examples.
Q: How did you react to Turkish Minister of Family and Social Policies Fatma Şahin’s inclusion of an LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender) speaker in her charter meeting with nongovernmental organizations last week?
I find this positive, especially when gay people were called “sick” by the previous minister [in charge of women’s and family issues]. However, such acts should be given serious consideration. Gay people should be made visible at every level of society, whether politicians, ministers, artists or shop owners. But it is not an easy task to do this in a society where sex is a major taboo. They always say, Ali loves Ayşe, but Ali should be able to love Ahmet too. This should be normal.
Q: What about the barring of access to two major LGBT sites, the official websites of gay organizations Kaos GL and LambdaIstanbul, by the Turkish Parliament’s administration?
A: That’s definitely against human rights and it is a big mistake by the Parliament. These are legal associations approved by Turkish authorities. Turkey needs to let its politicians do politics freely.
Q:What are you planning to mainly focus on in the parliament?
A: I will fight for the rights of every minority, not just those in Berlin.
For the first time in Germany, a politician who is gay and of Turkish origin has been elected as a deputy to parliament. Hakan Taş, 45 says gay Turks need more visibility
Following last week’s state elections, the Berlin parliament has its first gay member of Turkish origin, Hakan Taş, who will serve as a deputy from The Left (Die Linke) party.
Taş, 45, has been in Germany since 1980. He is a practicing journalist and has been working for many years as a gay-rights activist and a member of the Berlin State Advisory Board for Integration and Migration. He spoke to the Hürriyet Daily News following his election to the Berlin state parliament.
Q: You have challenged the stereotyped image in many people’s minds of a male Turkish politician. What reactions have you have been getting from German and Turkish people so far?
A: People in Germany are used to gay politicians; the mayor of Berlin is gay, as is Germany’s ministry of foreign affairs. Yet having a gay parliament member of Turkish origin is still different for German people. Media outlets have been cautious about writing about me so far, they are now just watching. When it comes to the Turkish side, people here also seem positive. Having gay members in the parliament is not unusual for them, even if the person is Turkish.
Q: What about reactions from Turkey?
A: President Abdullah Gül and his colleagues were here last week. They also congratulated me. That’s a good sign; however, as a person who watches Turkish politics closely, I would like see Turkey make more moves on gay rights, especially in its new constitution.
Q: How large is the gay Turkish community in Germany?
A: As a rough estimate, we assume that some 8 percent of the 2.5 million Turks here are gay. However, not everyone is open about their sexual identity and this is not an easy thing to do. I have been open about my sexual identity since I was 17 but still I come across people who ask me if I am married (to a woman) or if I have a girlfriend. I am working for a society in which such questions do not exist.
Q: What about the picture in Turkey? How does it seem?
A: I always think of the famous classical Turkish musician Zeki Müren, who always drew people’s attention with his clothing, words and style. But even he hid his identity. However I see that lots of people are joining the Gay Pride Parade held in Istanbul every year. Five thousand people were there last year; that’s good news. I have been a first in Germany, as I was open about my sexual identity from the beginning. I hope people follow me. But they need more public figures as examples.
Q: How did you react to Turkish Minister of Family and Social Policies Fatma Şahin’s inclusion of an LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender) speaker in her charter meeting with nongovernmental organizations last week?
I find this positive, especially when gay people were called “sick” by the previous minister [in charge of women’s and family issues]. However, such acts should be given serious consideration. Gay people should be made visible at every level of society, whether politicians, ministers, artists or shop owners. But it is not an easy task to do this in a society where sex is a major taboo. They always say, Ali loves Ayşe, but Ali should be able to love Ahmet too. This should be normal.
Q: What about the barring of access to two major LGBT sites, the official websites of gay organizations Kaos GL and LambdaIstanbul, by the Turkish Parliament’s administration?
A: That’s definitely against human rights and it is a big mistake by the Parliament. These are legal associations approved by Turkish authorities. Turkey needs to let its politicians do politics freely.
Q:What are you planning to mainly focus on in the parliament?
A: I will fight for the rights of every minority, not just those in Berlin.
