Pride marches to be held nonetheless

It is announced that Trans Pride March on June 19 and Pride March on June 26 in Istanbul will be held. After ISIS attack in Orlando that killed 50 people, there had been discussions whether the marches will be canceled.

Speaking at the press conference, Istanbul LGBTI Foundation member Kıvılcım Arat said, “We have witnessed such massacres in Turkey and in the world. ISIS attacks people in crowded places or in a business center. They do it on the streets. Many people and circles are their target. We are subjected to oppression everywhere, this is nothing new. We will hold Trans Pride March on June 19 and Pride March on June 26 in Istanbul. We will keep fighting no matter what.”

Human Rights Foundation (İHD) Istanbul Branch Chair Şenel Karataş said, “Yesterday, ISIS massacred LGBTI people in a bar in Orlando. I condemn this horrible massacre happened in Orlando.” Saying that this attack can be defined as a homophobic hate crime, Karataş added: “Massacres won't end. We will fight against them.”

After 47 years

Kıvılcım Arat said that the “resistance” which started with a stone that was thrown by a trans woman called Marsha in New York on June 28, 1916 continues and added: “It has been 47 years since the resistance started, but the violence and oppression against transgender people continue. However, worldwide, the fight against this violence and oppression continues as well. With the Orlando massacre, we once again acknowledged the importance of resistance. We know about ISIS massacres that were carried out in our land. The ones who have been supplying arms to these terrorists are responsible. We haven't kept silent in the face of the massacres against Yazidi, Kurdish and Nusayri people and we will never keep silent. We will continue fighting everywhere.”