by KRISTEN STEVENS
For his portrayal of the transsexual son of a southeastern Anatolian family in Güne?i Gördüm” (I Saw the Sun), Cemal Tokta? won the Ye?ilçam award for Best Supporting Actor on March 23. He dedicated his award “to all the people who have ever been a victim of being different.“
The day before, Turkish conservative human rights groups sent a letter of support to Minister of Families Selma Aliye Kavaf for defining homosexuality as a “sickness” earlier this month. One of the groups was Mazlum-der, which takes its name from mazlum, meaning “oppressed”.
Of the hundreds of sign-carrying female members of Mazlum-Der I’ve seen, all of them have worn headscarves. Limiting definitions of human rights to suit one’s kind and throwing other victims of discrimination to the wolves is not self-serving; it’s self-destructive.
Maybe the gay community can do more than call for apologies and resignations. They could back the right of covered women to enter public universities and state institutions. Gasp.
Tipping the point
Same-sex couples started marrying in Mexico City this month. In May couples will likely get married in Portugal. It’s legal in Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Spain and Sweden; in Washington, D.C. and five U.S. states.
Hurriyet for more