26/01/2026 | Writer: Kaos GL
LİSTAG and the İzmir Family Group made a press statement at the Human Rights Association’s headquarters in Ankara, voicing their opposition to anti-LGBTI+ policies.
The Association of Families and Friends of LGBTI+ in Turkey (LİSTAG) and the İzmir Family Group were in Ankara last week to pay visits to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and human rights organisations.
Following the visits, LİSTAG and the İzmir Family Group made a press statement at the headquarters of the Human Rights Association (İHD) in Ankara. The statement called on the state “to protect the right to life with all its institutions, to prevent discrimination, to combat hate speech, to put an end to torture and ill-treatment, and to implement the principle of equal citizenship.”
In the statement read by LİSTAG Coordinator Neşe Tamer, it was underlined that violence against LGBTI+ people has been increasing and that no effective investigations are being carried out into rights violations against trans prisoners in prisons:
“For a long time, we have witnessed an increase in violence affecting the lives of our children. This violence appears not only on the streets, but also in prisons, police vehicles, courthouses, on the way to school, and inside homes, and it is often rendered invisible. We know that trans prisoners held in prisons have lost their lives under suspicious circumstances, that they are detained in conditions incompatible with human dignity, and that effective and transparent investigations are not conducted following these deaths. As parents, we ask: How can our children die while under the supervision of the state?”
The statement also said that children are arbitrarily detained during Pride marches and peaceful demonstrations, held for long periods, and subjected to ill-treatment:
“We raised our children so that they could live with dignity, in safety, and free from discrimination. However, LGBTI+ people whose living spaces are being narrowed, whose access to housing, education, healthcare, and secure employment is obstructed, are being isolated and turned into targets. This state of siege manifests itself in an increase in LGBTI+ suicides. A child giving up on life is not an individual issue, but a social and public responsibility.”
“Public broadcasting is obligated to protect the right to life, not to create fear”
The statement also reacted to the documentary Rainbow Fascism that is broadcasting on TRT’s digital platform tabii:
“When 2025 was declared the ‘Year of the Family,’ we, as families, believed this would be an opportunity to protect children, support families, and place a violence free life at the centre of public policy. However, the picture revealed by independent civil society organisations and data reflected in the media is extremely grave. According to data shared by independent women’s organisations, hundreds of women lost their lives as a result of male violence throughout 2025, and hundreds more were found dead under suspicious circumstances. Likewise, reports in the media show that cases of sexual abuse against children number in the hundreds, and that many children have lost their lives as a result of violence, neglect, and abuse. Experts and independent institutions are drawing attention to an alarming increase in child and adolescent suicides. These figures clearly tell us one thing: the declaration of the ‘Year of the Family’ has not created a safe living space for children and women, and violence and rights violations have continued to be rendered invisible. As mothers and fathers, we do not accept that our children’s right to life is reduced to statistics or that losses are normalised. One concrete example of this exclusionary language is the documentary titled Rainbow Fascism, announced for broadcast on TRT’s international digital platform tabii, a public broadcaster with a duty of public service. We are LGBTI+ families. We pay our taxes so that our children can live in a society where they are not subjected to discrimination, are not targeted by hate speech, and where their right to life is guaranteed. With our taxes, the state cannot finance discrimination and hostile propaganda. Public broadcasting is obliged not to create fear, but to protect equal citizenship, human dignity, and the right to life. We do not accept this language, this mindset, or this state of siege. In the promotion of this production, LGBTI+ people are portrayed as a threat to children and families, and a narrative that produces fear and hostility is constructed through the rainbow metaphor, using the image of a large animal tearing apart a child’s room.”
“We will continue to defend our children’s right to life under all circumstances”
Stating that “we will not bow to any discourse that portrays our children’s existence as a threat”, LİSTAG and the İzmir Family Group concluded their statement with the following words:
“We will continue to struggle against this mindset not only today but also tomorrow; not only through this statement, but in every arena. We will not normalise violence. We will not allow discrimination or propaganda carried out through the language of hate. We will not give up on our children’s right to life. We call on the state, with all its institutions, to protect the right to life, to prevent discrimination, to combat hate speech, to put an end to torture and ill-treatment, and to implement the principle of equal citizenship. This call is the determined voice of families striving to protect their children. We will not abandon this struggle, and we will continue to defend our children’s right to life, safety, and dignity under all circumstances. For our children. For the sake of life. For all of us.”
Tags: human rights, women, media, arts and culture, life, family
