Communist LGBT group’s film screening banned in Ankara

ANKARA

The Ankara Governor’s Office has banned the movie screening event of a communist LGBT group which was to be held in the capital city on June 28, citing the ongoing state of emergency in the country as a reason for the ban.

The office said such events can “incite hatred and enmity” among different fractions of the society, from which “danger” can arise.

The ban came after the Ankara Communist LGBTs community announced they would screen the 2014 British LGBT-related historical comedy-drama film “Pride” at the Nazım Hikmet Cultural Center in the city’s Çankaya district at 7:30 p.m. on June 28.

“It has been evaluated that the events could incite hatred and enmity among different groups of people based on class, racial, religious and sectarian differences,” the office said.

It also cited “public sensitivity” and possible security risks from groups who could react against the LGBT event and people attending the movie screening.

“In line with the 17th article of the 2911 numbered Law on Meetings and Demonstrations and 2935 numbered State of Emergency Law’s 11/f article provisions, the relevant movie screening wanted be held in Çankaya district’s Nazım Hikmet Cultural Center has been banned by our governor’s office,” the statement added.

Slamming the governor’s office’s ban, the Communist LGBTs group said the decision ignored and refused to see LGBT members as equal citizens of the society.

“With these bans, neither societal peace nor public order can be attained. Public space cannot be under the monopoly of a ‘sensitive fraction’ as has been pointed out by the governor’s office! It should not be forgotten that the equal citizenship demand cannot be banned on the basis of anyone’s sexual orientation, gender identity, and sexual identity!” the community was quoted as saying in a statement by local media on June 28.

Gay pride parades have been banned in the last two years in Istanbul. Ankara authorities had also followed suit last year, banning LGBT events and film screenings. Homosexuality is not a crime in Turkey, but homophobia is still widespread.