Turkey

The GALE Right to Education Monitor still has to be done in Turkey.
Interested to become a reporter? Contact info @ lgbt-education.info.

Country page on ILGA website

Score on the GALE Checklist

Item	Forbidden	Discouraged	No policy	Comment
1. Full access to schools?			x	There is no substantial data regarding this issue. Although LGBTI individuals are facing bullying and discrimination at their schools both by their peers and their teachers.
2. Freedom of self expression?		x		To a large extent student prefer not to come out, and in case they do the rate of dropping out from schools increases due to the pressure. These dropping out applies to LGBTI individuals in sum although this rate is higher for trans individuals.
3. Protection against bullying?		x		As mentioned in Q1. bullying at schools is carried out both by peers and teachers, so any protection by the schools is merely individual based (ex. some teachers can help stop bullying by their own will)
4. No drop-out?			x	no comments
5. Equal performance?			x	no comments
6. Is there public information?	x			Sexual diversity is publicly denied by state institutions (i.e. mlitary, state hospitals and other public services) and government's policies (current government is using every opportunity to label LGBTI individuals as sick and pervert)
7. Attention in school resources?		x		Sexuality or sexual rights are not objectively discussed neither at schools nor in the household. And it is usually framed as a matter of honor and threat to public moral.
8. Resources for LGBT students?	x			LGBTI students are deprived from proper support mechanisms and resources for their empowerment at schools. LGBTI organizations ans some student groups at Universities are trying to fill this gap and address this vital issue. In line with this SPoD is aiming to carry out trainings for tearchers and school psychologists.
9. Support services open to LGBT?	x			no comments
10. Peer-learning opportunities?		x		LGBTI student clubs at university level are mainly working on the visibility of LGBTI at campus level, and in coordination with LGBTI organizations in their towns/cities. But most of these student clubs are based in bigger universities and obtaining certain clearances from the university administration to start these clubs takes a long time.
11. Is staff supportive?		x		Even though there is no clear state policy in that respect, some tachers affiliated with the labor union (EÄÄ°TÄ°M-SEN; member of ETUC-European Trade Unions Confederation) are addressing this issue from a human rights perspectives. However the small number of teachers with this perspective prevents this support to be systematized.
12. Is staff competent to teach?	x			no comments
13. Is staff competent to support?	x			no comments
14. Supportive school environment?	x			no comments
15. Employment protection for staff?	x			LGBTI staff at the schools are likely to get fired from their position due to the common stigmatization directed to LGBTI's in general.One of the main field of focus of SPoD is providing legal assistance to LGBTI facing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. And based on the outputs of our previous project on Access to Justice for LGBTIs, discrimination in public labor sector is considerably high, including LGBTÄ° teachers. We do want to continue our efforts in this direction.

The score is 80% forbidden (denying), 20% discouraged or no policy (ambiguous), 0% encouraged or supportive (supportive). We score this country therefore as denying.
This report is based on one respondent, who filled out the checklist in November 2013.

Relevant Conventions

Convention against Discrimination in Education	not signed	signed	ratified	succession
Convention on Technical and Vocational Education	not signed	signed	ratified	succession
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights	not signed	signed	ratified	succession
Convention on the Rights of the Child	not signed	signed	ratified	succession
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women	not signed	signed	ratified	succession

Interesting links

Turkish Court made landmark ruling saying that gay sex is natural (February 2013)
Turkeys High Court of Appeals rules against homophobic journalism (January 2012)
Documentary "My Child": Turkish Parents of Gay Children (Produced by LISTAG and parents of LGBT children, January 2012)
Good introduction to "gay" Turkey on a semicommercial website about "gay" Turkey (with a list of recent news items about Turkey in English)
Tarik Bereket, Barry Adam (2006), The Emergence of Gay Identities in Contemporary Turkey

Members

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This page was last updated on 26 April 2013.