Turkey: Constitutional amendment discussions threaten LGBTIQ+ community

The AKP (Justice and Development ruling party) has made propositions for constitutional amendments that frame LGBTIQ+ people as “deviant” and as a “threat” to the family. The proposed change includes modifying Article 41 to legally codify the definition of family as a unit composed of a marriage between a man and a woman, thereby pre-empting any possibility of legal same-sex marriage in the future. The proposed amendments also introduce a distinction between women with and without headscarves.

A collective of 23 women’s rights, feminist and LGBTIQ+ CSOs have launched a campaign named “The Constitution Coordination for All,” arguing these amendments would further curtail LGBTIQ+ people’s rights and legitimise hatred and violence against them by enabling impunity for perpetrators. The collective also affirmed the amendments would deepen societal polarisation between women wearing headscarves and LGBTIQ+ people.

See: Hepimizicinanayasa, VOA