LGBT culture in Istanbul

Istanbul is generally tolerant of LGBT people, at least compared to elsewhere in Turkey.

Erin Cunningham of The Washington Post has called Istanbul "a hub for gay and transgender life", but also acknowledged, "outside of elite Turkish society and the trendy Istanbul quarters where homosexual and transgender Turks live somewhat comfortably, life remains difficult for the LGBT population".

The city's Beyoğlu district has seen the LGBT community "[reach] a critical mass".

Events
Istanbul Pride has been organized since 2003. The 2009 event saw approximately 3,000 march participants, and the 2013 and 2014 events were among the largest LGBT celebrations in a majority-Muslim country, attracting approximately 100,000 participants. According to The New York Times, "since 2014, the authorities have banned Pride parades in major cities, including in Istanbul, where crowds in the tens of thousands used to participate". Police used tear gas and water cannons on Istanbul Pride participants in 2015. Authorities said the ban was because of "security and public concerns". Bans continued through 2019, and the 2020 event was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Police detained approximately 300 attendees at Pride events in 2022. In 2023, a few hundred people defied the ban, organizing a march in Nişantaşı.

In 2016, several dozen transgender rights activists gathered in Istanbul in defiance of a march ban. Boğaziçi University has seen LGBT protests. In 2023, after police blocked access to Taksim Square and İstiklal Avenue (spaces traditionally used by Istanbul Pride), hundreds of people gathered in the Şişli district's Mistik Park.

The Queer Olympix is an annual sports event organized by activists since 2017. Activities have included association football, dodgeball, and volleyball. The group faced a police ban in 2019 for using "queer" in an event title. The group has encountered some difficulties organizing activities; according to NPR, "the owners of some fields refuse to rent to them, and when they're able to hold the games, they do so in near-total secrecy and without online promotion".

Anti-LGBT demonstrations
In 2022, an anti-LGBT march was organized in Istanbul. The Big Family Gathering's slogan was "Protect Your Family and Generation, Stop Perversion". The demonstration was the largest of its kind in Turkey, attracting several thousand participants, and Kürşat Mican said organizers had collected approximately 150,000 signatures "to demand a new law from Turkey's parliament that would ban what they called LGBTQ propaganda, which they say pervades Netflix, social media, arts and sports". Ahead of the event, organizers circulated a video using images from past Pride events in Turkey. This was criticized by LGBTQ associations and other rights groups; Istanbul Pride organizers asked the governor's office to ban the event and for authorities to remove the video, deeming both "hateful".

Businesses and organizations
According to USA Today, the city's gay bars and clubs are concentrated in Taksim Square and Beyoğlu: "As in most major cities, gay establishments come and go. A trip to Taksim Square guarantees a good cross-section of gay restaurants, coffee shops, cafes, bars and dance clubs. A majority of Istanbul's establishments cater to men, but a few offer an all-lesbian or mixed atmosphere." Xtra Magazine has said, "In the many gay clubs and bars to be found around the Taksim/Beyoglu area you'll likely feel quite at home... That said, people in public places tend not to kiss on the mouth, or hold hands, especially outside the gay neighborhoods." Ziba has been described as a gay-friendly bar. Sahika Teras (formerly Uzumbar) in Beyoğlu has been described as "a fixture of the young queer community in Istanbul". Other LGBT-friendly establishments have included: Arjin Cafe, Cemal, Chianti Cafe and Pub, Club 17, Durak Bar, Haspa Cafe Bar, KappaK Club, Love Dance Point, Mor Kedi, the lesbian-owned Palamutis Coffeeshop, Pinokyo Cafe and Bar, Prive Club, Sahra Bar, Şiirci Cafe, SuperFabric, Tekyön, and XLarge Club. Defunct establishments include Bigudi Club, Cheeky Club, Club 1001 Gece, Club eKoo, and Neo Club.

Among accommodations approved by the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association are Grand Hyatt Istanbul, Kumru Hotel, and Park Hyatt Istanbul. Firuz Ağa Hamamı is popular with gay men and bears.

The Istanbul LGBTI+ Solidarity Association works to advance transgender rights. In 2022, the nongovernmental LGBTQ advocacy and outreach organization Social Policy, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association (SPoD) reportedly stopped posting their addresses online after receiving threatening calls.

Art and film
In 2023, Kaya Genç of ArtReview wrote: "Since 2014, when Erdoğan became president, verbal and physical violence against LGBTQ communities has slowly risen and Pride and Trans marches have been banned. Last year, Turkey's president branded Turkey's queer communities 'deviants' who threaten Turkey's 'family structure'. He promised to 'tackle' the LGBTQ 'issue' for good. In response, many NGOs collaborated with and supported LGBTQ causes... Not so Istanbul's sleek art institutions and museums, many of which are partly funded by the government. While local bars and clothing brands added rainbow symbols to their social media avatars to express solidarity, Istanbul's major art institutions have remained silent on LGBTQ rights for years."

In 2021, four students in Istanbul were arrested over an artwork "that reportedly combined LGBT symbols with an image of an Islamic site". According to BBC News, "protesters hung an artwork opposite the new rector's office depicting the Kaaba in Mecca, one of Islam's holiest sites, and images of the LGBT rainbow flag". Authorities accused the students of "inciting hatred" and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu called them "LGBT deviants" on Twitter. The social networking service flagged the post for violating its "rules about hateful conduct", but kept it accessible "for public-interest reasons". For Pride Month in 2023, DEPO was the city's only major artistic venue to host a queer exhibition, and the Pera Museum's film department curated a program. DEPO's Resurgence in Fragments showcased works by Okyanus Çağrı Çamcı, Üzüm Derin Solak, and Furkan Öztekin, and featured pride flags. Among queer films screened at the Pera Museum's Who Wouldn’t Want a Better Story? were Peter Strickland's The Duke of Burgundy (2014), Isabel Sandoval's A Common Language (2020), and Tsai Ming-liang's Days (2020).

Crime and safety
According to a report submitted to the United Nations, local rights groups documented approximately 40 "hate murders" against LGBT people between 2010 and 2014.