User:Maria.magdalena2022/sandbox

Despite oppressive behaviour from the government towards lgbtq people, Turkey hosts a majority of queer refugees of the Middle East.

Outline:


 * ottoman empire, change the text a bit, explain if there were certain laws present at the time on homosexuality, subheading should be tanzimat period
 * new haeding of ottoman empire will be refoms, reforms are split in attatuerk and other influential presidents
 * today laws under erdogan
 * one category about film, music and performance

Ottoman empire prior to the tanzimat (Islamic Homosexuality by Stephen O. Murray):


 * homosexual relations between male slaves and their sultan --> the sultan's favourite slave boys were to be married to sultan's daughters (it is implied that the slave boys had (non-consentual) sex with the sultan. Same-sex was also prominant under military officials (far away from their wifes or other women), but was not well received by the state in the new Turkish republic in the mid 20th century --> General Shahab attampted to stop same-sex relations after he had successed in the Persian academy (however, follong his atttempt he was killed in 1941) (chapter 10)
 * homophobia was a product of Western Christian thrive for superiority over Muslims
 * {same-sex practice (in a sexual, non-emotional way) as a bipass to marriage was not fraunt upon as long as men followed their duties as head of the family and husband --> however romantic relationships were stigmatized and public outing followed discrimination by society}
 * being gay and having a gay-identity is even seen as a Western phenomenon, as theTurkish society itself did not acknowledge queer people to exist --> men engaged in sexual activities with one another before marriage to a woman because pre-marritial sex was forbidden or at least not morally accepted
 * {most stories on homosexuality in the middle east concentrate on same sex relations between men, however women also interacted sexually. Nevertheless documents are harder to find as women were not allowed to practice sexual relations prior to marriage, which was then to a man --> also consequence of absent male sexual contact (reserved for marriage) (chapter 5)
 * men prohibited their wives from going to the women's bath because of reputation for lesbian activities (chapter 5)
 * labeling homosexuality started in the late 19th century, before it was just seen as a sexual practice (What Ottoman erotica teaches us about sexual pluralism | Aeon Ideas)
 * {sexual relations between the same sex were not openly spoken about but it was common especially for younger man to experience sexual contact with other men before marriage (as sex between men and women was only socially accepted after the wedding), was called "situational homosexuality"--> this also results in the assumption more men shared sexual sexual relations with other men as women were supposed to remain pure until marriage. and even after the wedding not allowed to have affairs --> however records show that also women were sexually active with other women (picture of 17th century dildo)}, chapter 5 of Murray
 * female sexual encounter: story Abbasid Khalif Musa al-Hadi supposedly beheaded two women of his harmen when he cought them in a sexual act
 * female sexual activity, contrairy to many male was done as out of choice and not out of missing male sexual contact (chapter 5)
 * women who had high ranking and high educational status and who were free to choose their partner often preferred other women because men could not accept the role of the subordinate
 * {prior to the wetsern-influenced introdiction of hetero and homosexuality the Ottoman Empire destinguished between three genders and two sexualities. Geneders were woman, man and boy, making every man transgender as they transform from being a boy. In terms of sexuality referrences suggest that the classification was not the focused on whom people loved, so it did not matter if man or woman or boy but if they were penetrating or being penetrated (so active or passive partner). Penetrators were mainly men and the penetrated women and boys. The fact of whom people had sex with was seen merely as a choice and and taste and not a sexual orientation. (what ottoman erotica teaches..)}
 * by the late 19th century the Otttoman Empire wittnessed a decline in homosexual relations and an increase in concentration on young girls as sexual desire rather than boys (what ottoman erotica teaches...). As historian and statesman Ahmen Cecdet Pasha wrote: Woman-lovers have increased in number, while boy-beloveds have decreased. It is as if the People of Lot have been swallowed by the earth. The love and affinity that were, in Istanbul, notoriously and customarily directed towards young men have now been redirected towards girls, in accordance with the state of nature. --> again here influence through Western heteronomramitivity and following repression of queers

In 1858 the Ottoman Empire—the predecessor of the modern-day Republic of Turkey— adopted a new penal code, which no longer contained any explicit articles criminalizing homosexuality. The Ottoman Penal Code of 1858 was heavily influenced by the Napoleonic Code, as part of wider reforms during the Tanzimat period. (the-tanzimat-final-web.pdf (faith-matters.org))

(Cetin_SWP_neu_EN_final (swp-berlin.org)) Since homosexual relations were liable to criminal prosecution in Germany, France, and England at the beginning of the 1900s,3 homosexual men from these and other countries had fled to Istanbul.4 In contrast to these countries, Istanbul was a city of “sexual” freedoms and an attraction for many Ottoman homosexuals and transsexuals. Historical documents indicate, for instance, that prostitution by young men was legalized in the Ottoman Empire, although they were required to pay taxes on their (sex) work.5 The situation of homosexuals and transpersons deteriorated, however, with Europeanization during the reform process at the end of the nineteenth century in the Ottoman Empire, and with the founding of the Turkish Republic, when, under European influence, homosexuality and transsexuality began to be proscribed.6 The restructuring of important areas of society and the political system according to European models during the end phase of the Empire, the adoption of European political and “civilizing” concepts such as the nation, the nation state, and civil marriage; and the continuation of this civilizing restructuring in the newly founded Republic had mostly negative effects on the lives and relationships of homosexual and trans persons. The history of the early Europeanization of Turkey is thus also the history of discrimination against homosexuality. Discrimination against LGBTI persons has made itself felt, in part due to European influence.

In the 1980s, the national government, whether democratically elected or as a result of a coup d'état, opposed the existence of a visible LGBT community, especially within the political context.

The arts: Literature, Film, music and performance:


 * Literature: in terms of who are famous writers that are gay, but also what doe books and comics show; Murathan Mungan
 * Perfomance, film and music: Zeki Muerren,
 * Bülent Ersoy, the first openly transgender celebrity (singer) starts wearing makeup and feminine clothing in her performances and makes appearances on Turkish National TV (TRT) during the 1970s.

LGBTQA+ history of Turkey: Ottoman times until today.

This article gives an overview of the development of LGBTQA+ representation as well as rights of the community from the 14th century until the 21st century.

Impact of Western modernization on Turkish "homophobia":

victorian view on homosexuality

printing press, censoring of homoerotic literature led to forgetting of its existance --> led to decline of collective memory of "such behaviour"

Article: Queerly Turkish: Queer masculinity and national belonging in the image of Zeki Mueren, by Spencer Hawkins

This article analyses how Turkish artist Zeki Mueren was able to publicly express feminine masculinity on stage and still be idolised in an open homophobic country between the 1950s and 80s. The article also compares the public representation of queers in Turkey of the late 20th century and during the Ottoman Empire. Especially clothes and relationships between heterosexual men changed significantly under the inlfunece of European modernization. Hawkins claims Turkey more and more adapted to European styles, changed their open affection for other people and stigmatisized "feminine" behaviour. Consequently Turkey developed towards a conservative society that shamed same sex relationships. Mueren, in Hawkins analysis, was able to combine the love for his country (he could be seen as a nationalist) and old Ottoman ideals. He goes on sayong that "Atatuerk reforms" of gender expression were set under European example. Citizens were forced to change cultural characteristics such as the wearing of Turban and headscarfs ouside religious institutions, and pushed to take on hyper-masculine behavior. Turkish identity became subordinate to Western one. Western standards became such a model of modernization that Turkish laws supressed their citizen's identity.

Goekalp reform:

Cultural agenda of Turkish nationalist movement emerged after the foundation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923F

Atatuerk was seen as an idol also in terms of dress code: payed a lot of attention to his European-styled garments, self-designed outfits represented liberated Turkey

Attatuerk reforms:

Social regulation was titled "The Women's Suffrage, Dress Code, Abolition of Titles and Weekend Act": goal is to fully integrate into Western world. We do not speak of an acquisition of Western norms and laws but of the creation of a new Turkish culture that would align with ideas of modern societies and science.

Source: The Case of Atatuerk Reforms in Early Turkish Republic Between 1923-1946 From an Educational Perspective by Akgul Ahmet, 2019.

Homoerotic of the Middle East from a Western perspective of the (what century??):


 * most homoerotic French fildm depicted Middle Eastern settings, suggorating that Oriental sexuality was 'perverse'
 * fears and fantasies of Middle Eastern sexuality from Western perspective

Source: The Homoerotics of Orientalism by Joseph Allen Boone, 2014.

This article gives an overview of the development of LGBTQIA+ representation as well as rights of the community in Turkey from the 14th century until the 21st century.

Contents

 * 1) Ottoman Empire
 * 2) Timeline
 * 3) * 2.1 19th century
 * 4) * 2.2 20th century
 * 5) * 2.3 20th century
 * 6) * 2.4 21st century
 * 7) See also
 * 8) Bibliography
 * 9) References

Ottoman Empire[edit]
Nowadays Turkey is known for its oppression towards non-heteronorm relationships and stigmatization of queer lives. The national government of the 1980s even denied the existence of a visible LGBT community, especially within the political context. However much of today's traditional views derived from the times of modernization under Turkey's first president Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

The label "homosexuality" (originally from German "Homosexualität"), coined by Austrio-Hungarian journalist Karoly Maria Kertbeny, was only first mentioned 1868. Prior, Ottomans did not base sexuality on attraction to a specific gender but distinguished between active and passive partners, those who penetrate and those who are being penetrated. Therefore, choice of a partner was merely based on taste and not on sexual orientation. However, marriage between a man and a woman was the only acceptable form of romantic relationship, making it illegitimate for people to openly have partners of the same sex. Public outing resulted in social exclusion. Furthermore, Ottomans spoke of three genders: woman, man and boy. This suggests that all men were transgender as they transformed from boyhood.

Sexual relations between the same sexes were not openly spoken about but it was common especially for younger men to experience sexual contact with other men before marriage, sometimes referred to as "situational homosexuality", as sex between men and women was only socially accepted after the wedding. This results in the assumption mainly men engaged in homosexual relations because women were supposed to remain virgins until marriage. Additionally, same-sex practices as a bypass to marriage were accepted as long as men followed their expected duties as husbands.

By the late 19th century homosexual contact started to decline and the focus of desire turned to young girls. As Ahmen Cecdet Pasha wrote:

"Woman-lovers have increased in number, while boy-beloveds have decreased. It is as if the People of Lot have been swallowed by the earth. The love and affinity that were, in Istanbul, notoriously and customarily directed towards young men have now been redirected towards girls, in accordance with the state of nature."

Research shows that the decline is in close relationship to the criminalization of homosexuality in the Western world, which followed repression of queers.

Homosexuality among slaves:

The Ottoman Empire had acquired a stereotype by Westerners of being a land where pederasty was common. This was especially true among slave boys who were sold to high-ranking personalities, such as Sultans. Halet Efendi, during his stay in Paris during 1803–1806, expressed discomfort at this image of the Turks. After being shown the Palais-Royal marketplace at night, he disputed this stereotype by observing that, during the night visit, there were "1500 boys exclusively occupied in sodomy" whose availability and prices were being advertised on printed cards, all of which was far more blatant in Paris than anywhere in Ottoman lands. Despite the Western opinion, the trade was very profitable, so families trained their sons to be selected and sold to Sultans' harems. It is therefore questionable if slave boys could actually be seen as gay as they were indebted to their master. The favorite ones were given in marriage to the masters' daughters and giving the opportunity to raise their social status and own capital.

Most often though slaves served in the army, far away from wives and families. It was therefore also prominent under military officials to have sex, which later on was not well received by the state in the new Turkish Republic. One general tried to ban same-sex relations, after he had succeeded in the Persian academy, but was thereupon killed in 1941. However, there are not many sources on the story to back up this claim.

Lesbianism in the Ottoman Empire

Even though most stories on homosexuality of the Ottoman Empire focus on same sex relations between men, records show that also women were sexually active with other women. However, documents are quite rare as women were not allowed to have extramarital sex. Therefore, lesbian relations were interpreted as consequence of "deprivation", an act out of absence of heterosexual contact. Another reason for lacking evidence was the that women were not seen as individuals with sexual desires but simply seen for their reproductive purposes. There also existed a stereotype, with little evidence, that lesbianism was widespread within the harems of high-ranking Ottoman authorities. Abbasid Khalif Musa al-Hadi supposedly beheaded two of his wives when he caught them in a sexual act. This story supports scholarly claims that lesbian sexual activity, contrary to many gay one's, was done out choice and not missing male contact. As a consequence, some Turkish men forbid their wives to go to women's bathhouses because of their reputation as places of pleasure.

Women in the upper class with access to education and who were free to choose their partner often preferred women because men could not accept the role of the subordinate.

Reforms
After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1923 and the foundation of the Turkish Republic, Turkey's first president Mustafa Kemal Attatürk introduced a number of reforms that impacted the view on gay relationships within the country. Attatürks goal to modernize institutions and cultural traditions was heavily influenced by conservative Western ideals. The Christian ruling countries did not allow for non-heterosexual relationships and were

After the Tanzimat reform period, there were no longer any explicit laws criminalizing homosexuality from 1858.