LISTAG

Following up from my piece on Gay Marriage last week, I thought this week I’d extend to writing about LISTAG, a support group for family and friends of LGBT people in Turkey. If you want to find out more, check out their website http://www.listagfilm.com/ or alternatively read on!

The goal of the group is to combat against discrimination, homophobia, transphobia, and hate crime that is experienced by LGBT people in Turkey. It’s great that the group is dedicated to getting support from LGBT individuals’ family and friends because it’s so important for LGBT individuals to have support especially during “coming out”. Additionally by focusing on family and friends, the group is reaching out to an even bigger audience to fight for LGBT rights and to tackle hate crime, discrimination, transphobia, and homophobia.

LISTAG provide weekly meetings for the group, they have monthly dinner parties, and there are psychologists and psychiatrists from the Society for Sexual Education Treatment and Research (CETAD) to discuss issues such as gender and sexuality. They conduct meetings with politicians, NGOs, the media, universities etc. LISTAG also has links with other support groups dedicated to LGBT individuals’ family and friends – the more people the more support. Even where LGBT people have rights, there is still prejudice attitudes in society, which is why it’s so important to have support groups not only provide to support but also to tackle issues.

The group is currently making a documentary which is in need of donations. They are aiming for $40,000, and have just made over $10,000. If you would like to donate, check in at http://www.indiegogo.com/MY-CHILD-Parents-of-LGBTs-in-Turkey-speak-out.  The documentary film is called, “My Child” and shares the experiences of LGBT individuals’ parents. It’s expected to be completed this year. In fact, it was the making of the documentary that gave birth to the support group, LISTAG. You can check out the trailer here http://vimeo.com/user3342584. I think it will provide comfort for LGBT individuals and their family and friends, not only in Turkey but all over the world.

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